NAICS Code Details Template 2 Example Code
Best fit for NAICS 722320: Use NAICS 722320 when the establishment’s primary activity is providing food service for individual planned events, such as weddings, business luncheons, graduation parties, retirement events, receptions, or trade shows.
Usually not this code: Do not use NAICS 722320 when the establishment primarily operates as a restaurant, mobile food vendor, long-term food service contractor, or venue-only event space without catering staff.
This code covers caterers and related establishments that prepare, transport, and serve food for specific events such as weddings, graduations, business luncheons, retirement events, and trade shows. These establishments often provide off-premise food service and may use equipment or vehicles to deliver meals, snacks, staff, and service materials to event locations.
Key Facts
This summary identifies the official NAICS reference details for NAICS 722320 and the most common classification, crosswalk, and business-use fields associated with this code.
SICCODE.com Database Coverage for This Industry
SICCODE.com maintains industry-coded company records associated with NAICS 722320 for research, targeting, appending, segmentation, and business data workflows.
Official NAICS Definition
The official NAICS definition provides the baseline meaning of NAICS 722320. SICCODE.com adds plain-English scope notes, included and excluded activities, crosswalks, and classification guidance below.
This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in providing single event-based food services. These establishments generally have equipment and vehicles to transport meals and snacks to events and/or prepare food at an off-premise site. Banquet halls with catering staff are included in this industry. Examples of events catered by establishments in this industry are graduation parties, wedding receptions, business or retirement luncheons, and trade shows.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 NAICS reference for NAICS 722320.
Description & Scope
This section clarifies the official meaning of NAICS 722320 and how the code is usually applied at the establishment level.
What this code covers: NAICS 722320 applies to caterers and banquet-hall food service operations that provide food for specific events rather than ongoing restaurant-style dining or long-term institutional food service.
How this category usually operates: Businesses in this category typically prepare menus for scheduled events, transport food and service equipment to an event site, provide staff for serving or bartending, and support event-based food service for weddings, corporate functions, trade shows, social gatherings, and similar occasions.
Primary activity test: An establishment usually fits NAICS 722320 when its primary activity is providing food service for individual events. The same business label may point to another code if the establishment primarily operates a restaurant, sells food from trucks or carts, manages long-term food service contracts, or rents event space without catering staff.
Common misclassification issue: Catering is often confused with food service contractors and mobile food services. The key distinction is that caterers serve single events, while food service contractors operate under ongoing arrangements and mobile food vendors prepare and sell food for immediate consumption from vehicles or carts.
Included / Excluded
This section helps distinguish activities that usually fit NAICS 722320 from nearby activities that may belong in another code.
Usually Included
- Catering services for weddings, graduations, retirement events, business luncheons, and trade shows
- Banquet halls that provide catering staff as part of event-based food service
- Off-premise caterers that transport meals, snacks, service equipment, and staff to event sites
- Social catering services for private parties, receptions, and corporate functions
- Bartender services provided as part of event catering or party service arrangements
Usually Excluded
- Preparing and serving meals for immediate consumption from trucks or carts → 722330 - Mobile Food Services
- Providing food services at institutional, government, commercial, or industrial locations under ongoing contracts → 722310 - Food Service Contractors
- Renting event facilities without providing catering staff → 531120 - Lessors of Nonresidential Buildings
- Operating a full-service restaurant with table service as the primary activity → 722511 - Full-Service Restaurants
- Operating a limited-service restaurant or takeout food counter as the primary activity → 722513 - Limited-Service Restaurants
Commonly Confused Codes
These nearby NAICS codes are often confused with NAICS 722320. The differences below focus on practical business-activity distinctions rather than title similarity alone.
| Code | Title | Usually Applies When | Key Difference | Common Mistake |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 722310 | Food Service Contractors | The business provides food service at another party’s location under a continuing contract. | Contract food service is ongoing; catering is generally single-event based. | Treating institutional or industrial food service contracts as catering. |
| 722330 | Mobile Food Services | The business prepares and sells food from trucks, carts, or mobile units for immediate consumption. | Mobile food vendors sell from vehicles or carts; caterers serve planned events. | Classifying food trucks as caterers because they can appear at events. |
| 531120 | Lessors of Nonresidential Buildings | The business primarily rents event or banquet space without providing catering staff. | Facility rental alone is real estate leasing, not catering. | Classifying a venue-only rental hall as a banquet caterer. |
| 722511 | Full-Service Restaurants | The establishment primarily serves meals to seated customers with table service. | Restaurants provide regular dining service; caterers provide event-based food service. | Classifying a restaurant with occasional catering under 722320. |
| 722513 | Limited-Service Restaurants | The establishment primarily sells prepared food where customers order and pay before eating. | Limited-service restaurants are regular food outlets; caterers serve specific events. | Classifying takeout or counter-service food operations as catering. |
Not sure which NAICS code applies?
If your business overlaps catering, restaurants, mobile food service, event venues, or food service contracting, SICCODE.com can review the primary activity and recommend the best NAICS and SIC code.
SBA Size Standard and Government Use
NAICS codes are used in federal statistics, business registration, procurement, lending, and eligibility workflows. The SBA size standard is often one of the most important practical uses of a NAICS code.
SBA Size Standard
- NAICS code: 722320
- Size standard: $9.0 million
- Standard type: Average annual receipts
- Source: 13 CFR § 121.201 SBA size standards
Common Government and Business Uses
- Federal statistical classification
- Business registration and industry identification
- SBA size standards and small-business eligibility review
- Federal contracting and vendor classification workflows
- Market research, appending, segmentation, and analytics
NAICS, SIC, and ISIC Crosswalks
Crosswalks help compare NAICS 722320 with prior NAICS versions, related SIC classifications, and international ISIC references. Crosswalk relationships can be approximate when classification systems use different boundaries.
| Classification System | Code | Title | Relationship to NAICS 722320 |
|---|---|---|---|
| NAICS 2017 | 722320 | Caterers | Same code and title as 2022 |
| NAICS 2012 | 722320 | Caterers | Same code and title as 2022 |
| SIC | 5812 | Eating Places | Closest SIC relationship for legacy SIC comparison |
| ISIC Rev. 4 | 5621 | Event Catering | International classification reference for event catering |
Edge Cases and Boundary Situations
These examples address realistic borderline situations where NAICS 722320 can be confused with another code.
Restaurant That Also Offers Catering
Situation: A restaurant serves daily customers but also provides catering for weddings or corporate events.
Usually fits NAICS 722320 when: The establishment’s primary activity is event-based catering rather than regular restaurant dining.
May fit another code when: Restaurant dining is the primary activity, such as full-service restaurant operations under NAICS 722511.
Banquet Hall or Event Venue
Situation: A venue hosts receptions, corporate events, and private parties.
Usually fits NAICS 722320 when: The venue provides catering staff and event-based food service as part of its primary business.
May fit another code when: The business mainly rents event space without catering staff, which may point to NAICS 531120.
Common Business Examples for NAICS 722320
These examples describe common operating models associated with NAICS 722320. They are not automatic classifications for every business using a similar label.
Common Business Types
- Wedding caterers
- Corporate event caterers
- Banquet halls with catering staff
- Social catering services
- Bartender services provided as part of event catering
Usually Not This Code When
- The business primarily operates as a restaurant with occasional catering orders.
- The business sells food from a food truck, cart, or other mobile unit for immediate consumption.
- The business provides ongoing contract food service at schools, hospitals, offices, or industrial sites.
- The business only rents event space and does not provide catering staff.
Frequently Asked Questions
These questions address practical classification issues for NAICS 722320.
What businesses are included in NAICS 722320?
NAICS 722320 includes establishments primarily engaged in providing single event-based food services, including caterers, social catering services, and banquet halls with catering staff.
What does not fit under NAICS 722320?
Mobile food vendors, ongoing contract food service operators, restaurants, and venue-only rental businesses generally fall under other NAICS codes when those activities are primary.
What is the difference between NAICS 722320 and NAICS 722310?
NAICS 722320 applies to single event-based catering. NAICS 722310 applies to food service contractors that provide food services at institutional, commercial, industrial, or government locations under longer-term contractual arrangements.
What SIC or ISIC code is related to NAICS 722320?
The closest SIC relationship shown for NAICS 722320 is SIC 5812 - Eating Places. The related ISIC Rev. 4 reference is 5621 - Event Catering. Crosswalks may be approximate because classification systems use different boundaries.
Business Data for This Industry
SICCODE.com maintains business data associated with this industry for research, targeting, appending, segmentation, and analytics. This data is separate from the official NAICS definition and is used to help identify companies associated with this industry category.
For Research
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Related NAICS and SIC References
These links help users compare nearby categories, review legacy SIC relationships, and continue classification research.
Related NAICS Code
Compare caterers with mobile food services when the business prepares and sells food from trucks, carts, or mobile units.
722330 - Mobile Food ServicesRelated SIC Code
Review the closest legacy SIC relationship for food service and eating-place classifications.
5812 - Eating PlacesParent Category
The parent category shows the broader NAICS context for caterers within special food services.
Browse parent categoryConversion Reference
Use the conversion reference to compare NAICS and SIC relationships across classification systems.
NAICS to SIC conversionNeed Help Choosing the Right Code?
Some food service businesses fit clearly into one code. Others need closer review because of mixed restaurant, catering, event venue, mobile food, or contract food service activities.
Do It Yourself
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Compare CodeMatch optionsOfficial Sources and Reference Links
This section grounds the page in official classification sources and supporting SICCODE.com review materials.
- U.S. Census Bureau 2022 NAICS reference for NAICS 722320
- Official NAICS structure and classification reference
- SBA Table of Size Standards, 13 CFR § 121.201
- NAICS to ISIC concordance reference
- SICCODE.com Classification Methodology
- SICCODE.com Data Governance Framework
- SICCODE.com Industry Classification Review Team