Before looking for a caterer for your special event, be prepared with answers to the following questions:
- Your guest demographics (local, mainland, age groups, etc.)
- Type of food (Pacific Rim, Hawaiian, Regional, Continental, French, Japanese, etc.)
- Style of food (buffet, plated or active stations)
- Must have dishes
- Budget per person
- Plastic or china and glassware
- Beverage service needs (do you need a bartender, what type of beverages you are planning to serve, etc.)
- Event start time
- Event end time
- Do you need assistance with rentals (tent, tables, chairs, linens, lighting, flatware, chinaware, etc?)
If you want guests attending your celebration to be properly taken care of throughout your event (without having to bus their own dishes and helping to breakdown at the end of the event) your caterer should provide the following services:
- Set-up of tables, chairs, linens, flatware, glassware, etc.
- Service staff to execute your event from beginning to end
- Offering water service
- Serving food or helping to direct to buffet line or food stations
- Clearing dishes from tables
- Clearing empty beverages and offering to get another beverage
- Cutting and serving your wedding cake (if needed)
- Ensuring that beverage station (i.e.: coffee/tea) is replenished as needed and has appropriate condiments (cream, sugar, stirrers, tea bags, cups, adequate amounts of hot water, etc.)
- On average, one server for every 15-20 guests (if plated meal) and one server per every 25-30 guests (buffet meal) is the appropriate ratio to best service your valued guests. These ratios may vary slightly depending on the experience level of the staff.
- One bartender for every 50-75 guests (depending on the drinks being served). If it is an independent bartending company from caterer, they should have an extra person to help bus the glassware or plastic cups from table as the caterer would only be responsible for their items.
- Assist with packing up your extra beverages at the end of the evening (for those venues that you provide your own alcohol)
- Breakdown tables, chairs, bag linen, etc. (note: if they don't do strike, then rental company is paid to come back at the end of the event to take care of tables and chairs, but caterer should still assist with clearing tables and bagging linen)
- Garbage removal (*Note: most venues will not return your security deposit if this is not done*)
