What is a Caterer and How Does it Work? Catering is the

 

Art of providing food service in a restaurant, hotel, club, resort, corporate facility, or an outdoor site like a park, museum, airfield, cruise ship, hotel, studio, party venue, or production site. A catering service means preparing and serving food temporarily. They serve food and beverages to guests during a special event or function. When you are thinking of booking one, it is important to know what you want to get out of your catering service. Five basic areas must be considered before making a decision:

The first aspect to consider is what type of event you will be hosting. Food catering services for a graduation party, wedding reception, corporate function, debuts, or awards dinner are some of the events that often require a catering service. Some caterers specialize in certain food categories like casual food, adult, children's, and vegetarian. You must choose a catering service that caters to your particular event.

The second aspect to consider is whether you want eco-friendly or organic foods. Many companies now provide menus that are "green" and vegetarian friendly. An eco-friendly catering team is one that serves food that does not utilize animal products such as eggs, milk, honey, meat, and poultry. This is important because many animals are killed for the products that they produce, including chickens, horses, and other farm animals. An eco-friendly team is also one that uses ingredients from local sources to prepare their menu items.

The third aspect to consider is the reputation of the food catering company. Make sure you check out the reviews left by previous customers on the company's website. Also, you may want to contact the local Better Business Bureau to see if there are any customer complaints about the event catering company. Any negative feedback can lead you to find a better caterer.

The fourth consideration is whether the company accepts major credit cards and debit cards. Some full-service caterers only take cash or checks. Major credit card and debit card companies are more likely to honor their card terms if they know the caterers take these forms of payment. The exception would be restaurants that have taken to using food credit cards only.

Another factor to consider is the pricing of the food caterers. Major caterers charge an average of around 20 percent of the cost of the food that is prepared for the guests. Full-service caterers may charge more, but they usually work with a small team of employees who are trained in providing excellent service. If the price difference is significant, ask the caterer for a discounted rate. Many companies give a percentage discount to events held at their facilities rather than providing it to clients. As a result, you will usually find a full-service catering company that will charge less than one that operates outside of their premises.

A vital consideration in determining whether you need to hire a catering company is how the food is prepared. Will you be able to pick and choose the foods that are offered or will you have to eat the dishes that the caterer provides? If you plan on spending a lot of time at the event, you may want to consider having the main buffet or hire a server to bring food to your table. If the party is more casual, you can select from many different quick foods. Regardless, of whether you hire a server to serve food or prepare the food yourself, ask the caterer whether you can get a taste of the food from the main buffet.

One thing that is often misunderstood about what is a caterer is that they are solely for large parties. While it is true that many large-scale caterers do offer evening, picnic, and wedding catering, they are also capable of handling all types of events. Many small caterers only serve the food at the event, but they also offer clean-up services after the event. Typically, this type of service is reserved for parties that are primarily attended by adults. Most children's parties are not primarily attended by adults, so it would make sense for a gtacaterer to provide this type of after-the-fact clean-up service. The only time this service would not be appropriate for a smaller event is if the party is being held indoors, where food must be served to the guests.