Simple Catering Tips
When planning a party or event, you want to make sure that the catering goes off without a hitch. The quality of the catering can cause your guests to remember your party or event for a long time… and you don’t want your guests to have bad memories of the catering. When choosing a caterer, there are several steps you will want to take.
Food for Thought
First and foremost, you should decide what kind of food you want to have at your party. If you want to have mini burgers (sliders) and chicken wings, your catering options will be different than if you want to have a full, sit-down formal dinner. You will need to decide if you want everyone to be served their own plate or if you want to offer more of a buffet style service. You will also need to decide if you want the caterer to bring everything for you party: food, drink, linens, silverware, etc., or if you just want to order food and pick up some of the rest of these items yourself. And finally, you will need to know if you want to have the caterer send servers, or if you plan on having your guests serve themselves.
Caterers – What are your Options!
Once you have chosen the type of meal you want to have, you will need to conduct research on the available caterers. One of the best ways to do this is to go online and see what previous customers have thought about various caterers in your area. Important factors to look for in customer reviews include: quality of food, pricing, punctuality of the caterer in delivering or setting up your event, and customer service and friendliness of the catering staff (if you plan on having servers at your event). Another way to conduct research is to ask friends which caterers they have used for their parties or to ask other businesses which caterers they use for their events. Some caterers even offer free or low-cost taste-testings, so that you can drop into their location and see how their food tastes for yourself.
Lets Meet the Caterer
After you have chosen a caterer, you should set up a meeting with the caterer to discuss your party or event. A truly great caterer will want to sit down with you and determine how you see your event happening and what specific kinds of food you want. The meeting with the caterer can be quick or longer depending on the amount of time you have to spend, but you should always make sure to set up at least one face-to-face meeting with the caterer for menu planning.
After you have completed these three steps, all you have to do is wait for your party or event to commence. You should probably also give your caterer a phone call the day before the event, just to confirm the time that the caterer will be arriving or the time that you will be picking up the food. If you follow these tips, the catering for your party should be a sensational success, and all of your guests will be asking you where you got your caterer!