More Than Food, the Pittsburgh, PA Caterer Offers the Whole Range of Experience

No matter how grand your decorations are, how beautiful the gown of the bride is or how elegant your corporate event will be, there’s nothing that can quickly spoil the whole thing than mediocre food and service. But there’s also the very real risk of hitting a proverbial wall called information overload. You know how when you have so many choices of catering services—and each choice seems to be better than the last—that it’s very hard to decide? It’s the same with the unfiltered search engine like Google. When you hire a catering service, you do so with the end purpose of providing your guests with the whole experience. After paying for the vendor, whatever’s left of your budget can be adjusted accordingly. But you can’t sell your caterers in Pittsburgh, PA short. Guests should go home not just satiated but also satisfied. You need to be careful about which catering services you choose. Catering Authority, which is an online directory that compiles a list of caterers in multiple cities in the U.S., is giving some tips to make sure you choose the right caterers so you not only get delicious food, but also get the most value for your money. Finding a caterer is not hard in the sense that a cursory search on Google will yield you multiple results of businesses near your location. Instead of Google, you can refer to Catering Authority, which is an online directory for caterers. Also below is a handy guide on some essential factors to consider before hiring your service provider. Our website also offers some key questions that you should first ask before hiring somebody for corporate events, weddings and birthdays.

Set a budget according to your guests in Pittsburgh, PA, but be prepared to break

The size of your event will greatly impact the ability of the catering company to perform its task. Of course, this is fairly obvious. You don’t hire a caterer who can only feed 50 if you are expecting double that number of guests—that’s a recipe for disaster! Amazingly enough, people still overlook some important points, then they watch the whole wedding event or birthday party spiral out of control because there’s not enough food since the caterer is not equipped to feed a large number of people at a time. You need to be clear about the total number of people attending the event. Some birthday parties and wedding events are not fluid. That means even if you specifically tell your uncle from your mother’s side that you only reserved two seats for them, chances are they’re bringing along another one.

Too many chefs will spoil the broth

If you are hiring an event planner, they usually have their own partners who can provide the food for your corporate event. How about if you want to hold the location in a hotel with its own waiting staff, can the caterer work well with other people not specifically chosen by them? Vendors try to prove themselves in how they present the food as well as how they do the table arrangements. They think that the vendor will just show up and everything will be alright, but remember Murphy’s Law? If something is bound to go wrong, it will. Assigning a point person just makes sense because the supplier is not expected to talk to just about anybody from the company or family. Some event planners can be professional and actually overlook the fact that they don’t like the chef as long as the food is very good.

Ask input from your guests in Pittsburgh, PA on their preferred beverage or food

Coming up with a menu that makes everyone happy is the job of the caterings. Your job, therefore, is to ensure that you get all bases covered. You need to ask your guests and participants to specify their preference in the RSVP card so the caterer doesn’t have to guess. Also find out if there is a full-service package, which also includes the decoration, linens, flowers, chairs, and tables as well as the centerpiece for each table. For big events, you need to hire a party planner who will team up with caterers to make sure everything will go smoothly. A good chunk of the responsibility will fall on your shoulders as well because you need to find out which type of food or drink the guests prefer. These should be explained clearly to the contractor.

The Pittsburgh, PA event location is crucial for caterers

For the caterer to do its job well, you have to make up your mind with the location and stick to it. There are times when the location will prove to be logistically challenging for the caterers. A hotel ballroom is very easy because the caterer has unfettered access to the site through the back door and basement, and where they will set up the food is also clear based on the layout of the room. There are times when the location will prove to be logistically challenging for the caterers. Again, come up with your own short list of caterers, and call each one so they can explain how they will solve your dilemma.

What are your special requirements in Pittsburgh, PA?

Whatever you imagine your wedding to be in your head won’t be the same in reality. Something will always go wrong. It’s Murphy’s Law after all. You can actually ask the chef of the catering service to cook food on the spot at the wedding. Be prepared also to spend at least 30% more than the initial price estimate so you have a comfortable buffer. Make sure that you communicate to the caterer that you want their unfettered attention on the day of your wedding.

Find the best caterer in Pittsburgh, PA

You don’t have to waste so much energy just to find the right caterer for you. The more direct way is to go to online directories like Catering Authority. It is easy to be swayed by the sweet talk as well as the amazing photos on the website of service providers. You will encounter words like “best service,” “cheapest price,” or “premier caterer in town.” The photos of the food are absolutely delectable, but this does not serve as a guarantee of the quality of their services. The online directory website has already done the initial screening to make sure that those who make the final list of names in Pittsburgh, PA have the track record, qualified personnel, and facilities necessary to handle large contracts. All the names that made it to the short list have already been screened and vetted by the site. Browse through the list of caterers near Pittsburgh, PA. You know they are there for a reason so you don’t worry about whether they can deliver on your special day.