Nothing brings an event down more than bad catering. This is especially true in a state like California, which is home to some of the country’s most affluent communities. Guests here are used to certain comforts, after all.

So, when considering event venues in Glendale, Beverly Hills, or Santa Monica, it’s crucial that you look out for one key service — full-service catering.

This premium offering will save you a great deal of time and money while simultaneously elevating your guest’s experience.
What does full-service catering include? Find out in this comprehensive guide.

How Full-Service Catering Works For Events

A catering service in Los Angeles will usually offer event planners two broad options.

The first is known as limited catering. Under this service, the team will likely prepare a buffet-style meal for your guests. They may cook the food and set the table, but not much else.

On the other hand, the more comprehensive full-service catering includes several additional features. With this service, caterers ensure food and drink takes on a more prominent role at an event — and provide a cohesive culinary experience.

To achieve this, the team will design menus, serve guests, assemble beautiful layouts, clean up after, and much more. But this is, of course, just an overview.

To truly understand how full-service catering works for events, we need to explore each task in more detail.

What Full-Service Catering Includes

So, what is typically included in full-service catering? Here’s a breakdown:

Setting Up

Full-service catering includes several planning and design tasks.

For instance, a team could help you assess table-top layouts, dining and seating arrangements, or the appropriate position for a bar as per the floor plan. Moreover, they may provide options for silverware, glasses, and cutlery to go with the theme.

In some cases, full-service catering includes planning for floral arrangements, while many companies ensure you have all the ingredients ready to whip up premium cocktails. The caterer essentially acts as a planning assistant, helping you make the most of a corporate event venue or banquet hall.

Detailed Menus

As mentioned, designing a catering menu in Los Angeles is no easy task. The city’s culinary landscape is vast and diverse — featuring the best of Mexican, Korean, Vietnamese, French, and other global cuisines.

Full-service catering includes the expertise to ensure this variety is reflected in your menu. Skilled chefs will deliver a comprehensive list of delicious food and drink options for you to choose from. All you have to do is make sure they match your guests’ preferences.

Premium Service

While a buffet-style service usually relies on guests to serve themselves, full-service catering includes service expertise. This means that guests will have food and drink delivered to them, as per their requirements, and at a specified time.

Catering staff are trained to be courteous and ensure the right food reaches the right table. Moreover, a full-service catering service may also command an army of bartenders, who ensure that guests are never left without options or empty glasses.

Clean-Up Duties

There’s no worse feeling after a successful event than having to get on clean up duty. Fortunately, a full-service catering includes extensive wipe-down services too.

Dishes are washed and dried, silverware is buffed and polished, and the venue is left spotless — just as it was when it was first rented out.

Without this additional feature, event planners could be looking at spending a significant chunk of their budgets on janitorial staff. In many cases, without the right expertise, they may end up damaging crucial amenities at the venue.

What Full-Service Catering Includes

What to Expect With Full-Service Catering?

There are several benefits of full-service catering — especially for event planners who have their hands full dealing with multiple logistical headaches. These include:

  • A stress-free service: Planners can rest easy knowing that all crucial food and drink requirements are taken care of.
  • Beautiful displays: Full-service catering includes many aesthetic considerations. This means the team won’t just ensure food is up to the mark but also that it’s presented in an appetizing way.
  • Extra staff: When planning an event, all hands must be on deck. A full-service caterer usually offers up an army of trained staff to assist with various time-consuming tasks.
  • Planning assistance: At the same time, the caterer can take on a more managerial role, ensuring that your vision is executed according to plan.
  • Culinary expertise: Full-service catering includes a team of culinary professionals who ensure that your event has an appropriate menu. No one wants to eat pizza at a wedding, after all.
  • Flexible menus and quantities: You can choose what is typically included in full-service catering according to a headcount. This helps you reduce costs and waste, while accounting for every guest’s requirements.

At the end of the day, the biggest benefit of full service catering is that it is an all-encompassing solution. You don’t need to hire individual service staff, chefs, and clean up crews. All you need to do is reach out to a catering company and choose from what is typically included in full-service catering.

What Events Benefit From Full-Service Catering?

Because of what is typically included in full-service catering, it’s become a favorite option of event planners across the board. This is especially true for those planning events that require a great deal of professionalism, attention to detail, and expertise.

Some events that benefit from this service include:

  • Corporate events
  • Wedding parties
  • Engagement ceremonies
  • Birthday celebrations
  • Large or small community gatherings

And so much more! In fact, with the right caterer, you can turn any event from mundane to memorable — from low-key to high-profile. Of all the various benefits full-service catering includes, this guarantee is by far the biggest selling-point for event planners.

What Events Benefit From Full-Service Catering

Experience Full-Service Catering With Vivaldi Venues

At Vivaldi Venues, we know that no two events have the same requirements. That’s why our banquet halls in Glendale come with premium catering options.

Our full-service catering includes everything from menu prep and table prep to service and clean up duties. The team is made up of professionals from all walks of life who leverage their expertise to ensure guests have a good time. We take the pressure off event planners, no matter whether you’re planning an event for 100 or 500 guests.

To learn more about how full-service catering works for events or what to expect with full-service catering, don’t hesitate to contact us today.