Lon Lanes Inspired Occasions

Everything about LLIO is professional. Their attention to detail, timing - "what do want this event to be"... they try to cover every aspect of an "inspired occasion".We attended a December event where each and every item was covered - decorations were immaculate, the plating was with fine china, the food was magnificent (raw oysters, amazing entrees, and social interaction subtly provided for.)We also were part of a November event with mostly desserts, again - they design the occasion to your wishes. And once again, it was memorable, oh wait, I should say "inspired".They are not the "cheapest" caterer - but then again, if you want memorable or inspired, it's worth it. I mean, how often do you do these types of things (wedding, special business event, special get-together, coming of age....) anyway?

I used Lon Lane for a backyard wedding this summer, and it was hands down one of the most well-set up events I have ever been to. Lon Lane communicated exceptionally well, were friendly, and I can't recommend them enough.

To say thank you to Inspired Occasions and your team is not enough to express the gratitude that we have for your services. You all are simply outstanding, first class and top notch!! Our guests raved about the food and couldn't stop talking about how amazing it was. Your staff took care of my every need from making sure I had water or a glass of wine in my hand, to saving some food for us to have later since we were talking so much. Your lead crew member even took the time to assist my grandmother and chatted with her a bit. She was quite pleased with the attention. If you ever need a reference or testimonial do not hesitate to let me know. I will most certainly use you all again in the future when the need arises. Sincerely, Stephanie and Kevin Greenwood

Lon Lane's Inspired Occasions make dreams come to life... To say that I had a specific and particular vision, for my event, would have been an understatement. And it was very clear that Lon Lane's was the only company that could meet the demands of my event. I reached out to them, cautiously, in early March for a reception that would take place later that same month. I was told that they would not be cheap but I would be more than satisfied with the service they could provide. Because of the clients and partners my organization was working on behalf of, I went into negotiations with them with a defined sense of what I wanted. Jeff's team worked with me to craft the exact menu I needed and added seasonal items and personal effects that brought up the nature and sophistication of my event. The high-end dessert options available at Lon Lane prove to any guest attending your event that they are not afraid to take risks with food and not sacrifice on taste. My guests are still talking about the interactive food displays they created and more importantly, about how good everything tasted. All staff were exceptionally focused on providing a great experience to my guests and they felt like a part of the event. I was fortunate enough to meet the Chef at my event and I thanked them for an incredible event. But I cannot thank them enough. I didn't have to stress about anything as they were prepared, on time and incredibly easy to work with. Thank you to the entire team for a job well done!

We used Lon Lanes Inspired Occasions (LLIO) for our Kansas City wedding. They did a great job, and everyone is still talking about how delicious the food was. Their presentation was impeccable, and they had more than enough staff to keep things moving as they should. There were only a few things that keep them from getting five stars. Our wedding was during July, the peak of the wedding season, and in the months leading up to our event the staff at LLIO was understandably busy with many other events. In the planning stages there were just a couple of times that we didn't get responses to questions, and when this happened we worried that this may be indicative of what our wedding day would be like. Luckily, this did not turn out to be the case. The wedding day was perfect! I can't stress that enough. And this communication issue was by no means, the standard, but it did happen enough to bother us. The other irksome event was that we didn't get our leftover meat. It sounds so silly to write this, but it is a reason they don't get five stars. In an effort to be fully honest, I wasn't watching that closely, or at all, and there may not have been any left. But after the wedding several guests came to me and said there was a huge hunk of beef left when the food stations closed, and were asking where they could find it because they wanted more. It is great that they loved it so much, but I hated to tell them that it hadn't been left as we requested. Some of the great things about LLIO were that they were willing to tweak menu items, they tried to work with our budget, they offered great suggestions on other vendors to work with, and we didn't need to worry about a thing the day of. Most important, the food was fabulous! We figured if we were paying for food we wanted it to be great, and it was. Like I said before, everyone is still talking about how good it was. They weren't the cheapest caterer we looked at, but they really weren't that much more expensive. Particularly when you consider the quality of food, and service.

Lon Lane's Inspired Occasions catered the opening of Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams Home Furnishings. What a treat to be part of this event, see all the innovative décor and share in the foods they created. I first tried the ceviche' bar. They made me scallops with avocado & mango, cilantro and hot peppers. It was fantastic! My next adventure was bar-be-cue in a glass with polenta, burnt ends and slaw. And then there was the serve yourself cheese, fruit, and bread station. Yes...it all was good. But the best was the dessert station of ice cream on a stick, just the right amount, made while I waited. Then they put a cookie with it and I had a half-sandwich. Oh my, it was wonderful! As I wandered the store they had wandering servers with trays of small bites, and drinks. It truly was amazing all of the wonderful tastes. I definitely would recommend Lon Lane's Inspired Occasions for a catered event. They were professional, unobtrusive, and helpful when I had a question.

Professional staff, first class presentation and great food all earn Lon Lane's Inspired Occasions every single star. Everyone I worked with from Domonique to Tony to Jeff, all were gracious, genuine and worked with me to fit our budget. I plan on ordering from them again when I am in town next and will recommend it to all of my friends & family in the KC area.

Jeff & his team provided a fantastic catering service, hand delivering a beautiful selection of sandwiches, charcuterie, savory beef, hummus, delicious desserts, & wine to each of our team members. The attention to detail was more than I had even requested. I wish I had a photo to add, however I was too excited upon the arrival of the meal. I would highly recommend this company to anyone looking for impressive catering. They were easy to work with & delivered on everything! Above and Beyond!

This caterer was recommended by someone who used them for an engagement party. I contacted Lon's Executive Assistant regarding a brunch to be heldearly Sunday afternoon, 11-13-11.She asked very detailed questions in order to prepare my estimate.She asked if I was "getting bids". I have been distracted due to the serious illness of the Guest of Honor and said in my answer that I hadn't been able to do much party planning as a result. Was going with the recommendation from one of their previous clients.This "caring nature"(d)event planner,~per the company's website~ coldly ignored the gut-wrenching news I had shared and responded, " Does this mean you're not getting bids or waiting to see to see what we can provide?"I answered, "not getting bids". Her reply, "Thanks"When I caught my breath,I thought maybe I should contact another caterer who understands that. yes, it's a business, but it's also a business about people and quite possibly once-in-a-lifetime events.An hour or so later I followed up with an email to the Executive Assistant merely advising that I was going to START getting bids...I received a response the following day,"We're totally booked up for that particular date"If that were so, why waste a couple of hours going through the 20 questions routine? Why ask if I was getting bids if the point was moot from the outset?If Lon Lane's Inspired Occasions is all it CLAIMS to be, seems like they'd have enough people and equipment to do a Sunday Brunch that would put any possible competitor to shame. And if they had proposed such a menu, I would have probably jumped on it despite the Assistant's heartless attitude.However, once I mentioned I would start getting bids~didn't say why~suddenly it's:Oops! we're too busy that day."Little white lie"? Your guess is as good as mine. But if an event planner touted for her"caring nature" dismisses someone distracted by a loved one's brain cancer so callously,then,as another reviewer observed,you will probably encounter some rather stressful or simply "irksome"communication issues. .

We have used Lon and his crew on a number of occasions We had them cater an outdoor event when we introduced a new partner. He did our daughters' weddings. He is terrific. We had a variety of stations and our guests ate like little pigs. I was very pleased with every aspect of the events. Lon and his wife are terrific. Just remember you get what you pay for. He is worth the cost.