OUT OF THE BOX AND ON THE GO: HORIZONS BRINGS DISTINCTIVE CATERING LIVE TO HOMES AND BUSINESSES

SAGINAW, MICH., August 23, 2023—Throughout the year, HORIZONS Conference Center frequently takes our trademark “Art of Hospitality” on the road to events all over the Great Lakes Bay Region and beyond. With our new mobile pizza oven, a variety of action stations, and seasonal mocktails, our event hosts have even more options to choose from to enhance the experience for their guests.

Chef Mark Wilson serving up brick oven pizza at an off-site event

Mobile Pizza Oven
We’ll let you in on a little secret: Our executive chef, Mark Wilson, absolutely loves pizza and spends countless hours in his personal kitchen experimenting with dough, sauces, seasonings and toppings. He is excited to share his hobby with HORIZONS guests.

“We wanted to be able to offer the brick oven pizza experience for off-site events as an enhancement to other action stations on our menu, so we invested in a mobile pizza oven this spring,” said Wilson. “We trialed it at an employee pizza party before declaring it ‘road ready.’”

Hundreds of artisan pizzas have already been baked in the new mobile pizza oven and served to guests at graduation parties, company picnics, private parties and other off-site events over the summer. “This has been a great complement to our catering options,” said Kiron Choudhri, executive vice president. “Creating distinctive experiences for our clients and their guests is our passion – and this new addition has been very well received.”

HORIZONS brings fresh dough, a variety of sauces, cheeses and toppings to each event and bakes the pizzas to order. Vegetarian, Margherita (fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and basil) and classic pepperoni are favorites.

Action Stations/Strolling Buffets
In addition to the new pizza oven, all of the chef-attended and self-serve action stations on the HORIZONS menus are also available for catered events.

“Action stations are a great addition to a buffet or even a plated meal,” said Choudhri. “They get guests mingling and allow them to customize their dining experience. Action stations can also be tailored to work with a particular theme.”

Multiple action stations can also be combined to create a strolling buffet experience. HORIZONS offers a variety of action stations for appetizers, main course, beverages and dessert. Some of the most popular include:

• Mac and cheese bar with a variety of toppings
• Paella with saffron rice, chicken, Andouille sausage and roasted peppers and a selection of rustic breads and infused oils displayed on bricks in a paella pan
• Chef-attended carving block with choice of beef, turkey or ham plus accompaniments
• Pasta bar with selection of pasta, sauces, chicken, Italian sausage and sautéed vegetables plus rustic breads and olive oil
• Belgian chocolate fountain with a selection of fruit and sweet/salty treats for dipping
• Bananas Foster – bananas, brown sugar and rum flambéed by a chef and served with ice cream
• Ice cream bar – featuring locally sourced ice cream from Michigan Cream & Sugar Ice Cream Company plus a variety of toppings

Pasta Bar Action Station

Freshly churned, locally sourced ice cream from Michigan Cream & Sugar

Refreshing Mocktails and Signature Drinks
Mocktails are a popular choice for many events HORIZONS caters during the summer and all year long. Favorites this season include fresh and fruity selections such as the Pomegranate Agave Spritzer, Blackberry Lavender Lemonade, Virgin Mojito and Peach Bellini.

“Going beyond typical nonalcoholic options like soft drinks and iced tea, mocktails and signature drinks can really help elevate an event,” said Choudhri. “Our team’s creativity truly shines in this area – and our bartenders love experimenting with new flavor profiles, seasonal ingredients and garnishes. More and more, we’re asked to develop unique signature drinks to match an event theme – both with and without alcohol – and we’re thrilled to do it.”

Cranberry Orange Spritzer

Virgin Mojito

All the Essentials and Extras You Need
Taking the “Art of Hospitality” on the road means HORIZONS handles all of the details – from professional planning, floral design and décor, to setup, teardown and cleaning during and after the event. HORIZONS can also coordinate rental of tents, tables, chairs and linens for maximum convenience and peace of mind.

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