How to Find and Hire a Caterer

By eHow Parties & Entertaining Editor

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Save yourself time, worry, hassle and cleanup. Hire a caterer to do all of that for you. Here's how to do it with ease and pizzazz.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Party Planners
Caterers

Step1

Look through the Yellow Pages. It's still a great resource for food and beverage services.

Step2

Look for catering referral services, both local and national. You can find them online by using a major search engine like Google or Yahoo.

Step3

Ask your friends and relatives for recommendations. Ask yourself who had a catered party recently? Did they like their caterer? What advice do they have?

Step4

Call cooking schools for their advice and for referrals.

Step5

Prepare a list of questions to ask before calling caterers. (See Tips for some ideas.)

Step6

Determine your budget and a basic idea of what kind of food you want to serve before meeting with the caterer. (For example, figure out whether you're serving dinner, hors d'oeuvres or both.)

Step7

Set up an initial meeting to discuss the menu and the services you desire.

Step8

Sample the caterer's food before you agree to hire.

Step9

Agree on payment before the caterer arrives at the party.

Step10

Lay down the law. Let the caterer know what expectations you have before the party starts. Ask the caterer what expectations and/or questions he or she might have.

Step11

Enjoy yourself.

Tips & Warnings

Some questions to ask caterers: Do you add a gratuity to your price? Can you accommodate food preferences and special diets? How many electrical outlets do you need? What can you supply (such as dishes, utensils, valet parking, bartenders, table decorations, linens and coffee) and how much extra is each? What is included in your estimate?
Prepare yourself for the expense of hiring a caterer. Most caterers will require 2 payments: one before the event and one immediately following the event.

Who Can Help:

Find Decorators & Designers Here. Compare Up to 4 Quotes, Free Service & No Obligation.

Comments

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 You might want to find out the number of trays you will be getting along with their dimensions (perhaps borrow a tray if possible). Then cut out paper the exact size so you can arrange these on a table and all is set up when they arrive with the food. Make sure you find out if the cost also includes condiments and silver or plastic and paper wear, and leave room for these as well on tables. This way you have more time to relax before guests arrive and you're less frazzled.

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 When you ask a caterer to provide a sample platter, be prepared to pay for it. A caterer may charge between $15 and $100 depending on what you want to sample. You can ask that the cost of the platter be credited to your bill once you hire the caterer.

Don't expect free food! A sample platter isn't a portfolio of photos, it's FOOD. Be prepared to pay for something that you will ultimately consume.

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