Policies
CHEFS Catering Company Policy & Contract
Reserving a Date & Deposits
Your initial inquiry will be penciled in but is still open and available to further inquiries until the date is secured. A $1000.00 deposit is required to secure the date, $500 of which is non-refundable and covers any administrative time spent on emailing, communication, planning and menu development regardless of any unforeseen circumstances.
The deposit will be applied toward the final total bill. We do not require any additional deposits or payments until after the wedding or event.
Postponements and Cancellations
In the event of a cancellation, your deposit of $500 ($1000 less the $500 admin fees) will be refunded if the cancellation is 120 or more days prior to the event date. If the event is cancelled less than 120 days prior to the event date, there is no refund.
In the event of a postponement, we will transfer your deposit to the new date without any further deposits required. Please keep in mind that your new date is subject to CHEFS availability. In the event CHEFS is unavailable on your new date, your deposit is subject to the policy as stated above pertaining to cancellations.
Payments
Final payment is due in total within fourteen (14) days after the date of your event. Any payments not received within the specified time are subject to finance and penalty charges. Payment may be made in the form of cash, check, credit card or Venmo. We accept credit cards by manually entering on Square. Any credit card transactions are subject to a 5% convenience fee.
Menu Selection
CHEFS menus are just a starting point, they may be used as they are, or customized to meet your needs and budget. Menus must be finalized at least one (1) week prior to your event. It is recommended that you finalize your menu as soon as possible. Once the menu is finalized, we will need a signed and dated copy which you can easily scan and email.
Guarantee
The guarantee is the number of people on which we will base staffing and food preparation. We need the final "guaranteed" number of guests no less than one (1) week before your event. You will be charged for the guaranteed number even if the number of guests decreases the week or the day of the event. Should your numbers increase the week or day of, you will be charged accordingly.
Taxes
5.3% Virginia sales tax and 6% Rockbridge County sales tax (11.3% total) will be added to all menu prices and fees.
Staffing and Service
Staffing and service fee depends on a number of factors including but not limited to: the style of event, the number of guests, location, depth, breadth and type of food and bar service, etc. An estimate can be provided once event specifications are known. The cost per server/culinary staff/bartender are charged per hour each. This includes up to 30-minute one-way travel time. Travel beyond 30 minutes is subject to an additional fee. A good rule of thumb is 1 “server” per 15 guests for buffet/station style service. Passed hors d’oeuvres, plated or family style meals will require more servers and culinary staff.
We do release servers and bartenders at the first opportunity in order to save the client, when possible, without compromising our level of service. Our staff is punctual, professional and very courteous. Many have been with CHEFS since our beginning in 2005. The uniform is black pants, black collared shirt and black apron for weddings and formal events. For casual events, the uniform is jeans, a white shirt and black apron. There is a minimum number of team members required for any sized event.
Gratuities
We do not automatically add any gratuities to the proposal or final invoice. We strictly leave this to the discretion of our clients. Gratuities are not anticipated but always appreciated by our catering team.
Cake Cutting Fee
There is no cake cutting fee. We cannot believe this exists.
Leftover Food
Insurance and health department regulations prohibit us from allowing guests to take leftover food.
Rentals
CHEFS is more than happy to arrange rentals when necessary. It is one less thing for you to worry about and it enables us to make sure that all the items are accounted for. We will do this for a 5% fee of the total rental invoice. If you decide to coordinate the rentals on your own, it is understood that any shortages or errors are the responsibility of the client. We have everything pertaining to food service including chafers, platters, serving utensils, etc. We have banquet tables and fitted banquet linens for food and bar service that may be rented at $10 per linen and $5 per table. Fitted linens are black or white.
Tastings
CHEFS does offer tastings but availability is very limited as our weekends are usually booked with events and Chef John does all the tastings himself. Priority on available dates is given to couples/clients who have already booked CHEFS and are trying to narrow down their menu selections. There is a charge for this service. Estimated cost is $40-$60 per person (based on items selected) and we will prepare as much as possible from your preliminary menu proposal or items you select from the menu portfolio. We generally prepare 3-4 hors d’oeuvres, 3 entrees and 3 sides. Please let us know at least 7 days in advance before the tasting what you would like to try. Some items are difficult to prepare for a small group (i.e., Prime Rib), so these items may not be available for a tasting. Please limit tastings to six (6) persons.
**If you have not secured CHEFS with a signed contract and a security deposit, and want to have a “taste test,” the cost of the tasting is $500.00 (for 2 to 4 guests). Afterwards, if you decide on booking CHEFS, $250.00 will be applied to your security deposit. We do apologize if this influences your decision, but hope that you understand.
We have been catering for over seventeen years and in the food service business for thirty-five. We are extremely confident in the quality of both our food and our service. The online reviews we have received over the years (The Knot and Wedding Wire), reflect the level of our professionalism and the degree to which our clients have been satisfied.
What we have found to be the best approach is to start with an in-person or email consultation so that we can outline your wishes and draft a proposal. We are more than happy to set up a tasting once you have had an opportunity to review the proposal and we move forward with a contract. From there, we are certain that we will deliver a memorable experience for you and your guests.
Additional Venue Fees
Many venues now are requiring the catering companies to be responsible for additional duties outside of the normal catering aspect. We do not know why the catering company should be responsible and not the venue for setting of ceremony chairs or sweeping and mopping the venue but this seems to be the trend. Potential Additional Venue Requirements (AVR): Setting up ceremony chairs, breaking down ceremony chairs, sweeping and mopping venue, hauling away garbage (minimum $150-depending on the venue), etc.
Food Allergies/Preferences
Please advise CHEFS in advance of any food allergies or preferences you or your guests may have.
We look forward to being a part of your special day and making your event a memorable one. Thank you for choosing CHEFS Catering Company.
Pricing
Food and beverage costs are probably the most complicated aspect of the food industry. Besides perhaps your florist, catering has the most fluid overhead costs as compared to venues, entertainment, coordinators, etc. As an example of standards in the industry, caterers operate at a 15% profit margin (hopefully) while venues operate at an 85% profit margin. Unfortunately, we have no idea how to predict supply chain issues, inflation rates or other causal circumstances at this time. We were happy to honor all of our 2020 contract prices for weddings that were postponed until 2021 and 2022, and it had a definitive negative impact on our bottom line.
We do offer a 5% military discount on food and beverage with the understanding that we may have to adjust those costs as determined by the future market.