Planning an event can sometimes prove challenging to many people. Understanding the different types of catering services is key to planning and finally holding a successful event for your guests. It is therefore important that you first familiarize yourself with the available options when planning for one. Each catering service is different from the other in terms of the mode of service, pricing and the number of caterers. Before settling on a particular catering service, ask yourself the following questions; what is the size of my budget? What is the number of the expected guests? What is the type of my event? What is the season or the time of the year? Taking into account these factors will help you choose the service that suits your event. This article looks at seven main catering services that you should know about.
- Wedding Catering
A wedding is a type of event that can incorporate different types of catering services, depending on whether it is a simple wedding or one that is huge and classy. With a simple wedding, you can have the caterers move around with plates of meals and drinks serving your guests with their favorites. The number of caterers will be fewer than those at a classy wedding. On the other hand, a huge wedding will cost more since the number of caterers will be more. They move around serving the guests, while a buffet can be put in place for the guests to serve themselves the meals of their choice.
- Cooperate Catering
With this type of event, the caterer provides service for a cooperate group that is gathered somewhere for that particular company’s matters. Most companies hold cooperate events to discuss matters affecting their company. The caterer can have people serving the guests with their favorite meals and drinks, since corporate meetings do not usually involve a large group of people.
- Buffet Catering
Different types of dishes are put in metallic storages that have some fire beneath, heating the food in moderate heat, to keep it warm until the end of the event. They are arranged in a line and the guests come to serve themselves with the dish of their choice. This type of catering service allows the guests to mingle freely and can really save on budget and time.
- Sit-Down Catering
The guests sit down on their respective seats while the caterer has people moving around with trays of food or drinks on them. The caterers go asking the guests what they would love to take, and come back later with their meals and drinks. This type of service is suitable for an elegant event but is usually time consuming and a bit expensive.
- Food Truck Catering
A truck is customized to make it a kitchen, where food is prepared, depending on the order. Food truck catering is most suitable for social gatherings that have a smaller number of guests, gathered out in the field or the street. They mainly serve fast food and drinks. They are fast, hence saving on time. Food trucks are also cheap since they do not involve many caterers. They also save on budget since chances of food wastage are minimal.
- Office Delivery Catering
A caterer prepares food somewhere far from the office, packs it in disposable ware and delivers it to the office of the person who ordered it. The person orders the food via a call to the caterer or through their mobile phone application and pays after the food has been delivered. The payment can be cash or through a wire transfer.
- Restaurant Catering
With this type of catering, an event is held at the premises of the caterer. The restaurant is customized and decorated to fit the desires of the guests. It is most suitable for social concession events. The main advantage of this service is that the guests get to enjoy full attention from the caterer since all the staff is available. Despite this, restaurant catering is expensive since you have to pay for the number of tables you have booked; and even fancy beverages, such as stella rosa honey peach brandy can get the final bill shockingly high especially if it involves many guests.
The list of catering services is endless. The service you choose for your event will depend on how you want your event to feel like. The companies providing these services are so many, so you can choose the one with a good rating and friendly to your pocket. You do not want to hold an event, only for your guests to leave disappointed with the kind of service offered to them. Therefore, consider working with caterers and you will love their service.