10 Most Common Catering Mistakes

1. Not having a vision of the event in mind

You need to have a vision of what you want your event to look like. Do you picture a black tie formal event or would you prefer guests casually en!oying a backyard party" Communication this with the caterer on the very first meeting is very important. Many caterers speciali#e in specific events.

$. Not having an %all&inclusive' budget

(he budget that is agreed upon should contain everything from the food to the delivery handling service and silverware charges and the set&up break&down etc) *ut first you need to know in advance how much money you have to spend when e+ploring options. (his will save you time when talking with different caterers. (here is nothing more frustrating than having a specific meal in mind without the budget to see it through. Many caterers take advantage of disorgani#ed party hosts by avoiding the sub!ect of price. ,et the caterer know how many people will attend and then give them an absolute ma+imum all&inclusive budget per person. Make sure the caterer understands that your budget should include EVERYTHING-- No hidden delivery charges handling charges silverware service etc. .Many caterers are very good at presenting a low budget and then padding the bill with lots of e+tras. /emember the closer it gets to your party the more leverage your caterer will have as you0ll be reluctant to start negotiations with someone else. 1tart shopping for your caterer early and discuss price openly at the first meeting. 2hile you may be able to argue with the caterer0s bill after your party it is much easier to avoid trouble by agreeing on a ma+imum price in advance. 2rite %inclusive of all charges' on the contract and make the caterer initial it-

3. *asing your decision on price only

(he old saying %You get what you pay for rings truer today than ever. Most caterers should be within 45 & 105 of each other for similar menus and levels of service. Important: you0ll find that someone offering a rock bottom price is probably cutting corners somewhere for Y67/ party. 1o compare apples to apples. 8s cleanup included in the price 9 or are they sticking you with the cleanup" 8s the food cooked fresh or re& heated" 2hat about portion si#e" 2hat is the :uality of the service ware and utensils" ;re desserts and beverages included in the price" 2hat is the gratuity or service charge" <ow about food :uality= *eef for e+ample has two grades> select and choice. (he list goes on and on. ;ll caterers are not created e:ually. You owe it to yourself to make sure you know what you are paying for. (his will help you avoid any unpleasant surprises.

?. Not checking your caterers references

;sk your potential caterer to supply you with proof that they0ve catered events successfully in the past. 8f they are unwilling to give you references or testimonials keep shopping. Many caterers are !ust restaurants that deliver but running a restaurant and operating a successful catering operation re:uire different sets of skills. 1ome caterers improve over time= !ust don0t let them use your party as practice. 4.

Do you understand how to tip"

1ome caterers will hide a gratuity in the bill and then stand by silently as you tip them on top of it. Don0t be afraid to ask if the price includes a tip.. @Did you know that TIPS stands for To Insure Preferred Service"A

B. Not sampling food before event

You0d be surprised how many people call up a caterer and book an event without tasting the food. (asting the food is critical. 2hat happens if the food isn0t what you e+pect" You leave yourself open to looking bad in front of all of your guest and their family. *elieve it or not more people will remember the %cold tasteless food ' rather than the true meaning of the special event.

C. ;ssuming the caterer won0t run out of food

;s thorough as you may be in taking reservations and estimating the number of guests there will always be some people who show up une+pectedly. 7sually a caterer will re:uire you to pay for the e+act number of guest you guarantee. 8f e+tra guests !oin in you are more than likely going to run out of food. ;sk your caterer when the last minute is that you can add guests. Most caterers will re:uire 1 week. Caterers who speciali#e in last minute parties often only need a few hours notice-

/unning out of food is the D1 biggest disasters for an event. <ere are $ e+tra tips to be sure you will not run out of food
1E ;lways order for 4 e+tra guests $E ;sk about portion si#es

8. Using a caterer that doesn t ha!e a g"arantee

Fuarantees are part of doing business for most industries. (his protects you from receiving less than you e+pect. ,ook for a caterer that guarantees their product. Gor e+ample if the caterer runs out of food or doesn0t provide the services that you contracted for you don0t pay. Make sure you go into your event knowing you are covered. Don0t place the risks on your shoulder. You0re giving up valuable dollars= you have every right to e+pect a guarantee for your important event-

#. $s%ing abo"t di&&erent men" choices and options'

(he price of the same car with different options can vary as much as H4000. Caterings are no different...options can add to the price tag. (he opposite can also ring true. 8f you are willing to forego certain items or e+tras you might be able to negotiate a lower price. Make sure you ask about the %base model' catering if you are on a tight budget. Most caterers will work with you. 10.

(a%e s"re the price is g"aranteed'

Not guaranteeing a price is a tactic used by many caterers especially if you are booking a party one or more years in advance. 8f you are making a commitment to use a caterer0s service negotiate your pricing so it remains the same as the day you booked the event. 8n addition make sure the company has a few years e+perience. You don0t want to hire a company that is !ust starting out and hasn0t proven themselves)here today gone tomorrow.

(o schedule your no risk tasting or receive our free catering brochure contact Mike Dennis at IC0&?CB&CJI0 or contact us by email at> westsidecafeKcomcast.net