Finding a good caterer is a very essential part of any large scale gathering. Weddings, corporate events and even family gatherings are all times when services of professional caterers may be needed. The unfortunate thing however is that there is no standardized grading for caterers. What this means is that anybody who wants to make some extra cash can start their own catering business. It is therefore very easy to contract a quark in the name of a professional caterer. When searching for good corporate catering Los Angeles people will need to consider the following factors so that the food at their event is remembered for all the good reasons.
For a start, you need to ask around for recommendations. You can ask from friends, relatives or even co-workers. Apart from your friends and co-workers, you can also ask your other vendors like event planners for recommendations. Culinary schools and event venues are also very good sources of recommendations. In fact, most event venues nowadays have a list of partner caterers that they work with.
The next important factor to consider when looking for a caterer is specialty. You need to find out if the catering provider can handle big events. This is very important because there are some catering providers who only do small parties. Such caterers may lack the necessary equipment to handle a big function like a corporate event or even a wedding reception.
Another very important step when choosing an off-site caterer is to set your budget well before you begin interviewing potential candidates. One mistake that most people commit when looking for caterers is to start the search before setting a budget. Setting budget restrictions before meeting a potential caterer will put you in charge of negotiations and also make it much easier to settle on menus. Too often, customers put themselves at the mercy of caterers by not having strict budget boundaries.
It is also a legal requirement that all caterers be licensed before they can start practicing. This is the only way you can be sure that he/she observes all codes of conduct in his/her practice. Using the license number, you can also check whether your potential caterer has any bad records, violations or complaints.
Before you make a choice, you should also ask your prospective catering provider for references. Even though he/she will most likely give you a list of happy customers, there is still some good nugget of information you will be able to learn by talking to the caterers past clients. Talking to the caterers past customers is an excellent way of gaining insights about what the caterer does best.
Most people believe that contracts only safeguard interests of service providers. To the contrary, contracts also safeguard interests of clients by ensuring that they get all the services that they have paid for. As such, you should always insist on a written contract before the work commences.
With the above tips in mind, finding a good corporate caterer should not be such a big problem. It is however important that you start the search early as well. This will help you avoid unnecessary last minute rush.
For a start, you need to ask around for recommendations. You can ask from friends, relatives or even co-workers. Apart from your friends and co-workers, you can also ask your other vendors like event planners for recommendations. Culinary schools and event venues are also very good sources of recommendations. In fact, most event venues nowadays have a list of partner caterers that they work with.
The next important factor to consider when looking for a caterer is specialty. You need to find out if the catering provider can handle big events. This is very important because there are some catering providers who only do small parties. Such caterers may lack the necessary equipment to handle a big function like a corporate event or even a wedding reception.
Another very important step when choosing an off-site caterer is to set your budget well before you begin interviewing potential candidates. One mistake that most people commit when looking for caterers is to start the search before setting a budget. Setting budget restrictions before meeting a potential caterer will put you in charge of negotiations and also make it much easier to settle on menus. Too often, customers put themselves at the mercy of caterers by not having strict budget boundaries.
It is also a legal requirement that all caterers be licensed before they can start practicing. This is the only way you can be sure that he/she observes all codes of conduct in his/her practice. Using the license number, you can also check whether your potential caterer has any bad records, violations or complaints.
Before you make a choice, you should also ask your prospective catering provider for references. Even though he/she will most likely give you a list of happy customers, there is still some good nugget of information you will be able to learn by talking to the caterers past clients. Talking to the caterers past customers is an excellent way of gaining insights about what the caterer does best.
Most people believe that contracts only safeguard interests of service providers. To the contrary, contracts also safeguard interests of clients by ensuring that they get all the services that they have paid for. As such, you should always insist on a written contract before the work commences.
With the above tips in mind, finding a good corporate caterer should not be such a big problem. It is however important that you start the search early as well. This will help you avoid unnecessary last minute rush.
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