Catering 101

A few things to think about when choosing a professional catering company:

Basics:

• What is the experience, background, and education of your caterer?
• Is your caterer licensed and insured?
• Do they work out of an inspected kitchen? Do they have proper health permits?
• Does your caterer use contracts? What are the terms/cancellations policy?
• Is your caterer licensed to serve alcohol? Can they provide a bartender?
• Do you want to serve beer, wine and spirits, or some combination there of?
• What are the rentals (chairs, tables, linens, glassware, china, tents) needed?
• Does the caterer provide these for you? If not, can they direct you to someone who can?

Food:

• Are the menus custom or pre- set?
• Does the caterer use products specific to the area and season?
• Does the caterer accommodate special needs diets?
• Does your caterer make everything from scratch, or do they use pre-made or frozen ingredients?

Service:

• Is the event being served as a plated meal or buffet?
• What is the caterer's server:guest ratio for each type of event?
• What do they wear?
• What is included in the service costs?

Contract terms:

• How far in advance does the caterer need a final count?
• Is there a retainer due? When?
• When is final payment due? Is there a gratuity? Are there taxes?
• What is the policy for vendor meals?

The success of your catered event depends on the client/caterer relationship. Being prepared with the proper questions for your caterer will enable your caterer to work efficiently to meet your needs.