Clarify with Caterer to avoid any snags

Questions to ask your caterer:

• Request references, then be sure to check them
• Ask for ideas about décor and service. Presentation is almost as important as the food.
• Ask about the quality of the food:
  • Is your fish fresh?
  • Are your sauces made from homemade stock?
  • Are your desserts homemade?
• How long has the company been in business?
  • What are some of the types of catering it does?
  • You also might ask to tour the facility.
  • Some caterers cook out of garages and home kitchens, which may not be inspected by a health department.
• Do employees have health cards?
• Is the catering kitchen inspected by a health department?
• Ask whether employees are bonded and insured.
• Ask what the cost per person includes to avoid being surprised by hidden costs.
  • Some caterer’s break out their labor costs line by line, and some include it with the price of the meal.
• Find out about payment structure as well as refund and cancellation policies.
  • This is especially applicable to weddings; unfortunately, some people don’t make it to the aisle.
• Does the caterer charge a corkage fee if you provide the wine?
• Is there a service charge on top of the labor charge?
  • Some firms charge an additional 15 to 18 percent on top of the bill for labor.
• Is a gratuity automatically added to the bill? What if the service is poor?