Hey, Why do the caters arrive 1 to 3 or more hours before the event?
One of the questions which clients often ask is why does it take so long between when we arrive and when we serve. It is a good question and here is our answer.
We look at every aspect of what needs to be done for your event to be ready and we add a little time for the unexpected. A van or vans that have hundreds and possibly thousands of pounds of food, equipment and decor takes time to unload and organize. This has to be done safely and with care to avoid damage to the cargo, the venue or the unloaders.
Often servers have to move this cargo a distance from parking to the final use area. They have to navigate stairs, etc.
Sometimes the food prep area has to be set up. We are often called upon to setup the dining room. And we often have to prepare, heat and platter food.
The kitchen may or may not be ready for us to start working. If the kitchen needs to be prepared, room made in the refrigerators, personal items cleared from counters, that adds to the setup time.
These are only a few of the more obvious things that can add to setup time.
So if you work backward from when you want to serve, build in a little time in case there is a brief advance in start time, which can happen and event can take a long time to setup.
You might think of it this way, you start planning for your event weeks to years before it happens. It takes you a great deal of thought, effort and time to create a great party. The same goes for us. Proper unload with proper organization, station and dining room setup and food preparation takes time. To skimp here is to risk undoing all our hard work and planning.
If you skimp on the setup and prep the party turns out less well than your event deserves.
Why do I need so many staff people at my event?
Potential clients ask why do we need so many staff members? Again a good question.
Can't the Kitchen staff also serve and tend bar? They have the skill, but they won't have the time and are not going to be appropriate for these functions.
Consider, a typical kitchen staff member, will have just unloaded the truck, organized the kitchen, prepared and heated the hors d' oeuvre. He or she may still have much more work to do, such as plating salad or soup, preparing dinner and dessert and organizing the flow of food out of and dishes into the kitchen. There is very little possibility that this staff member will have any time to help with other functions.
Consider also, the service staff that has also helped unload the cargo; now must place linens, set tables with china, silver and crystal; place centerpieces, and pour water; He or she may now have to help with decor, possibly rearrange tables, chairs, and finally they need to get into their serving uniforms. These folks are not going to have much time to help with bar tending or kitchen work.
A bartender who has a full bar or is pouring specialty drinks is likewise not going to have a great deal of time to man other stations.
There is also our desire to not overwork our staff, because they deserve to be treated well. I require them to work safely as well as efficiently. The servers are not required to lift excessive weight to speed up unloading, they will not be asked to forego required breaks to shorten prep time, or undertake any similar time saving efficiencies.
We staff as leanly as is feasible, keeping in mind that you desire a high quality event. We know that you will be impressed with how skillfully and energetically our staff performs and will be happy with their professionalism.
Best regards,
Jerry O'Brien
Parties
By Panache
2808
E. Imperial Highway
Brea,
CA 29821
714
572 2190
www.partiesbypanache.com
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