Finding the Best Catering Company for Your Event

Things to know when searching for caterers

When looking to hire an event catering service for your party, wedding or business event, you don't want to spend all of your valuable planning time researching and evaluating caterers in your area. This task can quickly become an overwhelming one, especially if you live in a larger city like New York or Los Angeles, the options can seem endless. This is where LocalCatering.com can help you. Our site enables you to do quick searches for caterers in your area that meet the needs of your particular event.

It is important to secure a catering service for your event early on. You want to ensure that the guests at your event will be given the best cuisine possible and will leave your party happy and satisfied. LocalCatering.com helps make this happen by getting you quotes fast from local caterers.

When filling out the form, be as specific as possible and include any special requirements you might have. Caterers should be able to propose menu options for your special occasion and make estimates as to how much it will cost. The quotes you receive will typically be on a price-per-guest basis and specified to meet the needs of your individual event.

Many caterers will provide you with an array of optional catering extras to choose from. You may realize that some of these are exactly what your particular event needs, but remember these are just extras and you may choose to decline them. It is important that you clarify with your caterer what is and is not included in their catering package to make sure you are both on the same page and can avoid any road bumps later on. When looking at caterers for your event, there are several things that you can do to make sure you find the best for your event.

Here are a few suggestions:

• BBB Ratings - Check the caterer's Better Business Bureau rating for additional information on the company.
• Look at pictures from past events - Pay attention to the presentation of the food and decorations to determine if the caterer's style will fit with your ideas and preferences.
• References - Check around for additional reviews and references of the catering service and find reviews from previous clients to find out if they were pleased with the services they received.

All caterers who are members of LocalCatering.com are held to a certain standard. We collect reviews on our vendors and suspend accounts of those vendor that do not perform at a high quality and that socre high on customer satisfaction.

Questions to ask Catering Services

Whether you need catering for a corporate event in Dallas, a lavish wedding on a San Diego beach or your holiday party in Boston, it's important that you find the perfect catering service that can provide your event with the right cuisine and presentation that fits with the theme of your event. To ensure that you get exactly what you are looking for, there are certain questions that you need to ask as you begin searching out local catering services.

• What is the catering service's availability on the day of your event and will they be working any other events on the same day? You want to be sure they will be devoting sufficient time to your event.
• Does the company specialize in any particular types of foods? Catering services should provide you with sample menus to review.
• Can the caterer schedule a taste-testing of the specific foods you are interested in before hiring them? This is something that most catering services will do.
• Does the caterer handle all table settings? Will they be putting out place cards and favors? Find out what non-food items of this nature that they will provide and if it is not a part of their service, then will they make arrangements for rentals or is this something you will be responsible for?
• Does the catering company have a valid license and proper insurance? A license lets you know that catering services have met health department standards and that they have liability insurance should an accident occur.
• Where will the food be prepared? Will there be on-site facilities that the catering company can use? If the caterer has to bring in their own equipment, will this cost extra?
• How will the catering company handle table arrangements and arrangement of food on the buffet and plates? Can you see photos of their previous work?
• Does the catering service provide their own wait staff? How many would they recommend for an event the size of yours? What will the servers wear? Many catering services will provide their own wait staff because they understand the catering service's way of doing business.
• Does the catering company provide alcohol? Is the bar something you can handle on your own? If so, is there a corkage fee?

These questions are just a starting place to help you start narrowing down your search. Your event may have several special requirements in which you will need to inquire about. Keeping all of the above in mind will help make choosing a caterer easier. If you find a caterer you like, go with your gut feeling, but don't forget to let your taste buds have a say in the matter too!

Recent Event Articles

Wedding Reception Catering
Catering for Weddings
Catering Services for Weddings
Buffet Catering vs The Sit Down Dinner