Holiday meals are memorable and delicious, and something many of us look forward to all year long. Preparing those meals can also be stressful and costly, especially if you have a crowd to feed: planning, shopping, preparing, storing, and of course cooking all make an already busy time, even busier! Never fear, though: Iron Mike Conference Center has you covered with their Meals-to-Go program.
The program started in 2020, when in-person meals were not possible because of Covid-19 restrictions. Like so many other businesses and organizations, Iron Mike had to pivot and began to offer meals that people could pre-order and pick up to bring home.
After meals-to-go were such a popular option, the conference center decided to keep the program going, even when in-person service became a possibility again. The to-go meals are helpful for people on-post and off, as they are available to military and civilian personnel alike.
The Iron Mike Conference Center offers catering and buffet meals year-round, but for Thanksgiving and Christmas, they additionally offer meals to go. All you need to do is order the meals ahead of time and pick it up on the day you choose. The final day to reserve meals is Dec. 12, with the final day for pick-up on Dec. 19.
According to Cynthia Kauth, Business Manager, Iron Mike Conference Center, the Meals-to-Go program has filled 10-15 orders a year for the past few years. The total number of people fed is much higher than that, though. Many parties order several meals at a time, enough to feed an entire unit of soldiers for the holidays.
Meals include a choice of ham or turkey, plus a choice of three sides (there are six to choose from), rolls, dessert and sweet tea. Everything is fully cooked and cooled by the catering staff at the conference center, then packaged to be refrigerated or frozen. They even include instructions for re-heating the food when you are ready to serve it to your crowd. There are two sizes available: the smaller size feeds up to 8 people and costs $180; the larger meal feeds 8-15 people and costs $280. Both come with the same food options.
The Iron Mike Conference Center offers a wide array of services year-round. The beautiful venue is available for events large and small, including weddings, professional conferences, job fairs, proms, birthday parties, or any kind of celebration. Events include full-service catering.
If you enjoy the Meal-to-Go and wish you could enjoy Iron Mike’s food service all year, you are in luck. Iron Mike Conference Center has a lunch buffet year-round. The all-you-can eat lunch costs $13.50 and features different themed offerings throughout the week: Wednesdays feature pasta on the buffet; on Thursdays, they offer German food; and Friday is a fish fry.
To take advantage of the Meal-to-Go offering that Iron Mike Conference Center offers this holiday season, place your order over the phone at 910-907-2582 or 910-907-1945, or in person. The final day to reserve meals is December 12, with the final day for pick-up on December 19. The Iron Mike Conference Center is located at 2658 Rock Merritt Ave. on Fort Bragg.