In your company, are you responsible for booking venues, facilities, restaurants and organizing transportation for meetings and events?
| Catering Developments in Houston |
Especially in this society of overeating, small bites let people experience many tastes without all the guilt, and taste they will, especially with the new and trendy ingredients, presentations and flavor pairings that are working to wow.
how to develop a catering budget
The cost of catering an event ranges widely—anywhere from $15 to $300 per person—so it is important to develop a budget that reflects what you actually want to spend from your overall event budget. Catering costs include all food and beverage charges, delivery and setup fees, tips and gratuities that can account for up to 30 percent of your budget. Many caterers do not list prices on their websites and request that customers call or send an e-mail to receive a personalized quote because the event location, menu, service style and number of guests all greatly influence the price. Many caterers now have online forms that facilitate the process and help clients consider everything they will need for their event. Understanding the components that make up your catering cost is the first step in building an effective event budget.
— Menu Choice
The menu selections, including hors d’oeuvres, dinner courses and desserts, make up the largest piece of the budget. How much it costs depends on what you want to serve. Do you want high-end food selections or creative presentations of less costly ingredients? Do you want a preset menu for everyone or would you like to offer your guests a choice?
Although it’s common for caterers to try to upsell more choices and courses, generally a maximum of three prepared hors d’oeuvres during cocktail hour and three dinner courses is all guests want or need. If you want to keep the budget lower, skip delicacies like lobster, caviar or truffles in entrées. For a touch that wows, incorporate a high-end ingredient sparingly in hors d’oeuvres. Also, know the array of meat and produce costs and work with the caterer to serve quality menu selections that don’t have to cost a fortune. The intricacy of food preparation also gets reflected in the cost; the easier it is for chefs to prepare, the more affordable it is.
If you really want to serve guests a variety, buffets or serving stations can do the trick, but depending on foods served, they often cost about the same. To save a bit during the cocktail hour, instead of passed hors d’oeuvres, have caterers set up cocktail tables with spreads of self-serve bites like crudités and dips, artisan cheeses, gourmet crackers, fresh breads and fruit. This reduces costs both on food preparation and serving staff.
You must have an idea of how much food you’re going to need, which varies depending on what is being served and how many guests are expected. At an appetizer-only event, estimate that each guest will eat between 10 and 15 pieces; if you’re serving appetizers with a meal, expect each guest to consume only three to five pieces, and you may want to serve lighter foods, such as vegetables and fruits. People tend to help themselves to more food when served from a buffet as opposed to single plate services or items passed around on a tray.
— Beverage Selection
Determining the type of beverages you want served is an important part of the budget. Common packages include a full bar, beer and wine only or nonalcoholic selections with a cash bar. When gauging how many beverages to have available, expect guests to consume one to three during the event. Also offer coffee or tea service and water along with other nonalcoholic drinks. Naturally, the variety and quality of alcoholic beverages on the menu change this part of your budget. For more about liquor catering, see the next section of the article.
— Length of Event
The duration of the event directly impacts your budget. Caterers often provide their services for a set number of hours that are included in the cost. This can include setup, service and takedown time, but not always so look at the contract carefully. Time spent beyond their standard allotment may be billed additionally and increase your hourly service costs should you want to extend the food and beverage service.
— Service Style and Staffing
The service style you choose for your event certainly impacts the budget. Is it a buffet, family-style dinner or elegantly plated meal? A hands-on serving staff or a complex menu obviously requires more staff with catering experience to successfully produce the event. The labor costs of a full-service event can make up almost half of the catering budget whereas a simpler event likely requires fewer staff and thereby costs less. Staff members that might be required at an event include chefs to prepare the meal on or offsite; operations staff to manage the logistics of delivery and setup, event fluidity and event takedown; and servers or station chefs who personally interact with guests. Every one of those people incurs costs and must be worked into the budget. Additional costs of service may include the rental of serviceware items like linens and elegant dishes or food warmers, which may be wrapped up in the menu price but that is not always the case. Caterers also might provide tables, chairs and linens. Although generally at an upcharge, streamlining these services through the caterer does save time and money in the long run.
— Tips and Gratuities
Many caterers will build a standard gratuity into the total service bill, but additional tips and gratuities for excellent service are at your discretion and greatly appreciated by event staff. You can offer tips in advance or at the close of the service depending on your preference.
how to develop a catering budget
The cost of catering an event ranges widely—anywhere from $15 to $300 per person—so it is important to develop a budget that reflects what you actually want to spend from your overall event budget. Catering costs include all food and beverage charges, delivery and setup fees, tips and gratuities that can account for up to 30 percent of your budget. Many caterers do not list prices on their websites and request that customers call or send an e-mail to receive a personalized quote because the event location, menu, service style and number of guests all greatly influence the price. Many caterers now have online forms that facilitate the process and help clients consider everything they will need for their event. Understanding the components that make up your catering cost is the first step in building an effective event budget.
— Menu Choice
The menu selections, including hors d’oeuvres, dinner courses and desserts, make up the largest piece of the budget. How much it costs depends on what you want to serve. Do you want high-end food selections or creative presentations of less costly ingredients? Do you want a preset menu for everyone or would you like to offer your guests a choice?
Although it’s common for caterers to try to upsell more choices and courses, generally a maximum of three prepared hors d’oeuvres during cocktail hour and three dinner courses is all guests want or need. If you want to keep the budget lower, skip delicacies like lobster, caviar or truffles in entrées. For a touch that wows, incorporate a high-end ingredient sparingly in hors d’oeuvres. Also, know the array of meat and produce costs and work with the caterer to serve quality menu selections that don’t have to cost a fortune. The intricacy of food preparation also gets reflected in the cost; the easier it is for chefs to prepare, the more affordable it is.
If you really want to serve guests a variety, buffets or serving stations can do the trick, but depending on foods served, they often cost about the same. To save a bit during the cocktail hour, instead of passed hors d’oeuvres, have caterers set up cocktail tables with spreads of self-serve bites like crudités and dips, artisan cheeses, gourmet crackers, fresh breads and fruit. This reduces costs both on food preparation and serving staff.
You must have an idea of how much food you’re going to need, which varies depending on what is being served and how many guests are expected. At an appetizer-only event, estimate that each guest will eat between 10 and 15 pieces; if you’re serving appetizers with a meal, expect each guest to consume only three to five pieces, and you may want to serve lighter foods, such as vegetables and fruits. People tend to help themselves to more food when served from a buffet as opposed to single plate services or items passed around on a tray.
— Beverage Selection
Determining the type of beverages you want served is an important part of the budget. Common packages include a full bar, beer and wine only or nonalcoholic selections with a cash bar. When gauging how many beverages to have available, expect guests to consume one to three during the event. Also offer coffee or tea service and water along with other nonalcoholic drinks. Naturally, the variety and quality of alcoholic beverages on the menu change this part of your budget. For more about liquor catering, see the next section of the article.
— Length of Event
The duration of the event directly impacts your budget. Caterers often provide their services for a set number of hours that are included in the cost. This can include setup, service and takedown time, but not always so look at the contract carefully. Time spent beyond their standard allotment may be billed additionally and increase your hourly service costs should you want to extend the food and beverage service.
— Service Style and Staffing
The service style you choose for your event certainly impacts the budget. Is it a buffet, family-style dinner or elegantly plated meal? A hands-on serving staff or a complex menu obviously requires more staff with catering experience to successfully produce the event. The labor costs of a full-service event can make up almost half of the catering budget whereas a simpler event likely requires fewer staff and thereby costs less. Staff members that might be required at an event include chefs to prepare the meal on or offsite; operations staff to manage the logistics of delivery and setup, event fluidity and event takedown; and servers or station chefs who personally interact with guests. Every one of those people incurs costs and must be worked into the budget. Additional costs of service may include the rental of serviceware items like linens and elegant dishes or food warmers, which may be wrapped up in the menu price but that is not always the case. Caterers also might provide tables, chairs and linens. Although generally at an upcharge, streamlining these services through the caterer does save time and money in the long run.
— Tips and Gratuities
Many caterers will build a standard gratuity into the total service bill, but additional tips and gratuities for excellent service are at your discretion and greatly appreciated by event staff. You can offer tips in advance or at the close of the service depending on your preference.
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Send submissions to
editorial@MeetingPlannerResources.org. We will contact you if your submission is chosen.