When you are in the catering business, you want to excel in terms of the quality of both food and service. Since you hired the best chefs in town—or even in the world—good food is already the brand you have established. To also be able to achieve a name on good service, you must be critical up to the minute details during the pre, during and post event. Before and during the event are the most important times you can rise or fall. Plan ahead and deliver well, and you will surely reach the top.
Prioritize the Guests
Tables and chairs are vital in making your event catering successful. Understand the client if the event opts for a wedding catering, corporate catering, social event catering or a concession catering. From there, you will know if you will use round, square, or rectangular banquet tables. Chairs are a must but not for cocktail parties.
Always maximize the space of the event venue by strategically placing round and square banquet tables diagonally. For the rectangular tables, help the client decide if they want a classic, conference, hollow square, U-shaped or classroom style of set-up. Know the number of guests so that you can properly set-up chairs with the tables. Keep in mind that table spacing is essential in order to avoid guests’ chairs banging and to allow servers to roam around. Ideal space is from 24 to 30 inches.
Never forget to bring the tablecloth and table center piece that comes with each table. It is good to set-up plates, utensils, drinking glasses and napkins on the tables for seated and pass around types of food service. You can usually leave only napkins, water glasses and the center piece on the tables for buffet food services. If you have properly set-up the tables and chairs, your guests will be at ease as soon as they enter.
Aesthetically Present the (already good) Food
Sustain the guests’ comfort by having a beautiful food station that is both appealing to the eyes and the palate. Whether the food catering for the event is seated, pass around or buffet, aesthetics comes before taste. This can be made possible by ensuring that you have the food essentials. Chafing dishes, serving trays or plates, serving spoons and tongs, plates, utensils, water and/or wine glasses and pitchers can make or break the day. See to it that the plating of dishes to be served, whether for seated or pass around, is perfect. No fingerprints from the chef and/or the servers!
Take note of start time and food serving time to avoid feeding the guests cold food. For a buffet catering, set-up can either be one or two sided, depending on the client’s preference and the venue. Keep the food warm through the chafing dishes and charcoal under it, with either one or two serving spoons and tongs. It will be nice to put up mini spotlights for the food.
Level up your Catering Service
As the event place is set up, servers now have the bigger role to fill. They must put their best foot forward and wear the most beautiful smile they ever have. Captains, or the head of the team, should not be relaxing just yet. He or she must be there to check on everything and lead the team when crises occur. Everyone just has to be the best version of their self, and you will call it a successful night.
Ryan Davis is the owner of Argyle Catering the best company for catering Jefferson City, MO has to offer.
