How To Arrange Your Buffet Area

Setting up the buffet area for your catering gig can be a bit overwhelming, so we've shared some examples of carving/buffet stations with the hopes of giving you some inspiration. Please use these as a guide and feel free to create your own set-up how you like it.

Standard Carving Station

The standard carving station consists of two serpentine folding tables. When placed side by side, the serpentine shape creates one large C-shaped table. A server/bartender can be stationed in the middle, this allows for easy servicing of food and beverages.

Super Carving Station

The super carving station is just like the standard, except with an additional serpentine table added to the setup. This will still allow for a server to be stationed in the middle but the area for presenting food is bigger.

The Ultra Buffet

This setup consists of four serpentine folding tables which complete a full circle, and one 71" round table centered. You will not be able to have someone standing in the middle to serve, but the middle folding table will provide extra space for additional food or a fancy center piece.

The Half-Moon

Looking for just a little extra space in your already crammed area? Quarter wedge folding tables are the perfect solution to small spaces. Individually, they can be placed in the corner of a room. Place two quarter wedge tables side by side and you have a perfectly good half-moon set up.

Buffet Carving Station

Two serpentine tables and a standard folding table in the middle will give you a carving station large enough to station a server on each end. The middle table can hold food for carving or beverages. The length of the middle table can be up to your discretion, but make sure the width is the same as the serpentine folding tables, or your setup will not look right. Since this setup is meant to have someone stationed inside, it is a good idea to leave space between the tables and the wall to walk through.

The Wallhugger

Meant to be placed, you guessed it, against the wall. The Wallhugger is two quarter wedge folding tables on the ends of any standard length folding table. The image displays only one middle table, but if you have a really long wall, feel free to add as many tables in the middle as you'd like.

Serpentine Buffet

Take your standard carving station with two serpentine folding tables and rotate one of the tables so that the inner crescent shapes are facing opposite from each other. This creates the serpentine buffet.

Long Serpentine Buffet

Do the same as the serpentine buffet above, but add a standard sized folding table in the middle. Again, it doesn't matter the length of this extra table so long as the width matches. (Most tables are a standard 30" wide).

Dogbone Buffet

This setup will require a large amount of room and uses a standard 8ft. folding table in the middle with a 60" round folding table on each side. As you can see from the diagram, one round table holds your fruits/salads, the other round table can hold your drinks and desserts. Save the middle table for hot foods and main dishes that you want as the center attraction.

Full Banquet / Conference

If you plan on unloading your full catering setup to the world and are looking to really impress your guests, use this example diagram as a guide to setting up your main buffet. You can see the mixture of rectangular folding tables, serpentine tables, and quarter wedges on one side. Feel free to make your set-up as long as you like, but be sure to leave a two to three foot gap on each side for easy access in or out.

If you have a station set-up that you don't see here and would like to have it added, please email Sales@CreativePlay.com