Catering for Large Corporate Functions

Large Corporate Functions are generally quite elaborate, even if they are relatively informal.  Due to the large numbers of corporate groups, organising a function can be quite structured.  There are a number of planning points to be considered when initial planning stages are being worked through.

Where will your function be held?

If your staff work at one location, and the function is at another, think about how staff will travel or be transported to the venue.  If the function is during staff hours, transport will generally be organised.  Buses are a great way to transport large groups of people, especially if there are more than 100.  Consider parking if you would like your staff to travel in their own transport.

When will you function be held?

Weekends are generally popular for private parties and weddings.  Staff functions are most common during the week or Friday afternoon before staff leave for the weekend.  If you are a large company and hold several functions a year for Melbourne Cup, Christmas etc then planning will become more organised.  If you are new to planning, consider which day will work best and if you plan for staff to continue work after your function.

How will you coordinate your function?

Coordinating your function will generally include a few suppliers that will need to know basic details including guest numbers, location, time schedules and any special requirements.  If you are organising a marquee, determining the location and when this will be setup is important.  Working with a catering company to provide food service is also important.  While many catering companies do cater for larger numbers, it is important to advise all information relevant when enquiring.  Catering at a venue can be relatively easy; however catering for larger groups in a park with limited facilities may not be suited for all caterers.  If you are planning a function in a park for several hundred guests, ensure your caterer has all the equipment, can travel to your location and has access to staff to serve and clear during and after service.  There are several catering companies that specialise in catering for larger groups with specialised equipment, they may charge a little more however there are generally more expenses when catering for larger numbers.

Working effectively with your suppliers…

When planning corporate functions RSVP dates can be quite last minute.  Many suppliers work with weddings and functions that are planned months if not over a year in advance.  Working with corporate functions operates very differently.  Understand the timelines your suppliers require to place any orders and organise staff.  Last minute drops in numbers may leave your suppliers with orders larger than they actually require.

Corporate Functions are great fun for staff and employers, as they give everyone a chance to enjoy themselves and others company without having to think about current jobs.   

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How To Cater a Business Meeting

Catering a business meeting can been much more difficult then it may initially appear.  The number of people, location, pickup time from the restaurant, drinks, personal serving ware and setting up can all play a major role in the overall presence of the catering of your business meeting.

The follow are five items that you should pay attention to when catering an event.

Location

The location of the business luncheon may seem like an obvious answer, however many different aspects of the lunch catering can play into a critical role.  Many offices are on a very strict schedule and lunch’s must be delivered and setup on time and in the right location.  Waiter on the Way has delivered to nearly every doctor’s office in the Fort Wayne area, and knows the exact locations and suites of where the events are being held at.  An important part of not only the location of the delivery but also the number of guests that will be attending and how to plan accordingly for them.

Number of Guests

After you have determined the location of the business meeting, it is good to plan ahead by contacting the office that you will be catering to, to find out the number of guests that will be attending the business meeting or eating the food that will be delivered.  Many pharmaceutical representatives have set budgets for each month and the number of people at an event can dramatically change the food that will need to be ordered and served to the guests.  A popular choice for a small group would be either smaller or half pan portions of catering entrees, and for a larger number of guests, full pan catering entrees would allow for the most cost effective way to cater the meeting.  When catering an event you should have an idea of the amount you would like to spend per guest, as this will help figure out what food items that can be ordered.

Food Items

Most of the restaurants that Waiter on the Way delivers caterings for offer half pan and full pan catering options to serve to your guests.  It is important to find out how many people each different catering option will feed, as different restaurants generally have different serving portions.  For an example, a half pan of pasta or salad from Casa restaurant will serve approximately 10 people, however a Fajita platter from Chili’s will serve about 6.  Generally bulk catering pans are a more cost effective way for the person catering the event and Waiter on the Way will setup the food in a buffet style so that when the event starts, your guests will be able to get the items they want with no effort on the person hosting the meeting.

Drinks and Personal Utensils

Something else to keep in mind when catering an event, includes the drinks and personal serving ware such as plates, forks napkins and cups to facilitate the catering.  Drinks and serving ware can easily be overlooks after primarily focusing on the location, number of people attending, and food items that will be served.  Drinks are a fairly easy to cater, however it is important to check with the office that you will be catering to, to be sure that the correct beverages that were requested will be available.  For most caterings that Waiter on the Way delivers, we usually deliver about 2 to 3 times the amount of diet sodas to regular sodas.  For a smaller group of 10 guests, 1 2 liter of diet and 1 2 liter of regular soda should suffice, while larger groups may want to include a clear soda such as Sprite or Sierra Mist and even other options such as iced tea.

Presentation

Once you finally have the location, number of guests, food items, drink and personal serving ware established, the setup and presentation of the catering will be one of the final items to pay attention too.  Certain office locations that Waiter on the Way delivers to wants the catering setup in a specific way, while other locations do not have a preference.  If you are catering an event without using our delivery service, you would want to communicate with the office to see how they would prefer there catering setup.  If you prefer to use Waiter on the Way, all of this will be taken care of for you.

We hope that these main points of catering a business meeting have helped answer any questions that you may have had.  When customers use Waiter on the Way, they simply provide us with the location of the delivery, the number of guests, any specific food requests, and what time the event needs to be delivered, and we take care of getting the food from the restaurant on time and making sure that everything is setup when you arrive at your meeting.

Visit Waiter on the Way for help on catering your next business meeting.

Waiter on the Way has been serving the local Fort Wayne area for over 20 years.

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A catering service isn’t just for fancy dinner parties or lavish social events. Business meetings at the office often require food, and who’s going to cook? How about a small gathering where the focus is on socializing? What about the Holiday event where the number of people are too big for the oven? And your wedding? Hiring a catering service is the answer.

Corporate catering

A lot of time is spent at the office. Providing employees with a hearty, catered breakfast and lunch allows you to work through meetings without missing a meal.

Breakfast catering usually offers pastries, fresh fruit and savory breakfast sandwiches. Lunch caterers usually offer choices of sanwiches, salads, soups, and few hot meals. For this type of everyday catering time, convenience, and prices are the main considerations.

By the way, you can save some money by picking up your order on your way to work. Of course, food can be delivered to the office for a nominal fee, along with condiments, disposable plates, utensils and napkins to make cleaning up simple.

Catering services is more than delivering meals. There are promotional events, product launch parties, awards and retirement banquets and holiday parties. A catering expert can help you create the menu and décor, and how you would like your guests served, either by buffet or by waiters and waitresses. Making the event work also usually requires kitchen staff to set-up, prepare and serve food, and then clean up.

Wedding receptions

Weddings are a big deal, especially the reception. Food and fun just seem to go together. Wedding reception caterers work with you to help you get exactly what you want for your big day.

Even if you are on a budget seeking the most affordable wedding reception ideas, the best catering services can help you plan a beautiful party that won’t be forgotten. The key is to have specifics ready for the wedding caterer about what you want with your budget.

Restaurant catering

Having a restaurant cater your business, baby shower, wedding reception, or any special event is often a good idea. If your favorite restaurant has private dining or banquet facilities that you can rent, this can be ideal. Since everything that’s needed to cater your event successfully is right there, you can’t go wrong.

If you want your favorite restaurant’s food served at another location, discuss this option with your caterer. This can usually be easily arranged with a little planning.

Party Catering

Catering is all about convenience first and foremost. Planning a menu, shopping all over town for ingredients, cooking, preparing, delivering and then serving food seems crazy when catering services have become so affordable.

Besides, anyone who has ever hosted a party knows that you barely get to relax and enjoy time with your guests when you’re in charge of doing it all. Hiring a catering company allows you to feed everyone good food and enjoy your own party.

Let caterers do it for you

As you well know, the most important job for a caterer is creating delicious food that everyone will enjoy. Whether it’s a simple box meal containing a sandwich and salad or fine dining cuisine, the best caterers will make your catered meeting, wedding or event a success.

Still today, many people consider a catering service to be a luxury that only the wealthy enjoy, or something you’re forced to cough up cash to pay for like a wedding reception, anniversary, bar mitzvah or other special event. That’s just not true anymore. In short, you will find that any occasion can be catered at an affordable price.

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The mobile catering trailer business can be a great business to start and be a great source of income as a part-time or full -time business. When it comes to starting your own mobile catering trailer business there are many things to watch out for and starting in the mobile catering trailer industry without doing your research first is strongly unadvised.

Fortunately there are certain strategies for success in the catering trailer business that if followed can ensure your mobile catering cart gets off to a profitable start.

Here is a short action plan to follow when buying or considering any catering trailer, food cart, concession trailer or general commercial catering equipment for your mobile catering van business. I have used these very steps to start multiple mobile catering trailer businesses often with no money down

1: Plan for Success

Have a plan from the start and know where you will trade from, who your target market is going to be, the foods you will be selling and what equipment you will need. Think about preparing a business plan as it will help give you direction and also significantly help out with financing.

2: Choose

Narrow down the search for equipment once establishing your business model. Know exactly what catering equipment you will need and consider the electrical and gas supplies and requirement for that equipment.

3: Talk

Interview the manufacturer or seller over the phone and ask the right questions before going to a viewing such as:

Will they negotiate on price or terms?
Is the chassis galvanized?
Are the wheels and tyres in good condition?
Is there any rust on the unit?
Is it clean and presentable?
Does everything work?
What is the reason for selling?  and so on…

4: View

Put yourself in a health and safety mindset and know your stuff. Check that all equipment is working and legal and make sure any certificates are valid and up to date. Asses the concession trailer as a business asset and decide on the return on investment you think it will bring.

5: Negotiate

Like a pro by creating a little common ground with the seller. Express your interest (but not too much) and try to negotiate without the damaging admission trying to de-value the catering trailer too much instead come across a serious buyer with a limited budget who is concerned with a few minor details and the overall price.

6: Prepare for business

Many mobile catering businesses fail not knowing where or even how to effectively start trading and have no idea on how to make money in the concession trailer and mobile catering business.

Many People will often go in to huge debt and do things wrong because they did not know how to successfully start up and get into the trading pitches and events that count. This can often be the case in business and without learning the strategies that will lead to a successful and profitable food operation you could end up loosing money fast.

Educate yourself as much as humanly possible and try to immerse yourself in the industry. Learn as much as possible about the road ahead and prepare for business professionally by reading up on the best methods to use in this industry.

Wishing you success with your mobile catering ventures

Mike Carter

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