Hire a Caterer That Take Personal Interest in Your Requirements
Regardless of your event's scale, a catering service that you choose must listen to your needs on each step. Every event has unique needs, and if your caterer doesn't listen to those details, the execution will be a complete mess. You can evaluate the responsiveness of the caterer during your initial meeting. Bear in mind that a professional caterer doesn't tell you what your event needs. Instead, they'll ask you regarding your desires and requirements and act accordingly to make your event one of a kind. If a caterer claims that they have the best quality food and ingredients and fails to return to your emails and calls timely, you might not want them to manage your event. Cheryl Lynn Foster, the owner of EssentialEvent and an event designer, says if the caterer is not open to welcoming new ideas and critiques and not good in communication, they are not concerned with meeting your needs. Moreover, Lyndsey Bunn the Silver Legacy Resort Casino's conference and catering service manager says, a caterer should ask you about your theme, event, budget, purpose, and goals.Offer Flexible Menu Options
Generally, all the catering services have a special menu to choose dishes from, but only the experienced and professional caterers offer different menus. Not only do they constantly update their menus, but they also offer customization options. They add new dishes to their menus with changing trends and even add extras that are not even on their menus. The Inn at New Hyde Park's corporate account manager Rene Wunderlich says if any of the caterers isn't willing to update the menu and offer what you want, consider it a red flag. Christine Courtney-Myers from C3 Agency says that they update and revise their menus to perfect the presentation and portions to magnify and improve the client's event strategy and theme. That's why an ideal and creative caterer must manage all the clients' special requests even if they want to include any recipe from their family traditions.
Can Manage Unique Events
Even the most successful caterers admit that they are not perfect, but they also claim to provide services more efficiently than the rest. You have to find caterer near you that suits the best with your requirement and the type of catering services you are looking for. It will allow you to evaluate whether a catering service has the right experience for your event or not. The owner of In Thyme Catered Events, Arthur Bassani, says that every caterer specializes in a certain area, so a great caterer with exceptional services might not be the right match for your event. For example, if you are looking for a caterer to manage a wedding or a birthday party, a caterer specializing in corporate events is not something you want. Explaining your purpose, goal, and theme is necessary, and you have to be very specific about your expectation while meeting with caterers. Otherwise, you will end up choosing a caterer who may not be the perfect fit. The Bravo Production partner Greg Jenkins says that you should consider selecting the catering service that provides that specific service according to your needs. You don't necessarily need to select a caterer based on your old experiences who don't match your criteria.Willing to Provide Samples
Testing a caterer is yet another very important factor in making sure you will receive the services you're promised. Otherwise, you won't be able to evaluate the goods and services a caterer offers. Moreover, it would help if you also considered tasting the menu items before selecting them. Attending multiple caterers and tasting different food items will allow you to select the one that tastes the best. Rothweiler Event Design's owner Danielle Rothweiler says that tasting only a certain generic item is not enough. You have to taste those specific dishes you're going to order for your event. If the caterer has any policy, then you should also consider paying for the tasting samples. Additionally, the taste is not enough. You also have to evaluate how they garnish and present their dishes. You can easily judge if the sample is garnished properly, and most probably, you will receive the same services at your event as well.
Explains Services Completely
First of all, never opt for a caterer who doesn't undergo a well written and clear contract. The contract ensures that you get all the promised services, including beverages, food, serving, and price. Not only does it protect your interests, but it also shows the professionalism of a caterer. You should also present your contract to a local attorney before signing. Innovative Party Planner's owner Heidi Hiller says that inquiring every detail about the contract as a standard and the upgrades is also very important. For example, you have to make sure if the plastic plates and paper are included in the contract, or you'll have to pay it as an upgrade. It makes a lot of difference because it can add up significantly. The Coastal Creative Events' owner Anastasia Stevenson says that all the small things, such as clearing terms and conditions for leftover food, should also be included in the contract.Familiar with the Venue
You don't want to hire a barbecue caterer to manage a formal and professional ballroom fundraiser or a corporate event caterer for a barn wedding. The reason for that is obvious that such caterers are not familiar with serving in such an environment and setting. That's why consider choosing a caterer who is fully familiar with the type of venue and theme you are going with. The associate director of Morven Park, Teresa Davenport, states that you should select only one of those caterers who have already worked with the venue that you have selected. Different types of venues have different restrictions, such as live flowers or vine aren't allowed inside the historic house museums. That's why selecting a catering service that is familiar with such restrictions and can work seamlessly at your selected venue is critical.Offers a Cancellation Plan
The professional and experienced caterers don't undergo a contract with any bailing thoughts, especially at the last hour. However, it's still a very healthy practice to add a clear cut and detailed cancellation section in your contract. It protects your interests if the caterer cancels the contract out of any reason. Inquiring all the things regarding the cancellation policy of a caterer beforehand is advisable. Julia Pavlovski from Wedding Wise explains that your contract should protect your deposits and ensure that your money is completely refundable and how it actually works. She adds that you should also ask your caterer if they will refer you to any other catering service in case of bailing or not. In simple words, the cancellation plan should be detailed and provides you with a backup plan if your caterer backs off at the eleventh hour.
Insurance
Insurance service is one of those things which can save you from potential troubles. If any accident happens because of your catering service provider's fault, the insurance makes sure that it's not on your shoulder. Julia Pavlovski says that any reputable and renowned catering service provider must have liability insurance. Otherwise, it's a clear red flag, and working with such caterers is not recommended.Experienced Kitchen Staff
The catering service provider's experience doesn't necessarily mean that you will get the tastiest cuisine as well. It depends upon the experience of their staff and especially the chefs. The CVs and bona fides of the chefs and other kitchen staff determine if your food is going to be something that the guests can enjoy or not. Christine Courtney-Myers states that if your caterer's kitchen staff successfully surprise your guests with exceptional and delightful tastes, you have nailed your event.
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