Table of Contents
The caterers provide food for parties, events and public or private institutions. They can serve meals for up to 500 people in a banquet hall or deliver lunches for a small business meeting. For this reason, you should know what the definition of a banquet service is, so that at the next meeting you will amaze everyone, being you in charge of organizing any event.
Food providers adapt to the needs of their customers in many ways. They can adjust the menus according to dietary considerations or rent equipment such as: Refrigeration units, popcorn machines, chocolate fountains, among others, especially for special events.
Many factors influence the operation of a catering business, including customer service, sales, and the organization of the venue. But other than that, you must have knowledge of a wide variety of foods and desserts.
Basic services of a banquet
A basic banquet service, it offers hot or cold food to customers in a remote location. Food may consist of hot gourmet dishes prepared live, buffet-style food served on buffet rubbing plates, or cheese, meat, and snack platters.
The caterers send servers, cooks and other employees place for both formal parties and conventions and other events of high level. The reason is actually what matters the least, since these services are provided for all kinds of social gatherings.
A small party in an office may require only cold food, drinks, and rental furniture or equipment, without catering employees. Which will make the service much cheaper.
Banquet service employment and procedure
The catering service may have its own cooks to prepare the food, or it may source the food from a contractor or third party to serve the customer.
For food-to-table events, the service sends waiters, waitresses, and helpers to set tables and serve meals. For this type of event, you must first establish the catering contract well, so that everything goes as you have established.
For buffets and informal parties, the banquet company may send its employees to set up buffet plates, food bowls and platters, refill plates, and serve food to attendees.
For ballroom events and wedding receptions, a manager directs wait staff and ancillary staff, such as cloakroom staff, to take overall care of everyone present.
Different types of banquet services
Before the event, a sales representative helps the customer to choose the food, the place and the decoration, within their price range. In addition, it takes care of billing. The banquet services usually require a deposit before the event.
Complete banquet services
A complete banquet service takes care of all aspects of an event, such as a graduation party, a wedding reception or a business dinner.
A sales representative helps the customer plan the menu, decor, and theme. The banquet company hires cooks to prepare the food according to customer wishes, sets up the banquet tables, decorations and lighting, and employs waiters and bar staff.
In addition, it can also provide entertainment for the event. Full services work in banquet halls, hotel ballrooms, schools, cruise ships, casinos and other places, at the request of the customer. They should take into account that catering services charge food per person and other services.
Mobile food service
The mobile services food, commonly known as taco trucks or carts junk food in some countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, travel from one place to another. These serve sandwiches, drinks, hamburgers, and other foods in different neighborhoods.
These must be authorized and inspected, like a restaurant, for health reasons.
The type of food offered and the hours of operation depend on the customer base they have. For example, if you are located near a school, it is best to prepare meals that attract the attention of children.
Mobile food services serve various meals and snacks to offices and construction employees during the day, while food carts serve the general public, in high-traffic areas, or are set up outside of concerts and other events.
Industrial food services
The least glamorous, but most pervasive type of food service, caters to schools, prisons, employee canteens, commercial airlines, and other large venues near you. The industrial food service sells snacks, beverages and prepares simple meals, but delivering large portions per plate.
They hire food service employees to supervise and maintain supplies and equipment, and they serve food on the customer’s property, usually on a regular schedule.