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We would like our order delivered how much extra does this cost? |
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FREE DELIVERY on all orders that are over $100. If your order is over $100 there is no delivery charge. |
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I want my luncheon order delivered at noon sharp; is this possible? |
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Yes this is possible – you will need to order a “specific time drop” request. We reserve the right to deliver our drop off orders up to one hour early. The drop off event is any event where there will be no staff staying to serve. We do this for the simple reason that if we have a driver that is ill or we have traffic issues we always like to leave early and get your order delivered on time even if it is just a bit early. Normal delivery loads will generally have our drivers at your location fifteen minutes earlier than your requested time. In some cases our clients have very tight time lines for their presentation and there no ability for our driver to gain access as the person organizing the meeting is actually presenting. In these cases a specific time drop is a must and a cell phone number for our drivers to call upon arrival is always helpful. In some cases the delivery times for dinners or breakfasts in building that have elevators must be during the hours that the elevators are actually functioning for people with out security access cards. In all of these cases please order the “specific time drop.” |
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When I order food do you include equipment like tables, plates, tablecloths etc? |
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No when you need tables, tablecloths candles, flowers, plates, stem ware etc you will need to have that added to your order. All of our rentals are priced at the market rates for these items. This way you can get it all with just one call and more importantly because we are already coming with the food you will not have to pay a delivery charge for any rentals you may need. |
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I don’t need china but I would like some nice disposable plates etc do you have any? |
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Yes we actually have two lines of disposable plates & cutlery. We have a nice line of shiny black sturdy plates with decent black cutlery suitable for breakfast or luncheons. We also have white Styrofoam for any events where budget is a focus such as internal meetings. The cost for the paper service varies on what items you will need for the meal you have ordered.. |
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Why do you send “catering contract” confirmation for each order? |
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There are three reasons. The first reason is so you can see what we have in our system for your order, the date, time, address and food, beverage & equipment line items and their quantities. The second reason is that the total cost of the event is disclosed so you know how much this will cost. The third reason is that you are required to sign off and fax back this form which binds your company to the agreement of the order. Once we have a signed order contract we then can proceed with producing and executing the order you have placed exactly as it is stated on the contract. This way all of the parties are on the same page so to speak |
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I would like to choose what filling we get for our sandwiches and wraps; can I do this? |
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Yes we welcome filling specific orders as our goal is to make you happy so that you can re order when the need arises. If don’t have twenty minutes to go over the options just ask your event coordinator to pick the mix for you after all we know all of the best items. There is no additional costs for picking what sandwiches are what. |
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I would like members of the A Catered Affair team to serve my guests; is this possible? |
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Yes we love staying and serving events; after all that is why we are in the catering business. We send our serving team out in a minimum of two. There time is billed by the hour and the minimum shift for each staff member is four hours. The time billed out is what time is needed to fully produce the event. So you can expect to be charged for the time it takes for loading, driving, unloading, serving, loading up & unloading back at the A Catered Affair kitchens. They are uniformed in black tuxedo pants, a white tuxedo shirt and a black serving vest. For some of our more casual events the team member will come in a black polo collared shirt. Some of our clients have them in dressed in custom outfits to reflect the theme of the event! These decisions are yours. When we have team members present at your events you can expect a service charge of eighteen percent. |
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What is a service charge for? |
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The service charge is generated automatically as a percentage of your food & beverage total on your invoice. This money goes toward staff bonuses, staff events & awards and also ensures profitability for the shareholders of A Catered Affair by protecting them from the fluctuating prices of naturally grown perishable foods. Currently in October 2006 we have had an issue with spinach. The supply has been cut by about 80% and of course the price of spinach has been at an all time high. Economic majors will always quote “supply & demand dictate price.” This money also goes towards the capital investment needed to replace our fleet of delivery vehicles and help with any of the unforeseen increases in insurance costs for vehicles, workers compensation & building insurance. This is not a gratuity. |
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I would like to add a gratuity to my event as a gift for the staff that helped produce & execute my event; how can I? |
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We have many of our regular clients that do this by simply asking to have it added. You can direct an amount or percentage to be added to the bill before or after an event. Please do not give cash at an event as some of our clients like to have this gratuity quoted on their invoice for tax purposes. |
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I have hot entrees on my order how will the food stay hot? |
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All of our entrees are shipped in thermal ovens and then placed in flaming stainless steel chafing dishes to keep warm for up to two hours. The chafing dishes can easily be distinguished by covering up the flame with the snuffer provided or the bottom of a pop can works well too. Never leave a flame unattended in a room for safety reasons. |
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I have coffee & tea on my event how long will it stay hot? |
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The coffee & tea will remain hot up to six hours. The coffee is served in a black gravity pour thermal urn similar to the one you see at various corporate settings. This way the coffee does not simmer and turn very acidic. It’s the best way for a fresh tasting cup of coffee. The tea service is served with boiled water in a stainless steel carafe. We always send a nice assortment of black & herbal tea. |
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I have soup on my event how does it stay hot? |
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We always send a pot of soup in a stainless steel pot with a minimum of 15 portions in the pot. This is shipped piping hot and placed on an electrical hot plate upon arrival at your facility. Please have an electrical outlet available for the hot plate. |
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I have cold drinks on my event how do they come? |
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We drop off chilled beverages in cans, bottles etc. They do not need to be chilled again unless they are being consumed an hour after delivery. To keep the beverages chilled you can order an ice bath which is a beautiful sliver punch bowl with crushed ice. This keeps the drinks cold for about eight hours. We also have custom punches that come in a minimum of fifty portions. |
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What are the steps in ordering a catering event? |
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The first step in ordering from A Catered Affair would be to contact us and explain your event and what types of food & service would you like. Tell us the purpose of the event; all of this information helps shape the menu and service style of your event. If you call us we can ask all of the important questions right away; if you email us we will get back to you as soon as possible. During peak season it could take up to a day. The next step is an emailed or faxed quote that we send to all of our clients for all of their events. This is a crucial step as this form explains what is coming, at what time and to what location on which date. All very important details of any successful event! At that time the total cost is shown to the client via the order contract. At this time the client must fax back a signed contract to proceed with their order. If the order is over $500 the client must clearly write their credit card number, expiry date & cardholder signature. Once we have the contract we mark the event definite and your order is produced & executed. The next business day our driver will pick up the equipment that was used to produce your event – we leave a list for your reference. When we pick up the equipment we drop of the invoice as well as a credit card slip if applicable. |
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Your prices seem to be higher than what a restaurant or deli would charge why is that? |
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For one thing we have a fleet of six delivery vehicles, four account managers with computers who can get an order confirmation to you in five minutes. This means you will always get a person answering the phone and ready to give great service instead of a recording and a prompt to leave a message. We only use voice mail after business hours. We also produce our events in a five thousand square foot facility. We execute about twenty events every single business day so we need this space! So we have more staff, more equipment and a larger premises than any corner deli or restaurant. Also we pay our staff on average double the current minimum wage as you cannot make ends meet on $8.00 per hour and the shareholders wish to provide jobs to our team that are worth working hard for as catering is hard work! With a very low staff turnover we maintain a low error average on all of our events and an amazing 98% event success for on time, complete orders that have satisfied customers. So you can depend on us. So in essence we sell much more than food; we sell service. Some of the things effecting our prices are labour shortages, cost of materials, fuel, insurance increasing. A Catered Affair has been serving it’s loyal clients for more than a decade now; in fact since May of 1995! |
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I have meetings that come up on the same day are you able to help me with last minute orders? |
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YES we don’t even call them last minute orders we call them same day orders as we understand that your company needs our services. So we won’t give you any attitude just gratitude – we may not have certain menu items available for same day orders but we will cover that with you on that day and you may have to be a little flexible on your delivery times. |
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