The right catering provider can make all the difference when planning a corporate function. Whether it is end of the year party or corporate awards dinner, choosing a professional caterer can take a great deal of pressure off your shoulders. However, if you plan to hire a professional caterer for your next event, there are a few basic points you need to consider to help you choose a caterer who is best suited for your needs. When looking for great corporate catering Los Angeles residents will find the following tips very useful.
For a start, you need to ask around for recommendations. You can ask from friends, relatives or even co-workers. Apart from your friends and co-workers, you can also ask your other vendors like event planners for recommendations. Culinary schools and event venues are also very good sources of recommendations. In fact, most event venues nowadays have a list of partner caterers that they work with.
Another very important factor is the caterers specialty. Most caterers nowadays specialize in specific cuisines. As such, you need to look for someone who specializes in your best cuisine. The food you present to your guests should always reflect your tastes and preferences as most of them will associate it with you.
Another very important step when choosing an off-site caterer is to set your budget well before you begin interviewing potential candidates. One mistake that most people commit when looking for caterers is to start the search before setting a budget. Setting budget restrictions before meeting a potential caterer will put you in charge of negotiations and also make it much easier to settle on menus. Too often, customers put themselves at the mercy of caterers by not having strict budget boundaries.
Before you sign any contract, you should also contact the local health department to find more about a potential caterer. This is important because most catering companies are always subject to licensing by their respective health departments, and there will be records to show prior complaints, issues and inspections. If the catering company you are considering has some pending complaints, it may be time to search elsewhere.
Before you make a choice, you should also ask your prospective catering provider for references. Even though he/she will most likely give you a list of happy customers, there is still some good nugget of information you will be able to learn by talking to the caterers past clients. Talking to the caterers past customers is an excellent way of gaining insights about what the caterer does best.
Before the caterer start working for you, it is also very important that you have a written contract in place. This does not however mean that you sign any document presented to you in the name of contract. You have to careful read it before appending your signature on it.
In addition to all the above tips, the caterer should also know exactly what your vision is. He/she should also be able to listen to your ideas and turn to a reality. It is also advisable that you book your caterer several months in advance.
For a start, you need to ask around for recommendations. You can ask from friends, relatives or even co-workers. Apart from your friends and co-workers, you can also ask your other vendors like event planners for recommendations. Culinary schools and event venues are also very good sources of recommendations. In fact, most event venues nowadays have a list of partner caterers that they work with.
Another very important factor is the caterers specialty. Most caterers nowadays specialize in specific cuisines. As such, you need to look for someone who specializes in your best cuisine. The food you present to your guests should always reflect your tastes and preferences as most of them will associate it with you.
Another very important step when choosing an off-site caterer is to set your budget well before you begin interviewing potential candidates. One mistake that most people commit when looking for caterers is to start the search before setting a budget. Setting budget restrictions before meeting a potential caterer will put you in charge of negotiations and also make it much easier to settle on menus. Too often, customers put themselves at the mercy of caterers by not having strict budget boundaries.
Before you sign any contract, you should also contact the local health department to find more about a potential caterer. This is important because most catering companies are always subject to licensing by their respective health departments, and there will be records to show prior complaints, issues and inspections. If the catering company you are considering has some pending complaints, it may be time to search elsewhere.
Before you make a choice, you should also ask your prospective catering provider for references. Even though he/she will most likely give you a list of happy customers, there is still some good nugget of information you will be able to learn by talking to the caterers past clients. Talking to the caterers past customers is an excellent way of gaining insights about what the caterer does best.
Before the caterer start working for you, it is also very important that you have a written contract in place. This does not however mean that you sign any document presented to you in the name of contract. You have to careful read it before appending your signature on it.
In addition to all the above tips, the caterer should also know exactly what your vision is. He/she should also be able to listen to your ideas and turn to a reality. It is also advisable that you book your caterer several months in advance.
About the Author:
You can visit www.culinarydelightcatering.com for more helpful information about Guidelines To The Best Corporate Catering Los Angeles People Will Find Useful.
No comments:
Post a Comment