How To Cater A Party For Your Birthday

Understanding how to cater a party for your birthday is easy once you have an idea of what you would like your party to be like. Caterers come in all sorts of types and have huge price ranges. It is worth it to hire a caterer for a big event like your birthday, especially if you have a large group of guests. Who wants to cook for their own birthday? Caterers will handle every aspect of the birthday party, including serving dishes, plates, silverware and clean up. Enjoying your birthday party is much easier when you don’t have to worry about serving a ton of people and being a host. You will want to make sure you have a good caterer who has a reputation for being on time, well prepared and offers great food. Some caterers have difficulties staffing events properly and serve disgusting food.

To cater a party for your birthday, you will need:

• A good caterer
• A solid contract
• A theme for your party and food ideas

1. Read online reviews about caterers or ask around for referrals. After you have selected two or three caterers, set up interviews to meet with them. Make sure you have read reviews and sampled some of their food before the event. Discuss pricing and food options and ask any other questions you might have. Find out if the caterer will provide everything for serving and if those costs are included.
2. Discuss staffing. Figure out how many people you would like staffing your party. If you are having a buffet-style meal, you will obviously need fewer people. However, if you are having a sit-down dinner, you will need a lot more servers.
3. Discuss alcohol. Purchasing your own can save you lots of money. Ask if the caterer allows that. You may still need a licensed person to serve the alcohol. If you are just serving beer and wine, you might decide to skip that and allow guests to serve themselves.
4. Agree on an acceptable time that the caterer will come to set up. This is very important and will save you a big headache. You want your caterer to be there at least two hours before your birthday party so things will run on time.
5. Sign a contract. The most important thing you need when hiring a caterer is a detailed contract. A lack of a good contract can lead to huge disappointments when disagreements arise. The best thing you can do is protect yourself and the money you have spent by outlining every single requirement and putting everything in writing. Lots of people get ripped off by not having a good contract. In this contract, write every single thing down that was agreed on. Include penalties for not meeting exact details in the contract. For example, if the caterer is late and the party does not start on time, collect a ten percent deduction for your troubles. If any changes are made, make sure a new contract is signed in order to avoid confusion. Caterers may arrive late, under staffed and ill prepared. Having a good contract enables you to at least get some money back if things don’t go according to plan.