When it comes to hiring a caterer for your event, it is an important decision. Choosing the right caterer for a company or private event is imperative. Focusing on event planning, there are a variety of providers to choose from. To ensure the success of your event, you need to do your homework and choose wisely. This article outlines the process for finding a caterer and offers a checklist to help.
Preparation
When searching for a caterer, take the time to consider what type of catering you need and gather information about your needs like:
- What time and date will the event take place?
- What is your budget?
- What place will your event be held at? (Or do you have a venue in mind?)
- Is there a catering kitchen at the venue?
- How many guests are coming to your event?
- Any of your number of guests restricted from eating certain foods?
- What is the theme of your event?
- Do you have a preference for a style of cuisine?
- Does your event require decorations, flowers, table settings?
- Do you need to purchase or hire any equipment?
If you answer the questions above, you will find out what kind of service you need. Also you can take help from a great caterer will offer a complete service, so you don’t have to worry about organizing for separate services. Hiring a single company to plan your event will help you out with getting everything organized, and make it go more smoothly.
Read More About: The 5 Important Elements of Catering Business
Research
Now that you’ve done your preparation it’s time for research. First, you need to locate some catering companies. One way to do this is through recommendations. You can ask friends, family and colleagues for their input. For a list of professional caterers in the area, you can use a search engine.
Choose a small list of caterers based on your needs, which you identified earlier when preparing. Use this list of caterers to decide on the best catering company for your event. For example, you may identify that your guest has a particular dietary requirement (e.g. vegan) or that the venue does not have a kitchen and might need to hire temporary equipment for the night of the event.
Before contacting catering companies to finalize your food order, make sure you have a list of questions prepared.
Read More About: Catering Advice From a Caterer For Successful Event
Here’s a quick checklist to help you find the right Caterer:
- Do they offer what you want? (Including any specific dietary needs?)
- Can they cater to your type of function? (Corporate, private etc.)
- Are they available for the event you’re hosting?
- Is there contact information available during all hours?
- Do they have staff? Are the staff professionals and experienced in your type of event?
- Is there a person who can organize equipment hire? Is the equipment in good condition?
- Can they help you find a venue, if necessary?
- Can they help you with event design?
- Are they willing to adapt their typical meal plan if you have limited kitchen facilities?
- Does the caterer offer beverage planning?
- Are they actual caterers, or are these restaurants more limited on the food variety?
- Are they a member of the Restaurant Association?
- Ask for references before you choose an agency.
- Does the caterer have a physical location and not just an online presence?
- Do they take credit cards and other payment methods?
- In general, do they charge additional fees for credit card transactions?
- What is their deposit requirement?
- What is their policy for cancelling?
- What is the company’s postponement policy?
Get a Quote
Once a reliable caterer with the experience to meet your needs has been identified, it’s time to get down to making specific requests and getting a quote.
Place your order!
If you’re happy with the price and have looked through the checklist, it’s time to place your order. You will do this confidently because you’ve chosen a Caterer that fits what you need!
