Top 5 tips for choosing the right catering service for your corporate event.
If you are currently looking for a caterer in the Chicagoland area , or know of someone who is, here are our top 5 helpful tips for planning your event:
1. Determine your
event size and your attendee’s needs.
How many people are attending your event? It is crucial that
your caterer can handle the volume and size of your event. Today, there are
more dietary preferences and concerns to consider when catering your event, be specific
and ask your caterer about alternatives to establish a good balance with your
menu.
2. Figure Out Your
Budget.
Caterers have a lot of creative ways to work around your budget
and they will
be able to come up with proposals that work around it. Be sure to weigh
your options. There will always be some give and take, but you don’t want to go
too low or too high.
3. Ask for a tasting before booking your event.
When sampling your caterer’s food, ask how the food is
prepared and whether the catering is finished on site or cooked ahead of time
and left in a hot box to keep it warm. Tastings give you a chance to taste great
food, the temperature, and most importantly how it will be presented. Ask your
caterer to make adjustment to the menu if necessary to make sure that your
event is a complete success.
4. Anticipate Special Needs.
Any event planner should find out if any of the guests have
a special dietary need so that the catering service can address your guest’s
needs prior to the event, including:
Voluntary dietary restrictions (vegetarians or
vegans)
Religious requirements (Kosher observance, etc.)
5. Consider Ethnic or Regional Menus.
Traditional and ethnic foods are part of the culture and
lifestyle of all nations in the world. Planning events with ethnic-specific
themes can be very fun while bringing region-specific and international foods
into your event, aim to impress your guests.
gotocatering.com has a catering menu for any occasion and
cover several cuisines including: Breakfast, Greek, Italian, Mexican, Hot
Dogs/Burgers and BBQ.
We offer quality catering with a variety of menus to choose
from, all at affordable prices.
Our catering service levels offer:
Pickup
Delivery
Catering with set-up
Catering with service staff
We cater all types of events and special occasions with party sizes from 8 to 400 people in the Chicagoland area. Contact our catering specialist at (847) 979-7894, email us info@gotocatering.com or visit our website to request a quote or set up a tasting.
We are proud to introduce Gotocatering.com! Gotocatering.com offers: pickup, delivery, catering with set-up or with service staff to the entire Chicagoland area. We cater all types of events and special occasions with party sizes from 8 to 400 people.
Gotocatering.com has a variety of menus to choose from at affordable prices, and among our partners are:
Golden Brunch: Inspiring happiness through our hearty, homemade dishes with a breakfast and lunch fare that you will fall in love with.
Cusina Italiana Catering:Homemade Italian food and amazing service, with excellent authentic cuisine that your office and family will love. Our portions are large and our ingredients are always fresh, with a diverse selection of traditional favorites that you will enjoy.
Plaka Greek Catering:Offering fresh and affordable Authentic Greek Cuisine made with homemade recipes catered to your business, residence or special event.
Fiesta Mexicana Catering:Homemade Mexican food and amazing service, with excellent authentic cuisine that your office and family will fall in love with.
Chicago Style Burgers n Dawgs: If you’re looking for tasty Chicago-style burgers and savory sandwiches, look no further! Whether you opt for a signature beef burger patty or tender BBQ pulled pork, all of our sandwiches are served on soft, fresh rolls with locally sourced ingredients.
We will work with you to answer all of your questions, help design a customized menu
that will meet your budget and offer any additional personalized services for
your event’s needs.
Contact our catering specialist at (847) 979-7894, e-mail us at info@gotocatering.com or visit our website to request a quote or set up a tasting.
Make
sure that the catering company can handle the food preparation and provide
staff to accommodate all of your guests. Compose a list of all of the services
you will need from the catering company. Will you need a bartender, servers,
hosts? Take into consideration what food
options you will be providing and also any dietary restrictions or food
allergies, light appetizers, a full sit down service, or buffet options are a
few to consider. Make sure that the catering company can handle, without
hesitation, the number of guests you will be hosting. Feel free to ask the
catering company how they plan to schedule the staff serving the party and why
they chose to have that many staff members.
2. Where is the location of the event?
Location
in the Chicagoland area can vary drastically from every corner of Cook County
and into the suburban areas as well. Take into account where the catering
company will be coming from, are they 20 minutes away or 20 miles from the
venue? Strive to find a caterer who is familiar with your venue or will go the
extra step to make sure you feel comfortable with the services they will be
providing.
3. Be prepared for last minute changes
Typically
the most stress falls onto the host of the event so make sure to take as much
stress off of them as possible and allow them to delegate and put the burden
onto the catering company. Make sure that the chef has been made aware of any
food allergies or restrictions that certain guests may have. By making sure the
chef is aware of any restrictions this prevents any curve balls being thrown
their way and having to improvise last minute can be additional unwanted
stress.
4. Pricing
Cost
obviously will be a large variable to consider how much you want to be spending
for the event and also what has been approved. Be sure to research at least 3
different companies and weigh your options before you make a decision. Take
into consideration all of the expectations you have for the event, including services
being requested, number of people, food preparation and staffing services, all
of these factors play into cost and if the number isn’t within budget still then
reevaluate what services you may be able to cut down. Sometimes it is as easy
as cutting down the service staff or doing a buffet instead of a sit down service.
5. Reviews
Be
sure to do your due diligence and research all catering companies you might be
doing business with in the future. Check on-line reviews through sites such as
yelp.com and also read personal reviews submitted on their websites and social
media platforms. Reach out to friends
and family to see if anyone you know has hired them to cater an event for them
and make sure to ask several questions about the event and overall range of
services they provided.
6. Licensing and Certifications
The
Illinois Health Department and also Insurance companies have very strict
protocol when it comes to food preparation and services standards. Every single
reputable company should be able to provide, with ease, their credentials and
licenses they have been certified to hold. Simply asking to see and or display
their food handling license and proof of insurance are not out of line to ask
to see and make sure they are up to date and valid.
7. Food Preparation
Make
sure to ask what aspects of food service will be prepared off site, and which
will be prepared on site. This will give
you more comfort when establishing a sense of how everything will come together
in preparation for service. Sometimes, but not always, it is more cost
effective to have your food cooked offsite. Most chefs will bend over backwards
to accommodate whatever requests and will give you a very clear understanding
of how everything will come together to make for a flawless service.
8. Staffing
You will need to make sure that your event is staffed
properly to make sure very guests feels taken care of and acknowledged.
The basics and rules of thumb for bar staff are: 1
barback and 1 bartender for every 40 guests.
Plated dinners: 2 servers for every 1 table of 8
guests. One server to handle the initial seating and taking drink orders, while
the second can focus more on food service and they both team up to ensure
clearing of plates and dishes in a timely fashion. One rule of thumb would be
to clear all plates at the same time, clearing plates from the table when other
guests are still eating makes those guests feel rushed to finish and is
considered by many to be rude.
Buffet service: 2 servers for every 25 guests, 3
runners to help clear plates (1 per table)
9. Offer Food Tastings
It is important to schedule a tasting prior to the big
event. It is very uncommon for catering companies to not offer a food tasting
prior to booking any event, so make sure to ask. Typically catering companies
will prepare some of their signature or most popular dishes for people to try.
Again, make sure the chef is aware of any food allergies or restrictions prior
to the sit down tasting.
10. Success is in the details
Caterers are held to a higher standard by many and for
many reasons. The fine attention to detail and service standards set one
company apart from another. The presentation and delivery of the food makes for
a memorable or unmemorable occasion. Ask the catering company how they plan to
execute a flawless service and ensure that every guest feels attended to and
welcome. Finalize all questions and concerns with the contract 1 week prior to
service. Is there a deposit required and also how is the final bill to paid?
Ask about gratuity and also if there is a discount for referral business?
Remember to keep your expectations clear and focused, the success of a catering
company stems from how well they provide and execute the requests you have
asked of them.
11. ENJOY and Have Fun!!!!
Make sure to take time and enjoy your event! All of
the hard work and planning comes to a head on the day of your big event. Make
sure to thank all the service staff and manager that handled your account and
big day! If all goes well make sure to provide feedback and also refer business
to them, tell all of your friends and family who they need to hire in the
Chicagoland area for their next big event!
gotocatering.com has a catering menu for any occasion and cover several cuisines including: Breakfast, Greek, Italian, Mexican, Hot Dogs/Burgers and BBQ.
We offer quality catering with a variety of menus to choose from, all at affordable prices.
Our catering service levels offer:
Pickup
Delivery
Catering with set-up
Catering with service staff
We cater all types of events and special occasions with party sizes from 8 to 400 people in the Chicagoland area. Contact our catering specialist at (847) 979-7894, email us info@gotocatering.com or visit our website to request a quote or set up a tasting.
