A good number of people do not have prior experience when it comes to entertaining on grand scale and just the thought of having to feed a large crowd is enough to make them sick. When throwing a party, it would be important that the party reflect your taste, personality and sense of adventure as well. Hiring a good caterer will help you achieve these effortless. There are very many tales of nightmarish events out there and you do not want your event to add to this statistic. You must therefore put your best foot forward when you set out to hire a professional caterer. When looking the best caterer Los Angeles will need to consider the following factors for the best choices.
If there is one overriding thumb of rule when it comes to choosing a caterer it has to be word of mouth. Ask your friends, colleagues and relatives if they have contacts to great caterers around. You can as well ask for referrals from popular event venues, culinary schools or even event planners. In fact most venues nowadays have a list of partner caterers.
Before you contact any provider, you should also prepare a budget of the amount of money you are willing to spend on catering services. This should not exceed a third of the total budget. Having a budget will also help you avoid wasting time on caterers whose charges are beyond your budget. At the same time, you also need to be wary of caterers whose charges are suspiciously low. Such low charges can only mean that his/her catering services are not up to standard.
Before settling on any provider, it would also be important to see his/her catering license. This requirement may vary from state to state. As such, it would be important to check with your local health department. It would be a breach of the law to hire unlicensed catering provider in states where this is a requirement.
If possible, you should also schedule tasting session with all your prospective caterers. Tasting session will also give you an opportunity to meet with the chefs and determine how flexible they are. Remember that everything can always be adjusted to your tastes. As such, it would be important to make sure your feedback is taken seriously.
You will also need to determine your level of involvement in the event. Most caterers these days provide full range of services ranging from tables, chairs, floral and even decor. On the other hand, some caterers will only provide the meals. It is therefore very important to know exactly what you are paying for.
Before you append your signature on any contract, it would be important to read through it just to ensure you understand the contents of the document. At the same time, you should never hire a contractor without a firm contract in place. This document will protect your interests in case the caterer fails to deliver.
With the above tips in mind, finding a good catering provider should not be such a big problem. It would also be important to start the search for caterers early enough. This is especially important if your function is scheduled for one of the busy seasons like December.
If there is one overriding thumb of rule when it comes to choosing a caterer it has to be word of mouth. Ask your friends, colleagues and relatives if they have contacts to great caterers around. You can as well ask for referrals from popular event venues, culinary schools or even event planners. In fact most venues nowadays have a list of partner caterers.
Before you contact any provider, you should also prepare a budget of the amount of money you are willing to spend on catering services. This should not exceed a third of the total budget. Having a budget will also help you avoid wasting time on caterers whose charges are beyond your budget. At the same time, you also need to be wary of caterers whose charges are suspiciously low. Such low charges can only mean that his/her catering services are not up to standard.
Before settling on any provider, it would also be important to see his/her catering license. This requirement may vary from state to state. As such, it would be important to check with your local health department. It would be a breach of the law to hire unlicensed catering provider in states where this is a requirement.
If possible, you should also schedule tasting session with all your prospective caterers. Tasting session will also give you an opportunity to meet with the chefs and determine how flexible they are. Remember that everything can always be adjusted to your tastes. As such, it would be important to make sure your feedback is taken seriously.
You will also need to determine your level of involvement in the event. Most caterers these days provide full range of services ranging from tables, chairs, floral and even decor. On the other hand, some caterers will only provide the meals. It is therefore very important to know exactly what you are paying for.
Before you append your signature on any contract, it would be important to read through it just to ensure you understand the contents of the document. At the same time, you should never hire a contractor without a firm contract in place. This document will protect your interests in case the caterer fails to deliver.
With the above tips in mind, finding a good catering provider should not be such a big problem. It would also be important to start the search for caterers early enough. This is especially important if your function is scheduled for one of the busy seasons like December.
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