To contact a local caterer in Miami, FL, send the quote form on this page or call Miami Catering Pros. Our service to you is free: you pay Miami Catering Pros nothing for the form or the call. We pass your request to one independent local company, which gives you the quote and does the work.
Send the quote form or call a caterer through Miami Catering Pros
The quote form on this page asks for your name, phone number, ZIP code, the service you want and the details of your event. Put the date, the guest count and the venue town in the details. Or call.
This is the one phone number for caterers in every town on this site.
Send the quote form on this page, or call: when you call, you reach our voicemail. Leave a message and we call you back within one business day.
If you call, the call begins with a short notice that it is recorded. Our privacy policy explains who hears the recording and how long it is kept.
What happens after you send the form or call
A person gets back to you within one business day and passes your request to one independent local caterer. That company talks through the menu and the price with you and, if you hire it, does the work.
- You send the form or leave a message. Give your name, number, the date, the number of guests and the kind of event, such as "a 60-guest birthday dinner in Pinecrest on a Saturday in March."
- We call you back within one business day. We connect you with a local caterer.
- We pass it to one independent local company. That company calls you, talks through the menu and the price and, if you hire it, does the work.
Service area: Miami and nearby towns in Miami-Dade County
Send the form or call about an event in any of these places:
- City of Miami: including Brickell, Wynwood, Coconut Grove, Little Havana and the Design District.
- Nearby towns: Coral Gables, South Miami, Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay and Key Biscayne.
Miami-Dade County has 34 cities, towns and villages, and event rules depend on which one your venue sits in. So give the town or ZIP code of the venue when you send the form or call, not only where you live. Key Biscayne is reached over the Rickenbacker Causeway, so tell the company if your event is on the island.
We call you back within one business day and connect you with a local caterer.
What to have ready to talk to a caterer about your event
These seven details decide the menu, the staff, the permits and the price. You do not need all of them to send the form or call, but each one you have saves a follow-up question.
Your guest count, and how firm it is
Give a number, even a rough one, and say whether it may change. Count children and vendors separately if you can. Guest count also sets the rules for a public or permitted event. The City of Miami sorts special events into small (up to 250 people), medium (251 to 1,000) and large (more than 1,000), and it wants applications at least 30 days ahead for small and medium events and 45 days for large ones. Whether your event needs a permit depends on the venue and the town, so ask your venue first.
The date, the start time and a back-up plan
Say the day, the hours of the event and how early the caterer can get in. Hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30 and peaks on September 10, so an outdoor event in that window needs a weather and rebooking plan. The South Florida rainy season runs May 15 to October 15, when 60 to 70 percent of the year's rain falls. If your event is outdoors, say so, and ask what happens to the food order if you move indoors.
The venue, and who it lets cook there
Name the venue and say whether it has a kitchen. Venues in Miami-Dade differ a lot on outside caterers:
- Vizcaya Museum and Gardens says clients may only use caterers from its approved vendor list.
- Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Coral Gables asks that all vendors, caterers included, be pre-approved by the garden.
- The Deering Estate says it is just the venue and lets wedding clients bring their own caterer.
- Venetian Pool in Coral Gables lists a warming kitchen with its basic rental.
- Miami-Dade County parks allow only registered party vendors at picnic shelters, pavilions and cabanas.
These are each venue's own published terms, and they change. Confirm with the venue before you sign with any caterer. Also ask about tents. The City of Miami asks for a fire safety permit for a tent larger than 10 by 10 feet, and the county's short-term events page lists tents larger than 10 by 12 feet. Your venue or town can tell you which rule applies.
The kind of service you want
Say whether you want food dropped off, or a team on site to set up, serve and clean up. Say whether it is a buffet, plated dinner or stations. For parties, weddings and office events, see event catering. For a smoker, a grill or a food truck, see BBQ catering. If you want meals cooked for your family or a dinner at home, see personal chef service.
For a food truck or cart, ask the company where it will park and what it needs from the venue. Florida law keeps food truck licensing at the state level, but local governments keep control over how the vehicles operate.
For a personal chef, the trade association APPCA says the chef usually cooks in your kitchen and brings the food, pots, pans and utensils, and that the work can take several hours. It also says the meals can need a lot of freezer space, so check yours. Perishable food should go into the fridge within two hours of serving, or within one hour when it is above 90 F.
Diets and allergies
List every diet and allergy in the group, with the number of guests for each. The FDA names nine major food allergens: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame. Tell the caterer about any of these before the menu is set, and ask how the kitchen keeps those dishes apart. Kosher, halal, vegan and gluten-free needs belong on the list too.
Drinks and alcohol
Say whether you want bar service or plan to supply your own drinks, and whether the venue allows alcohol. Florida law does not let anyone serve alcohol to a person under 21. A caterer with a caterer alcohol license may serve alcohol only for use at the catered event where it also provides prepared food, so ask the company how it handles the bar. At licensed places, alcohol sales and service also cannot run between midnight and 7 a.m., unless a local ordinance says otherwise.
Your budget, and how you want it quoted
Give the number you are comfortable with and say whether it is a total or a price per person. Ask each company how it prices, for example per entree or per serving for a personal chef, and what the price includes: food, staff, rentals, delivery and cleanup. Ask for service charges, setup fees and gratuity to be listed on separate lines. In Florida, service and setup charges tied to serving food are part of the taxable price, and a gratuity is taxable unless it is shown separately and the seller gets no benefit from it (Rule 12A-1.0115).
Questions about getting a quote
Does the referral cost me anything?
No. Sending the form or calling Miami Catering Pros is free for you, and the caterer you are connected with may pay us for the referral. Ask that caterer whether a tasting or a venue walk-through costs anything.
How do I talk to a caterer about my event?
Send the quote form on this page or call, and have the seven details above in front of you. Even a short form entry or voicemail with the date, the guest count and the venue town lets a company tell you quickly whether it can take the event.
How fast will I hear back?
A person answers every form and message within one business day and connects you with a local caterer.
Put the event date, the guest count and the venue town in the form or in your message. We call you back within one business day and connect you with a local caterer.
How far ahead should I send the form or call?
Send the form or call as soon as you know the date and the venue. Some venues need vendor approval and proof of insurance first. Fairchild, for example, asks for a vendor's certificate of insurance within two weeks of the event, and a first-time vendor must visit the site 30 days ahead. Coral Gables asks for its special event application at least four weeks before an event that needs one.
Can I ask about a small event or a dinner for two?
Yes. Say how many people you are feeding. A personal chef is one option for a small dinner (see personal chef service).
Can I send the form or call if my event is next week?
You can. Say the date first. Whether a company can take a short-notice event depends on its calendar and the size of the order.
What should I ask the company I am connected with?
Ask what the price covers, who sets up and cleans up, how it handles your allergies, what happens if the guest count changes and what its deposit and cancellation terms are. Ask whether it has worked at your venue before.
Does Miami Catering Pros cook or serve the food?
No. Miami Catering Pros is a referral service. The independent company you are connected with prepares and serves the food and agrees on the price with you.
Who does the work
Miami Catering Pros is a referral service operated by R&S. We pass your request to an independent local company, which does the work.
Miami Catering Pros does not cook, serve or deliver food. The company you are connected with agrees on the menu and the price with you.
To start, send the quote form on this page, or call.