The catering service you end up hiring can play a significant role in the success of your next event. If you’re planning to hire a catering service for a business gathering, how the servers perform will speak a lot about the reputation and credibility of your business. To ensure that your next event will become a success, pay attention to the catering service you hire. Contrary to popular belief, price shouldn’t be your sole deciding factor in choosing.
Catering services can easily be found in Syracuse, New York, and other parts of the globe.
Usually, you just have to look for the caterer’s website in order to know more about their costs and services. To help you narrow down your search, don’t forget to ask the following questions when hiring a catering service:
1) How Long Have You Been In The Business?
Experience is indeed the best teacher, and the same maxim is applicable when it comes to catering services. The longer the business has been in the industry, the more experience it has in handling different kinds of events. If you want your upcoming event to be hassle-free, always ask the catering service about their experience and longevity in the business. No matter how affordable their services are, don’t hire a catering service that doesn’t know how to handle the event you’re having soon. Don’t work with a catering service that specializes in children’s birthdays when you’re planning to have a big business event next month.
2) Can You Provide References of Other Clients You’ve Worked With?
For a catering service to earn a profit and operate in the long run, it has to gain clients. This is one of the reasons why some catering services will use elaborate marketing campaigns just so you could hire them. For you to come up with a sound decision, always ask for references from the catering service. When you have this information, reach out to some of these clients and inquire about the overall performance of the catering service. Were they able to meet the deadlines set? Did they make any adjustments based on the client’s budget? Were the clients satisfied?
Since you’ll be talking to people who have firsthand experience with the catering service, you can guarantee that their feedback will be unbiased and, usually, unfiltered.
3) What Options Do You Offer For Different Dietary Requirements?
You may love eating dishes that has meat in it. The people in your department may also share the same fascination with meat. But have you considered the dietary requirements of your guests? What if they are vegan or allergic to meat?
The catering service you hire should be diverse in providing different kinds of dishes to people who have dietary requirements. They should be able to cater to your guests’ requirements regardless if they are looking for vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free selections.
4) Where Is Your Food Prepared?
You want your next event to be memorable for all the right reasons, not become the reason why your guests will have an upset stomach or diarrhea. You should always confirm with the catering services as to where their food is being prepared. All of the dishes served in your event should be prepared in a commercial kitchen that meets your county or state requirements for health and sanitation. Working with a mom-and-pop shop might be convenient and cheap, but you shouldn’t risk it. You should only trust a catering service that adheres to the health and safety laws of your area.
5) Can You Provide Me With A Breakdown Of The Cost Estimate?
As mentioned, the money you’ll spend on the catering service is an important deciding factor. To steer away from spending over your budget, always ask about the cost estimate.
Usually, catering services will implement a “per-head” rate, which means that every guest in the event will be charged with a specific amount. However, it’s not enough that you know what the per head rate is; you should also be aware of the costs included in the rate. Are the labor and setup included in the per-head rate? How about the bartender and chefs’ wages? If these costs require you to pay more, ask the catering service to send you a comprehensive cost estimate.
Use Every Resource
Hiring a catering service can be challenging, especially if you’re doing it for the first time. You’ll be bombarded with too many options, which can leave you clueless. Aside from the tips presented in this article, don’t forget to ask for recommendations from your friends and family. You’ll need all the help you can get so you can hire the best catering service!
