5 Key Questions to Ask When Choosing Your Caterer

Hosting a catered event can seem daunting, especially because of the sheer number of food service options available and logistical details to consider. Whether organizing a smaller private milestone celebration or planning a large event, ensure your selected catering company can provide high-quality service that meets your expectations and satisfies your guests. To help narrow your options and ensure your event caterer fits your needs, set aside the time to have an in-depth conversation with them ahead of the big day.

In that meeting, an experienced caterer can help walk you through key points to consider in the catering process. However, you can come prepared to the meeting with your own questions addressing specific items important for your event. This will help the vendor understand your vision and help you select the right caterer. When choosing an event caterer, consider asking them these key questions to help set your event on the path to success.

Key Questions to Ask Your Caterer

  1. What Kind of Food/Meals Do You Serve?

Talk with your potential caterer about their food selections to ensure they can align their offerings with your event vision. Are you hosting a football tailgate party and looking for BBQ-inspired, crowd-pleasing snacks and dips? Or are you celebrating a wedding with an elegant reception and looking for elevated meals to match? Ask the vendor about their signature dishes and if they can create a specific spread you have in mind.

Inquire about customizable meals or if the menu offerings are fixed. Some vendors may have the flexibility and creativity to craft tailored food presentations that fit your event theme. You can also talk with your caterer about any sustainable or locally sourced food options they may have available. By fully discussing the menu, you can walk away from your initial meeting understanding if the vendor can meet your event’s baseline meal and presentation requirements.

  2. Are You Able to Accommodate Dietary Restrictions and Allergies?

While discussing food options with your potential caterer, consider asking whether they can build inclusive menus. Depending on the size of your event, you may have many guests with different allergies, intolerances or other dietary preferences, like veganism. 

Can the vendor you’re meeting with modify their meals to meet these demands? If so, which kinds of dietary accommodations are they able to make? If they can modify the offerings, do the changes come at an additional cost? 

Addressing the complexities of dietary restrictions with the event caterer can help you grasp whether they can meet your guests’ needs and still provide tasty, inclusive options.

  3. What Are Your Serving Options?

When you picture your event, do you see your guests lining up to choose their foods from a buffet line or are professionally dressed servers bringing their meals plated to a table? Ask your caterer how they serve their food to understand their options. Talk with the caterer about matching the formality of your event with the appropriate serving method. You may also need to discuss your venue location, as this could impact the type of serving that can take place.  

  4. Have You Served an Event Like This Before?

Does the caterer have experience serving a similar event to yours? Each type of gathering comes with nuance in the meal experience. Food service and presentation can differ greatly between the professional nature of corporate events, the playfulness of birthday parties and the complex logistics of large weddings with hundreds of people. A vendor with proven success for your type of event can give you peace of mind heading into the meal.

If your selected caterer does have expertise in your event, they may have references you can contact to hear about other people’s experiences. Consider connecting with these references to get information that may not be available through simple online searches. While talking to your caterer about their expertise, you can also ask them if they have ever served at your venue. If so, this can help ensure a smooth setup and serving process at your event.

  5. What Event Rentals and Additional Logistical Services Do You Provide?

In addition to crafting the meals, what event rentals and services does your potential caterer provide? Ask about tableware rentals like silverware and plates, furniture rentals like chairs and tables and linen rentals like tablecloths and napkins. You can ask about the designs of the rental equipment to try to match your event vision. See if there are options for you to select from, such as different colors, patterns or sustainable materials. 

Additionally, you can ask about other services the caterer may offer. Do they provide water service? Will they help coordinate with other vendors for your event? Talk with them about whether they assist with the setup and breakdown of rentals you may have for your event.

You can discuss with your caterer how much time they will need to prepare the food and clean up following your event. Depending on your venue, you may need to ask if your food vendor will have to prepare the meals onsite or cook them offsite and bring them to your venue. If they do need to prepare the food onsite, ask if the catering company can provide their own food preparation rentals and power.

Making Your Caterer Selection

Armed with the answers to these questions, you should better understand whether the caterer you just met with could help translate your event vision into a reality. Preparing ahead of time with questions will help you maximize your meeting time and help you set proper expectations for your event.

For an experienced caterer ready to answer the above questions, partner with Cotton Culinary. Our services range from catering corporate events, fundraisers, reunions, birthday parties and emergency or remote catering.

Give your guests exciting, flavorful offerings and impressive food presentations, with Cotton’s culinary artists for an all-in-one catering service ready to elevate your event. Call Cotton Culinary at 281.712.9769 today or reach us on our website to discuss any questions you may have for your next catered event!