Organizing events is tough, especially if it’s as special an occasion like a birthday. Event-management agencies can be quite helpful as they provide you with full packages, including a DJ, staff, talent managers, design teams and even entertainment professionals. But what if you want to do it by yourself or simply don’t think it’s worth the money?
In our personal experience, we’ve found that food is the hardest thing to deal with in such cases. And as we know, one of the key elements of any good birthday celebration would be the birthday catering.
Catering is important because people bond over food and it can literally make or break the party. Hence, if the event does not have good food, then it is a big red flag for the visitors. Considering all this, it is crucial for you to pick the right caterer for your event
These 4 guidelines cum rules should help you do just that.
Look at the Personal Needs and the Overall Size of the Event
It is very important for the event organizer to understand the needs and the number of people coming to attend the event. If you don’t have an exact guest list and such a number yet, it’d be best to have a rough figure to work with before hiring the birthday catering professional.
After deciding on the numbers, you should be able to determine if the catering professional will be able to handle the crowd that is coming in. It’s also advised to not trust everything the catering professional says. It’s up to you to gauge what they can actually do for your event and the number of people that they can handle rather than merely taking them up on their word.
Take the free samples without shame
An experienced birthday catering professional is usually confident is providing free samples to the potential customer. If this is not the case, then it’s likely that there is something wrong with the caterer. If any caterer declines to provide you with samples, you should try to find out the reasons behind their reluctance.
This all boils down to the confidence of the caterers in their products as well. Look out for warning signs in this part of the process. If a caterer appears too reserved about his food, it’d better if you pick somebody else.
Overall Flexibility
Event managers can have a really hard and stressful time executing parties. It can be highly unpredictable and you never know what may come up. Considering this, you need vendors who are as flexible as possible with their plans. This factor is crucial when it comes to catering services.
There are times when the guests might complain about allergies and preferences. As such, the caterers should be able to suggest alternate dishes that they are serving for the occasion and encourage the guests to opt for those instead. Therefore, it is a good practice for you to actively quiz the caterers to see how they can solve problems that might come up.
Reviews from Customers
The customer must ensure that the birthday catering service delivers what has been promised. The best way to ascertain that a birthday catering is, in fact, good is to get feedback and reviews from past customers.
One of the easiest things to do is to look around and ask for feedback from friends and families before finalizing. Go for as many recommendations as you can. You’re looking for someone who’s consistently good after all. Online reviews should help you as well.
All of these tips should help you pick out a birthday catering service with ease. Sometimes it is very important to go with the gut when making the decision. However, it’s best that your gut is equipped with these basic tips before you start organizing your fantastic events.