When you have an event to plan, it may seem like there a million things that can go wrong. Problems with the guest list. Problems with the menu options. You burned the appetizers you were preparing. The event venue has a wedding at the same time. But if done correctly, your event can also be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life. So how can you make sure it goes off without a hitch? The answer is hiring a catering company.
Hiring a catering company can take one of the most important aspects of the event off your checklist, so it's easier for you to handle the rest of the event planning. Without needing to worry about your entree or the appetizers, you’re free to think about the music, guest speakers, or other events you want to take place.
But the reasons catering can be crucial in proper event management go even deeper than that. Let’s look at some of the “whys” behind hiring a catering company so you can make that dream event come true.
What Does a Catering Company Do?
It doesn’t matter what type of event you’re hosting. Chances are, you’re going to need to feed people. But before you have the sit-down portion of the event, you need to make sure you have the appropriate amount of food—and the suitable menu options—for the likely hungry people. A catering company takes all of the food preparation off of your hands.
Without a catering company, you might find yourself running around the event, forgetting linens, trying to manage every problem that comes up and all around, just stressed out. What if someone has food allergies? What if the food stations you planned are already empty and there's nothing else hot and ready to serve? Suddenly your event planning will seem less about being a host and more about running a temporary restaurant. It’s exhausting—and it shouldn't be how your event goes down.
Now, imagine you hire a catering company instead. Suddenly they’re helping you with the estimation of food you’ll need. They're taking note of the gluten allergies. They’re bringing in hot trays of delicious menu items that were decided on in advance. With the right caterer, you’ll accomplish more than just putting together a nice meal. You’ll help yourself host a successful event and keep the stress to a minimum.
How Does Catering Save You Time?
There are a few ways catering will step in and save you time. The most obvious is food preparation: you no longer have to handle it. Whether you’re having a small, private event and are planning on handling the menu yourself, a catering menu will be much easier to handle. Not only will the caterers bring in the delicious food, but they’ll also address issues like dietary restrictions, food allergies and put together a catering menu that will appeal to most people at your event. The key here? You don’t have to do any of it. That’s a lot of time saved with just a phone call or two.
Contrary to popular belief, catering can save you money, depending on how you plan to approach the food. If you were planning on preparing yourself, you’re not only paying for the food on the menu but the time involved in getting everything set up and ready to go. You also have to think about placing tables, for example—the little costs that can add up if you do it yourself.
Catering will leave the right impression on your guests because there will be minimal problems with how the food is prepared and presented. All you need is a guest count; the caterer does the rest. That means your guests can enjoy the great food they prepare—and with catering, anything the caterer does well reflects well on you. This can be especially important for corporate catering, as those first impressions might end up being worth far more than the caterer costs.
How Does Catering Save You Money?
Most people are familiar with the idea that catering will save you time. You’re doing less serving, less setting up, less cooking—heck, you’re not doing any of it. But what about money? Doesn’t catering cost more than simply preparing or ordering the food yourself?
Let’s take them one option at a time. If you prepare the food yourself, you can certainly save money. But you run into a lot of other problems. You might run into food allergies. You have to think about serving this food to people—which means buying hot trays and dishes or getting rentals. Unless you’re having a small dinner party, preparing food yourself is an option that quickly goes out the window.
What if you’re thinking about ordering the food and serving it yourself? Then you will have to think about the temperature of the food, keeping it warm, or serving the food on dishes that don’t come with the meal you ordered. You’ll also have to think about place settings, calculating the appropriate amount of food for the guests you have, and so on.
Event catering saves you money by making this all available to you in one purchase. And since catering companies specialize in handling all of the logistics of food prep and serving, they have the resources to make everything far more efficient. They have the hot trays, the silverware, the napkins, the place settings—the list goes on and on. Depending on what your other plans were, this can end up saving you both time and money. And if the food is good, the guests will love it.
Catering isn’t just for fancy, stuffed-shirt events. It’s for feeding a lot of people with an affordable, delicious option that takes a lot of the work out of your hands. Find the right catering company, and you’ll find throwing an event doesn’t have to be the chore you thought it was.
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