1 hour vs. 2 hour serving time question

Pay by plate. Nobody can bring their plate back up - law in MI. If they order 100 then you put out 100 plates. If they want all they can eat in 2 hours then work out a price for double servings (double cost) and if they don't like it turn down the job.

Ford said:

Pay by plate. Nobody can bring their plate back up - law in MI. If they order 100 then you put out 100 plates. If they want all they can eat in 2 hours then work out a price for double servings (double cost) and if they don't like it turn down the job.

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well said Ford. You should have it sated in your contract how long you will serve

You serve until the line has gone thru. The time it takes shouldn't bear on the price.

Beyond 1 hour service time is asking a bit much unless you are serving over 200. I keep my lines open 1 hour and it is stated in the contract. They need to make arrangements beyond that given timeline ($).

big brother smoke said:

Beyond 1 hour service time is asking a bit much unless you are serving over 200. I keep my lines open 1 hour and it is stated in the contract. They need to make arrangements beyond that given timeline ($).

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We have served as many as 275 in an hour, but 1 hour is pretty much our standard service time per contract. Time is worth money!

C Rocke said:

We have served as many as 275 in an hour, but 1 hour is pretty much our standard service time per contract. Time is worth money!

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True dat! I hate dealing with leftovers thats why I will let it go longer

Since many of my catering jobs do not include onsite cooking, and I offer service a la carte, with a 4 hour minimum charge of $80-$100 per server (otherwise it isn't worth a servers time. As such, we often serve appetizers for the first hour, then the meal, then the dessert and help clean up.

In my experience the longer the serving window, the more likely guests will come through the line multiple times, especially if your food is really good and/or unique. Unlike most caterers, I do not prepare extra food. I only prepare what has been paid for, so I really do not mind. Like BBS, I'd rather not deal with leftovers.