How to Choose a Caterer

If youve never used a caterer before, it can be rather confusing.
How do you know the right company to select for this particular job? especially if the affair is a once-in-a-lifetime event.
How do you know which company to trust with your all-important occasion? Which company will care as much as you do that the event is a complete success and is an occasion that you can be proud of ?
And which company will give you the best value for your dollar?
If you know how the catering business works, and what questions to ask, it's much simpler than you think.

First of all, there are different types of catering operations.
On-premises means that the food is cooked & served at the caterers location. This categories would include wedding halls, where in-house catering,
in other words their own kitchen, is your only choice
if you choose to rent their hall. Off-site means that the food is prepared in the caterers kitchen, then brought to the location of your choice.
An available kitchen on the premises may be needed to heat items.
A good example of this would be a wedding held at home.
An On-site caterer prepares & serves the food at your location.
This type of catering would include company picnics & festivals.
Because the kitchen is coming to you, and by necessity must be limited,
most on-site caterers menus are composed of what we call
big pot menu items, such as jambalaya.
On-site caterers may also use your kitchen and then can
expand the menu choices, or, as in our case,
the caterer may be equipped with a mobile kitchen.
We are off-site/on-site caterers.
We feel, in this way, we are not limiting your choice of locations.

Think about what type of service you need for this occasion.
For example, if you are planning a wedding at your family home,
you would not want an on-premises caterer, but probably an off-site.
Or, if the menu was casual, an on-site caterer might be your choice.

Now that you know what kind of caterer you need,
youre still  not ready to start calling.
Most people are not used to working with a caterer,
but they do patronize restaurants.
So they assume it works the same. Its very different.
A good caterer can provide  many more choices than a restaurant can.
When you call Details, we do not send out a standard menu.
We will inquire about your needs so we know what youre looking for.
Then we can offer you a customized menu based on the event,
your budget, number of guests, time of day, your tastes and other factors.
So before you call you need to decide.

1. The eventHow formal do you want the occasion to be?
Paper plates or fine china? Buffet or sit down?
The formality of the event will not only influence the food and table ware,
but the number of servers needed.
Romantic, whimsical, sophisticated or just plain fun, the choice is yours.
We need to know not only the occasion but your vision of it.

2. The dateAll the planning in the world wont help
if were already booked for that day.
The sooner you can contract a caterer the better.
Not only are you sure that we have enough time to do a great job,
but May, June & December are usually extremely busy.
Here at Details, you have our guarantee that we will book only one event a day, and that the Chef/owner will be there personally to supervise.
In the case of some affairs such as a large wedding,
your event may well be the only booked for the week.
We feel that only in this way can we give the
personal attention that each occasion deserves.

3. The time of dayNot only do we need to know whether to suggest breakfast or dinner items, but people eat more at different times of the day.
The most expense events include dinner
with a number of different hors doeuvre.
Then lunch, with breakfast & afternoon tea, being the least expensive.

4. Number and age of guestsThere are a number of reasons
that this is important.
There are some items that are just too labor intensive to do for
more than a certain number of people.
Individually sculpted cantaloupe baskets are fine for a sit down dinner for 12, but probably impractical for 300.
Also, the price per person (which is what a caterer will quote you)
decreases the larger your guest list is.
Preparing crawfish etouffee for 8 takes about the same time as for 80.
The only real difference is the amount of food used, not the time.
Since a large part of your cost is labor, the total number of
guests will help determine the price per guest.
This is also why a price quoted for 300 will probably not remain
the same if the guest list is reduced to 200.

Age of guest will influence choice of food .
Younger people tend to prefer nibbillies with a spicier taste.
Also, most of your vegetarians are found in the 25-35 age bracket.
Middle age people tend to be the most sophisticated, liking unusual dishes.
And a number of older people are limited as to what they can eat and
prefer more standard fare.

5. LocationThe most important aspect of location is not
really where?, but what? (is in the kitchen that is.)
Size of kitchen, counter space, number of ovens , burners on stoves & electrical outlets will all help determine which menu items are do-able.
We will visit the site before the event to inspect the kitchen &
help you plan table placement, traffic flow, etc.
And  with our new 20 feet self-contained mobile kitchen,
Details has the on-site capabilities to cook anywhere.
If your dream is a wedding in a field, we can accommodate you!

6. BudgetWe have already seen why it is impossible for caterers
to have a fixed menu like restaurants.
The formality of the occasion, the time of day, & the number of guests
all factor in the price per person.
There are other factors as well.
The number of dishes offered to guests can make a big difference.
One fabulous entre with a beautiful presentation will often
cost less than offering the guest a choice of three different ones, even if the three contain less expensive ingredients.
Once again, we are dealing with labor, not only cost of ingredients.
Hot foods are more labor intensive than cold.
Once you understand how customized our service is,
you see how it is impossible for us to answer
How much do you charge for weddings, or parties ?.
If you have made the appropriate decisions before you call,
along with an idea of what you would like to spend, then we can give you menu suggestions within your price range.
Simplifying here, & adding something fabulous there,
we can stretch your dollar and make sure that you are
spending it on what is most important to you .

Now that you have all the information that the custom caterer needs,
its time to call and get some information from the caterer.
After learning your requirements, the caterer
should assist you in planning a menu.
Please try to be open to suggestion, as there are a lot of factors at play here. For instance, a fairly common request is fried catfish.
Simple right? Not if its for a very large group of people.
Restaurants are serving food basically one table at a time.
A caterer is serving all 300 people at the same time.
Any item on the menu must be something that will hold well, i.e. easy to keep warm or cold, as the case may be, without losing any quality.
That catfish will taste a lot better grilled or broiled with a sauce than
cold or dried out from heat lamps.
Remember also, that while your individual food preferences are important, your guests will be eating your choices too,
& we know which dishes are crowd pleasers.
You are paying not only for food & service,
but for our knowledge and experience.

Once the price from the caterer has been received,
its now up to you to decide which company to use.
Most people, unfortunately, tend to use cost as the most important factor.
Of course it is important, but there are other things to consider as well.
Does this price cover the service you are going to require?
Some caterers simply drop-off the food., not even heating it up for you.
Does this price include tables, table linens, plates & silverware?
Does it include enough help so that your guests are all served promptly?
Is clean-up included ? Ask if the caterer will personally be in attendance.
Are there any other events the company will be doing on that particular day? The real question is which company gives you the best value for the money.
If you do not feel confident that your event will be everything that was envisioned, that you and your guests will enjoy the occasion,
your money has not been well spent.

You may hear the word limited, especially used with hors doeuvres.
This means that the caterer will provide only a certain
number of these items and they are sure to run out.
The theory is not to allow people to fill-up on the most expensive items.
In theory its fine, but two dozen shrimp wrapped in
bacon for 150 people is just silly.
Ask "How limited?".

Most caterers automatically add a 15-18% gratuity to their bill.
Some add uncorking fees, pouring fees,
everything short of the-sun-is-shining-today fees.
Ask if there are any additional charges.
You need to know the final price before making a decision.
The only charge charge that will be add to your bill from Details is the appropriate state & city tax.

Taste & freshness of food is also very important.
Are those green beans fresh or canned?
We all know the difference between a fast food hamburger
and the restaurant style burger.
We don't mind paying more when the difference is obvious.
Ask about the ingredients.

Another consideration is presentation.
It is not enough that the food taste good. It must look good as well.
Properly presented food tastes better as well as
adds to the entire ambiance of the party.
Ask if this caterer will do anything special as far as table set-up and garnishes. Does the caterer seem to take a personal interest in the event,
willing to customize their presentation to fit your special occasion?
This is absolutely essential if you wish your event to be memorable .
At Details we take pride in our personalized presentations.
We believe that your event should be unique and therefore
our only signature is our creativity.

Signing the Contract

Most caterers will request a contract. This is for the protection of both parties. It should contain the date of the event, the location, the time,
the menu, the number of guests, and the price per guest.
Ask if there are additional fees. If so, they should be listed on the contract.

Most caterers will also require a deposit.
This is only fair because once the contract is signed other potential
clients will be told that the date is filled. Additional servers may be hired.
Also, food will be ordered or purchased for this event.

When many people first call us, they believe they are
searching for a company to simply purchase food from.
They soon discover, as our clients already have, that although
our food is fabulous, it is not our only objective.
We offer you the benefits of customized service, creativity, and our experience. Our objective is not merely to sell food, but to
offer you personalized solutions so that whatever your event,
you can feel confident that we will provide you with the
type of service that you are looking for.

So youve done your homework, made some calls,
decided on a company, and signed a contract.
If youve picked the right caterer,
all you have left to do is
sit back and enjoy!

Simple!