Choosing a Venue with Catering

So many times I’ve had clients call me and ask about catering for an event — What is a reasonable price and what should I expect to pay for catering?  What is the best kind of food to eat for certain types of event? 

I think the main question to ask is:  Does my venue offer in-house catering?

The reason why this is such an important question is because most people don’t know what a great deal you can get at a venue if they decide to go with the catering that is offered.  Most venues offer a wide variety of choices, and can most likely offer you more of what you want because all of the food is prepared on-site.  Although catering companies can be a great resource for events held outside or in other areas that a kitchen is not readily accessible, venues with catering have chef’s and kitchen attendants on-site so you are rest assured to get some really great and really fresh food.

Many venues with in-house catering also offer discounts on room rental if you purchase a certain amount of food for your event.    These venues very often to do not allow any outside catering to bring food into the building – mostly because it would put them out of business. Check with your sales associate or event coordinator to see if any special offers are available and what the contract states regarding outside catering. 

These are the types of questions you should be asking your sales representative from the venue:

• Is there a minimum number of guests allowed for a full-meal event?
• What are your service charges?  Is it possible to lower the charge after the event takes place if the service was not up to my standards?
• How many waitstaff personnel are scheduled to work my event?
• Do the waitstaff personnel have a dress code?
• When will you be opening our buffet/serving our guests?  What if we need to change this time because our program is running behind/ahead?
• What is your policy regarding outside food being brought in such as cakes and favors?
• Can you prepare something that is not on your menu?
• Will I be able to taste the food before I purchase it?
• May I have a tour of your kitchen? (This is sometimes not an option due to health codes)
• May I meet the catering manager/food and beverage director/head chef?

If one thing is for certain, you should always…I repeat ALWAYS ask if there are any hidden costs or fees associated with going over your guarantee of guests or with any other hidden charges.  Many times venues will ask for a guarantee of guests – or a number of guests that you are expecting to attend your event – around 5 days from the start of your event .  This number cannot go down at this point, but it can certainly go up.  For instance, if you ordered food for 100 guests, even if 35 people show up, you are still being charged for your guarantee of 100 guests.  However, if the number goes UP, you could be paying some pretty hefty fees for whatever percentage you are over.

Check with venues during the off-season months (varies depending on where you live, big and small cities, etc.) to see if they are offering any specials or discounts as well.  If you are knowledgeable about your venue and the services they offer, you are sure to have a very memorable event.