Caterers typically have standard menu options from which to choose. Look for menus that are current and reflect the latest trends in food and beverage. Discuss other menu options that may be available; flexibility is important as you search for a caterer that will deliver according to your needs and expectations.
Full Answer
What makes a caterer truly meet the needs of their customers?
"While these may seem like somewhat insignificant factors when compared with overall taste and cost, they actually mean that the caterer is truly concerned with meeting the customers’ needs and ensuring that they are pleased with both the product and the service."
Can I customize my catering menu?
Practically every caterer has a standard menu or menus to choose from, and many do provide some level of built-in flexibility to adapt these menus to your specific needs by substituting specific items and/or customizing others.
How important are images on a catering menu?
Placing mouthwatering images on a menu definitely has a huge impact on your customer’s preferences, especially when you are able to use powerful and suitable images along with the texts. The above sample catering menu from Hilton Garden Inn is one example of how impactful even a single photo of a highly tempting food is.
How much should you price catering menu items?
By gauging costs from the regular restaurant menu, you should be able to price catering menu items profitably, but not too aggressively. A markup of three times the cost of food is typically appropriate.
Planning the Event Menu
Whether you're working with a private caterer or the catering manager at the event venue itself, it's always helpful to consider several factors before building the menu. The first thing to remember is that the menu options they present are almost always 100% flexible.
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner Menus
The menu should include several pre-packaged meal options and à la carte selections developed by the executive chef or caterer. The approach to the different meals of the day is generally unique. Consider the following:
Break Foods and Reception Menus
When it comes to planning the food at an event, the planning is not always limited to three square meals. In fact, many multi-day conferences require catering planning beyond breakfast, lunch, and dinner perhaps during scheduled breaks or breakfast and cocktail receptions.
The Big Dinner Question: Buffet or Plated?
The following time considerations should serve as a good guide to determine how best to serve the meal :
Special Needs Considerations
Last, but not least of the menu planning considerations is taking into account special dietary needs. It is critical to incorporate and notify your catering manager about any special requests and needs that your guests may have, including, but not limited to:
Completing a Banquet Event Order
The banquet event order is the formal write-up that details all elements of your catering needs once you've gone through all the considerations and planning steps above. It will require your signature (as the event planner), so carefully review this document for accuracy because both you and the caterer will refer to it later.
Event Food and Beverage Budget Items to Know
When building your catering budget, be sure to anticipate the following charges:
4. Restaurant Catering Menu Template
Incorporating your logo in your company’s products and materials is one of the classic marketing strategy that’s still thriving even in this modern times. So if you’re a catering services provider and would want to promote your brand better, try using the favorably customizable restaurant catering menu template above.
6. Four Seasons Hotel Catering Menu for Weddings
Some catering services provider, particularly those in hotels, specialize in only few catering themes such as weddings. If you’re in a similar case as them, you should refer to this comprehensive catering menu from Four Seasons Hotel. Their menu comprises of different wedding themes that the newlyweds can choose from.
7. Basic Catering Menu from DayoSense
If you wish to make things easier for both you and your clients, you must check out this sample catering menu from DayoSense. Instead of laying their food list around, they put them into themes or categories.
9. Gere-a-Deli Compact Catering Menu
Sometimes, you don’t really need fancy theme names or pictures to include in your menu because sometimes, people prefer it simple. This is applicable especially to established catering services provider like Gere-a-Deli. They opted to stick in a minimalist design with those boxes and few colors.
10. Marine Catering Services Weekly Catering Menu
If you are starting up a catering business for marine vessels, then you are taking up a tough but exceptional challenge. However, providing delicious and fresh food to cruise ships and cargo ships alike will not be that hard now that you can make use of this sample one-week catering menu from Marine Catering Services.
1. Understand your demographic
The first step to planning catering is knowing your audience. Consider who you are feeding and where you are hosting the event. Think about where they are coming from – for example, if this is an exec team who just got off the plane and needs lunch over their meeting, or a product team that needs a whole day of food for their offsite.
2. Consider the space
The location will have an impact on your catering order. Depending on the nature of the offsite or event, it might be important to be in a space with access to a kitchen where food can be stored and organized before serving.
3. Establish your budget
Before you get too far downstream, you need to have a clear understanding of your budget. Most catering companies offer different tiers depending on sourcing premium ingredients. You can still get a high quality meal at a lower tier, but be sure that you are up front with your budget before ordering.
4. Know how much to order
To tackle this common challenge, Bi-Rite devised a clever way of thinking about servings, known as “Bites.” A bite is a one portion – think about the amount of something that would fit on a serving spoon. We teamed with Bi-Rite to turn this concept into a simple quantity calculator that will tell you exactly how much to order.
5. Schedule a seamless delivery
Plan for a half hour between the end of the delivery window and the start of the meal. You want to give yourself that buffer in case of problems with the delivery due to traffic or difficulty accessing building. Make sure there is someone there to answer the door and assist with bringing the food to a kitchen or setup area.
6. Consider how to store meals before use
Make sure that you know where your food is coming from and how long it has been out of refrigeration. This affects the timing of whether it needs to stay chilled and the amount of time it can safely sit out. If in doubt, keep any perishables refrigerated until they are ready to be consumed.
7. Imagine the flow of the space
Are you going to have the meal in the main room, in a foyer, or on a patio? There will be a difference – for example, if you can put beverage stations inside or outside the room.
Ordering Deadline
The deadline for placing an advanced catering order is 3 business days before your event. If you miss this deadline, you may order off the limited selection day of event menu inside your suite.
Downloads
Prudential Center is one of the premier entertainment venues in the New York – New Jersey metropolitan area. For fans with discriminating tastes, booking a suite here provides an unparalleled experience. One of the nicest things about attending a game or concert from a suite is having your food and drink brought to you in the privacy of your suite.
Pro Tips from the Suite Experts
Don’t be left in the dark about the complexities of a catering order and end up with a surprisingly expensive bill at the end of the evening. We’ve put together a list of our top Suite Catering Tips for Prudential Center.
Catering Cut Off
The deadline for placing an advanced catering order is 3 business days before your event. If you miss this deadline, you may order off the limited selection day of event menu inside your suite.
Planning The Event Menu
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner Menus
Break Foods and Reception Menus
The Big Dinner Question: Buffet Or Plated?
Special Needs Considerations
- Last, but not least of the menu planning considerations is taking into account special dietary needs. It is critical to incorporate and notify your catering manager about any special requests and needs that your guests may have, including, but not limited to: 1. Food allergies 2. Religious requirements 3. Other dietary restrictions The only way to ...
Completing A Banquet Event Order
Event Food and Beverage Budget Items to Know