Good food is definitely one of the most important things of your quinceañera. Not only the cake, but all other foods are important in appearance and taste to make your party memorable. Some girls choose to make the food themselves or with friends, others prefer a catering service. If you prefer to have a catering service, how to choose the best one?
1. Know how many people you are inviting
When choosing the catering, you should take a look on your guest list to know how many people you are talking about. The more people you have, the less you should pay per unit in your catering service. This is a way of negotiating with the vendors. Also, if you don’t have a large guest list, you’ll need to look for a service that suits your needs for that. It should have a nice price, but also different dishes options. Compare the number of confirmed guests and try to measure how many people can be above that number. Your catering service should be enough for everyone.
2. Know your budget
Know how much you have available for catering in advance. This will define a lot on the kind of service, the variety of food and if this will be a la carte or buffet service.
3. Know what you want
There are plenty of ideas for colors, flavors, sizes, and shapes of quinceañera foods. There are traditional dishes, dinner, snacks, that you can choose for your party. Decide whether you want it traditional or with modern food. Choose between a dinner or snacks – and what kind of snacks. Have an idea of the flavors you like and dislike before taking and taste-test.
4. Do a lot of research
Be sure to check as many vendors as possible. Ask for friends who had a party with catering service if they have contact of good ones. Look for phone lists and search online about vendors around you and their rates. If you want to save time, our app has a section of local vendors, including catering. This is a good way of finding vendors experienced in quinceañeras. Check out for their rates, availability, if they have experience in quinceañeras and how their taste-tests are. Be sure they are available for your party location and date.
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You can also ask to your chosen venue if they have a partnership or contact with any catering service. Sometimes, it is cheaper when they have partnership. Compare the price hiring with the venue and doing it independently.
5. Have criteria
Not only the taste, but the professionalism of the service is very important. Food is serious issue, and you won’t want any problems with it. Have criteria to hire a good vendor. Some are minimum features to make your catering safe. Other criteria can help you choosing what is best for you. Here are some criteria you can use:
- How responsive they are. The vendor must be responsive while you are choosing the service. If they are not responsive for selling, will they be if you need something during the party? Probably not. The managers are not usually present during the party, and the waiters (if there is some) or representants won’t be able to do much for you if there is something not according to the contract.
- Do they have an insurance? Having an insurance is a must. All kinds of disasters might happen in a kitchen. Of course you don’t expect anything bad to happen, but if there is a fire or an accident, your catering should definitely have an insurance. Choose a vendor with an insurance and review it to know what it covers.
- Are they experienced? You probably don’t want the adventure of a new vendor. They might be good, but this is a very important day, so you should not take the risk. Look for those vendors who are experienced and well rated.
- Are they flexible? Many vendors have a closed menu for quinceañera contracts. But are they flexible with it? Specially if there are dietary restrictions for any of your guests, this menu should be whether flexible or already suit their needs.
6. Ask for Taste-Tests
Some vendors do it for free, other ones have a fee for a taste-test. Schedule the free ones you can and provide a test for the paid ones that matches most of your criteria. It is important to have an idea of what will be served in order not to have bad surprises.
7. Review the contract
After choosing the best vendor by using all of the criteria above, sign a contract with the catering service. Always have it written and review every detail. By following those tips and having a detailed contract, you’ll choose the best catering, have a safe service and delicious food!
