Catering can be a challenge, particularly for clients who are new. Whether your company is ordering for a meeting or you’re engaged couples who are planning their wedding There are many ways to simplify your catering and save money doing it. However, with hundreds of tasty food options, spanning dozens of menus it’s difficult to determine where to start. We thought we’d give you some easy, but effective ways to help.
Understanding the differences in catering is a good way to start. Each catering type has specific pricing and order specifications. If you can narrow your search to one of the above, it will make it easier for to narrow down your menu choices as well as save time and money on the ordering. Below are four common types of catering to consider:
WEDDING CATERING
Wedding Catering is something we all have heard of, but we also appreciate the importance of catering to the day of celebration. From the special guests to the groom and bride, you want to make sure everyone is fed (and is celebrated) properly. Desserts, decorations, dinner and the drinks to be served are just one aspect of preparation.
CORPORATE CATERING
From small office meetings and training to large-scale regional events having great food prepared on-site helps save time and money and lets you concentrate on the most important thing at hand, your business! If you are looking for catering for corporate events it is possible to select from buffets, box lunches as well as continental breakfasts.
SOCIAL EVENT CATERING
From birthday and retirement, parties to big backyard BBQs Social events encompass an array of activities (and food!). Events like these might include bartenders, balloons, and appetizers.
CONCESSION CATERING
This category includes sports events, major public events, and seasonal events. Where you will find lots of people, you will always find catering. To organize these events, you have to be a professional. Here you will find all the crowd favorites from hot dogs and hamburgers to chili cheese fries and Ice cream.
Now that you have your category determined Let’s discuss some ways to reduce costs. You have to remember that you’re in charge of what you order. It sounds easy, doesn’t it? The reality is with so many choices it’s easy to lose sight of the budget, and you’ll end up with more food than you could afford (or will eat!). These four suggestions will help catering companies cut down on time and cost when making your food selections for your event. These tips are essential to keep in mind while placing the next order.
- Be aware of your guest count – the #1 factor of the cost of catering is the number of guests you are feeding. It’s surprising how many people order without knowing the number of guests expected to attend. It is essential to know how many are expected to attend before you contact them for an estimate. This will help you to plan your budget more effectively and avoid making unnecessary changes.
- Choose the Delivery Method – a lot of people think catering only comes one way, but an experienced professional caterer can provide you with up to four different options for having your food delivered. These include:
- Pick Up: you take the food to the location of the caterer. It’s not as popular, but an option to cut down on delivery charges or save time on a rush order.
- Drop Off: This is the most frequent, especially for corporate and social events, where the caterer just delivers food items in containers that are disposable (foil pans or coffee boxes).
- Real Display: For buffets and banquets you can consider this option because the caterer can prepare the tables and the food service area including glasses, linen, tableware, etc.
- Full Service: You will get your food prepared professionally and cooked on-site!
- How Can You improve the quality of your event? Think of these like the “optional or upgraded items” you could choose to add to your event. Although this may not seem like much to do with the food, it’s an essential part of the event planning that any professional caterer must offer. Decorations may include linen, china, and servers. Also, they can include bartenders, servers, DJs, chefs on site, and even the chef.
- Know Your Budget Before You Place Your Order – While it’s often the first thing you may be thinking about, it’s typically the last thing to be determined. The majority of caterers’ pricing is based on a dollar/person pricing model. It is easy to calculate your budget by simply dividing the amount you would like to spend by the number of guests. This will enable you to get more from your caterer.
Remember, professional Belleville IL caterers, are part artists and also service providers. We’ll make sure that you receive delicious food at an affordable price that meets your needs and your budget. We can be more efficient if we have more information. We like to say: Great Food. Excellent Service. No Stress.