You have three proposals, now what?

If you are new in the market and don’t know anything about catering, this could be an eye opening experience. Being able to compare multiple proposals takes a lot of time and is a process that you shouldn’t rush through. Sometimes prices could vary in the thousands.

What you should do initially: Before you ask for a proposal, do your homework and find out are the caterers reputable? Check out their website, look for any reviews on Google, Facebook, or Yelp. These are great places to start and gain insight.

Have all of your details ready: It is important that you have all of your details ready so each and every caterer is on the same playing field. One piece of missing info can blow one caterer’s proposal out of the water. For example, let’s say you forgot to tell one caterer that the facility does not have its own tables. That particular caterer’s equipment needs will not be in line because tables and chairs are very expensive to rent. When talking to Fanfares, we will always ask many pertinent questions of you and the facility to make the proposal as accurate as possible.

When you finally receive the proposals: Have the caterer explain it to you, sometimes words on a piece of paper can’t do justice until you have a full explanation. Listen for creativity, efficiency, & passion from the caterer. Ask questions so you completely understand the proposal. Even if you need the salesperson to explain it to the committee, setup an agreed time and just put them on speakerphone. You will learn a lot doing this and will have a much better vision of the uniqueness of your particular event.

Don’t just look at the bottom line and say this caterer is too expensive, different foods and services can make the price vary tremendously. Once again ask and get a clear understanding of why it costs more, it can always be changed.