Questions to ask a potential caterer?

falsara · January 2015

Hi ladies! So FI and I are going to start looking for caterers (our venue doesn't come with one) and I wanted to ask you ladies what kind of questions we should ask them/ get answers for via the website. I'm clueless about all of this. I know there is a food board, but I like you ladies better.

TIA

KatieinBkln · January 2015

Are you able to accommodate a party of X size?

What is included in your quote? Labor fees, gratuity, service fees, linen rentals, tables and chairs, dinnerware and glasses?

What are your bar options? Will you work with us to customize them? (i.e., have a beer/wine bar with one signature cocktail rather than full liquor?)

What is the price difference between service styles (buffet vs. plated vs. stations vs. "family style")

Do you have a minimum? Is it strictly number of people or is it a dollar minimum that we could reach via upgrades if we come up short on guests?

Do you offer vegetarian/vegan/gluten free menu options? (as necessary)

How many people can attend the tasting and is there a fee?

That's all I have for now, but hopefully it gets you started!

falsara · January 2015

Thanks so much @KatieinBkln I tried looking up a list online, but some of them just made me scratch my head. Its a little overwhelming.

novella1186 · January 2015

I liked to ask what was the maximum number of events they'll take on in one weekend.

Is the person who's cooking for the tasting the same person who will be cooking for the wedding?

How do they accommodate food allergies?

How do they handle leftovers? (Like can the B&G get a doggie bag since ppl keep telling me I won't have time to eat!)

Do you have insurance to cover potential broken dishes? (They should, but sometimes they'll charge you if a member of their OWN STAFF drops a plate)

Are there any extra fees I should be aware of?

Have you worked with my venue before?

Do you provide bar glasses? Wine glasses? Is there an extra fee?

Is there an extra fee to rent the dishes? (My caterer provides white or ivory dishes without charge, but then it costs extra if I want fancy china)

Do you provide (what extras do you want? Coffee station? Cake plates? Staff members to cut and serve the cake? Iced tea station? Water goblets at each place setting?)

KatieinBkln · January 2015

@novella1186 these are awesome--I'm doing tastings in 2 weekends and these are exactly the kinds of questions I would've missed!

novella1186 · January 2015

KatieinBkln said:

@novella1186 these are awesome--I'm doing tastings in 2 weekends and these are exactly the kinds of questions I would've missed!

Glad I could help! I was trying not to over-lap with yours, cuz yours were all stuff I asked too.

KatieinBkln · January 2015

novella1186 said:

KatieinBkln said:

@novella1186 these are awesome--I'm doing tastings in 2 weekends and these are exactly the kinds of questions I would've missed!

Glad I could help! I was trying not to over-lap with yours, cuz yours were all stuff I asked too.

I was going to make a "what do I ask at the tasting to help me make my final decision?" thread in a few days, but now maybe I'll just star this one and lurk...thanks for asking the question, @falsara!

falsara · January 2015

Both you ladies are awesome!!! I'm feeling much better about this now.

novella1186 · January 2015

falsara said:

Both you ladies are awesome!!! I'm feeling much better about this now.

Yay! I think you'll also get a pretty good vibe about the person just from talking face-to-face at the tasting too. The guy I ended up hiring was really friendly and professional, talked about how long he'd been in the business and how much he loves what he does, was able to thoroughly answer all my questions just off the top of his head, was super helpful, etc. Plus the food was delicious!

bumbletiger88 · January 2015

My one tip (my Aunt gave me this) is to ask if the food served at your tasting will be the same size and plating style at the actual event day-of. If so, make sure to take pictures of how the dishes are presented. A friend of my aunt recently ran into a large discrepancy between the size of meal served at their son's bar mitzvah, which was much smaller vs. what was served during the tasting.

@novella1186 I wish I would have asked about leftovers at my tasting! Thank you for this!

NowIamMrsKlein · January 2015

Ditto all PPs,

If you are having kids at the wedding ask if they take that into consideration in cost.

We have about 35 kids on our invite list and some caterers were like 'nope, its cost per plate, it all evens out when someone eats 2 plate fulls to your kids half a plate'

The venue we went with comes with an exclusive caterer and thankfully she charges half price per plate for kids under 10.

Ummm.. Set up and take down, how many events of this size have they done.

charcoalandblush · January 2015

Have they worked with your venue before (if they have, coordination will likely be easier. It shouldn't be an issue regardless, but it's still helpful to know)

novella1186 · January 2015

Oh yeah, besides the kids meal thing (my caterer will do chicken strips, mac & cheese, and green beans for kids at half price but I have to know how many kids will want that instead of the food everyone else is eating) you can also ask about vendor meals.

We're doing "family style" dining. The vendors get the same food, but they get a made-up plate rather than helping themselves, and it's half price.

What do the vendors eat?
Does it cost the same as guest meals?

NYCMercedes · January 2015

Ask for references. Read reviews and ask them about bad reviews.

Questions to ask a potential caterer?

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