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Caterer servers

EmilieclaireEmilieclaire
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in Wedding Cakes & Food Forum
We are having a restaurant cater our wedding and originally told the caterer that our budget was 45/pp for food. I didn't really think that wouldn't have included the servers, bartender, etc. Bc I figured that would be included in their overhead. But apparently not. We are meeting with him again tonight, but does anyone have a ballpark of what to expect this will cost, and us this normal, that its not included in the per person cost?
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Re: Caterer servers

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    EmilieclaireEmilieclaire
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    edited May 2012
    No, it doesn't include alcohol, and for Baltimore, it seems like that price is kind of the norm for what we are having ...still ridic expensive to me too. When your caterer gave you a quote, did it have something separate for "service"?
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    lyndausvilyndausvi mod
    First Anniversary First Answer 5 Love Its Name Dropper
    edited May 2012
    Very few places include service in the pp price.  Most places have a separate line for that.  Sometimes you will find a caterer that does include service, but it's rare.  Especially a restaurant.   They just don't price out their menus like that.

    ETA -  Just like a server at a restaurant, expect to pay 18-22% for service.






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    NOLAbridealmostNOLAbridealmost member
    5 Love Its Name Dropper Combo Breaker First Comment
    I've always (without exception) seen caterers that charge 18-20% of the total for a service fee.  Around here that typically includes the waitstaff, bussers, and basic linen and dishware rentals.  
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    ElisabethJoanneElisabethJoanne member
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    In my experience, there's no "normal" way to set up a catering contract. Ours doesn't have any service fees, but most of the caterers we got estimates from did have some separate line for service fees. It was really hard to compare estimates!

    $45/person, either plus about 18% as a service fee, or without it, sounds about right for a coastal city. We tried to do a simple full-dinner buffet and got estimates from about $30/person to $80/person, not including alcohol.
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    Sue-n-KevinSue-n-Kevin member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Answer First Comment

    For most catering venues (ie wedding banquet halls), the "per person" price generally includes the waitstaff, and then there is a separate price per person for alcohol, if not included in the "all inclusive" price.

    A restaurant may be different. If I were you, I'd go in and tell them you have to stay at $45 per person including everything. So, for example, if you are having 100 people, x $45, you tell them you can spend $4500 including EVERYTHING. They have to back into their per person price for the food, and you may have to forego a few additional things that their original price may have included.

    Another example: if you are having 100 people, and have to keep the cost at $45 per person, take out the gratuities, taxes, service fees, and back into a "per person" price you can afford. It might be $30 per person, or $32 per person, but it's another way to look at it.
     
    There is a lot of overhead in catering that people don't think about. You are also in a position to negotiate on some things, such as having a lower priced entree, or taking the blue cheese crumbles off the salad, or whatever type of item they can figure out that can be deducted from the previously quoted price to get you closer to your budget.

    Good luck.

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