Catering checklists are essential for event organization. Catering checklists will help you to monitor and control all the important parts of the catering for the event. The planning and organization are successful if you plan everything according to the time limits.
There are multiple tasks to be completed to save time both for your business and for the client. Planning your catering arrangements, the catering checklists (for example, the catering event checklist) are especially useful and helpful.
There are some venues, which provide full package services of catering including table and chairs, kitchen equipment, linens, dinnerware and tableware. Some venues, however, do not include equipment rentals or set-up options ? this is the case when you need to involve other vendors.
You can also ensure the best catering results by filling in the catering order form, which is also known as the banquet order form (BEO).
Catering event checklist
Catering event checklist is important. Having in mind certain venues and discussing the catering preference with the client, you will need to consider the following planning aspects included in the caterer checklist:
- Budget limits: these limits often depend on the variety of the menu, on the number of guests, on the location and the involvement of other vendors. Ask your client, how much money he or she is ready to spend on the menu and decide on the perfect way of allocating these resources while planning.
- Venue and location: Again, various menu options often depend on the size and type of the event, on the number of guests and on the availability of the venue to cover specific catering preferences. For example, a small local hotel will not be able to serve complicated menus for a 150-guest wedding.
- Menu and food style: There are some caterers whose food offers are limited by certain menu options. Here you will need to know specific food preferences of all the guests. Are any of them vegetarian? Or kosher? How many children will attend the event? Is the caterer able to serve kids menus? What does a lids menu include?
Creating the guest list and asking the guests to fill in the preferred meals would be useful: create your guest list using eazyplan to see your guests? meal preferences. Then you can add them to your catering checklists while planning your event.
- Client?s considerations and ideas: You always need to consider that the client might have a specific expectation of a menu. The year 2017 shows that at events such as weddings the brides often prefer to serve meals that are traditional family dishes, or dishes, which the engaged couple ate at their first date. This is a sentimental element, which is of great importance for the client.
- Menu style: Discuss with the client the menu serving ideas ? it can be a buffet-style or a sit-down meal. In most cases, the client already has the vision of menu style at the beginning of the event planning process.
- Expenses: Here you will need to consider all the important financial details: payment schedules, refund and cancellation policies, kind of deposit, etc. However, some venues offer all-inclusive flat rates, but to correspond to every specific detail, you will need to make proper calculations.
- Tastings: The client usually needs to taste the menu samples offered by the caterer, paying for a menu or two. Arrange a date with the client for the menu tasting to meet all their meal preferences and expectations.
- Jobs assignments: Decide who will take responsibility for providing linens, tables and chairs, tableware and dinnerware, silverware, plates, place cards, candles, favours. Who will be responsible for the pick-up and return? Some clients even prefer bringing their own rentals; some prefer to delegate this task to the event vendors and caterers. Are there any additional fees for the rentals? Make sure you have all these answers in order to make proper event calculations.
- Staff network: determine all people who you will work with at a specific event: ask for the contacts, make sure you have a person to contact for any specific case that can arise at the event. Remember, that the number of staff involved always depends on the size of the event. Using your caterer checklist, add the contacts to keep on track every single task of the event.
- Previous works: Do you have enough pictures demonstrating your uniqueness and success? While discussing your upcoming event with the client, demonstrate the best you have done previously. This demonstration may include food visualization, food decoration concepts and different kinds of serving it at various types of events.
- Alcohol: At weddings, for example, ca. 80% of couples prefer bringing their own alcohol paying a corkage fee. In some cases, the catering companies include some wines in their menu list. Discuss all the alcohol options with the client and advise on the amount that a certain number of guests usually consume at the events of this type and size.
- Cake and desserts: does a caterer provide desserts of the client will need to order it from the outside backer? At small-size weddings, some brides even prefer their own-baked cake for the guests. However, usually, the cake and the desserts are ordered from a specialized cake company or a baker. Here you will need to find out specific details, for example, if there is a cake-cutting fee, or if you can save the top tier of the cake. Does the venue or the caterer offer boxes for the pieces of the cake, which the guests will take home after the event.
- Specific details: Make sure you are familiar with the event schedule and that the caterer will have enough time for the setup and the breakdown. Do not forget about the photographer, the videographer, and other vendors; they will also need a meal on the day of their work. The entertainers, musicians and other artists performing at the event will need to have the meals according to their hospitality riders.
The catering checklists may consist of thousands of smallest details. The catering checklist will help you to focus on everything associated with your event. In order not to forget the most specific details, eazyplan introduces the catering checklist (and catering forms templates in general) for the event professionals who are in charge of the catering services at the event.
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