Event Catering in Miami, FL

What an event caterer handles

A caterer's work runs from the first menu draft to the last tray carried out. Seven jobs sit inside that, and each service level covers a different number of them.

• Menu planning. Dishes, portion counts and any custom or diet-specific items.
• Cooking. In the caterer's kitchen, on site, or both. Ask which, because it changes how the food travels and what the venue must supply.
• Delivery. Getting the food to the venue on time and at a safe temperature.
• Setup. Buffet tables, warming units, displays and serving gear.
• Service. Staff who serve, pass food, refill the buffet and clear plates.
• Bar. Bartenders, ice, glassware and mixers, where the caterer offers them.
• Cleanup. The food areas, the trash and packing out the gear.

Names for the levels vary. Bite Catering in Los Angeles describes four tiers and Sweet Baby Ray's Catering near Chicago describes three. Compare what each quote includes, not what the level is called.

Service levels: from pickup to full service catering

The table lays out the levels as published sources describe them. None of the examples is a Miami caterer.

Catering delivery and catering pickup

Catering delivery puts the food at your door and leaves. Catering pickup puts the trip on you. Food For Thought asks for 48 hours on drop-off orders, and a Miami cafe group's catering page states 24 hours' notice. Ask who is responsible for food temperature once it leaves the caterer's hands, and get the delivery window and its charge in writing.

Drop off catering

Drop off catering is delivery with a plan: the food arrives in trays or pans, the caterer leaves it with you. You set up the buffet, as Sweet Baby Ray's describes its drop-off level, and you bring the serving utensils if the quote leaves them out, as Bear Pit BBQ says for its buffets. Someone also has to keep the buffet tidy. A full-service New York caterer says it does no drop-off at all, so a company can be strong at events and still decline an office lunch. Ask for the reheating and holding plan.

Drop-off with setup and a buffet attendant

This middle level adds warming units, and Sweet Baby Ray's lists a buffet attendant as an option on its set-up level. Ask what the attendant does and for how many hours.

Full service catering and the full service caterer

A full service caterer takes the whole job: menu, cooking, delivery, setup, serving, the bar if offered, and cleanup. Ask which level fits a wedding, gala or seated dinner. Staff hours and rentals are added to the food cost at this level; Bite says staffing and rentals come on top of its food prices. Basic drop-off ends when the food is delivered. Full service continues until the room is clean. If two quotes differ by a large amount, check first whether one leaves out the staff, and ask for staff by role with arrival and departure times.

Experiential and high-end catering

Bite's top tier adds production, theatrical elements and specialty ingredients. Bite describes its price ranges for the tiers as guidance, not offers. Treat any figure given before a written proposal the same way.

Service styles and how they change cost and staffing

Style is how the food reaches the guest. It changes the staff count, the rentals and the timeline of the evening.

Buffet catering

Guests walk the line and serve themselves. Sweet Baby Ray's calls buffet its most cost-effective style. Ask how many lines the caterer will open for your guest count.

Plated dinner catering

Servers bring each course to seated guests. Ask how many servers the caterer plans per course. Settle the entree choices and the deadline for guest selections before you sign.

Family style catering

Shared platters go to each table and guests pass them. Sweet Baby Ray's calls family style its highest-end style. Ask what drives the difference in your quote: platters, serving pieces or staff.

Food station catering

Bite lists action stations as a format. Ask how many stations and cooks the caterer plans for your guest count, and what power and water the venue must provide.

Cocktail party catering and hors d'oeuvres catering

Cocktail party catering uses small bites, often passed on trays by servers. Bite lists tray-passed service as a format and says about 13 to 15 bites can stand in for a meal. Use that as a test for any hors d'oeuvres catering proposal: count the bites per person and ask whether guests will eat dinner afterward. If the party is the dinner, the bite count must rise, and so must the staff who pass them.

Displays and grazing tables

Bite lists displays as a format. It needs setup and refilling, so ask how many servers stay with the display. In Miami heat the question is how long the display can sit out; the temperature limits are in the heat section below.

Boxed lunch catering

Each person gets an individual packed meal. Bite's FAQ page lists corporate boxed lunches from about $15 per person (page read Oct 23, 2026; confirm the figure with the company). Ask what goes in the box, whether drinks are included, and how special diets are marked.

Event catering cost: how caterers charge

Catering cost per person and other ways caterers charge

Caterers use five billing methods, and one quote may mix several.

• Per person. Bite's FAQ page lists food at about $20 to $100 or more per person, with staffing and rentals extra (page read Oct 23, 2026; confirm with the company). Food For Thought prices its drop-off lunches per person.
• Package. A set menu and service for a set guest count, such as Bear Pit BBQ's party packages for 25 and 50 guests.
• A la carte or by the unit. Platters, pans or pounds. Food For Thought sells party platters, and Smoque BBQ in Chicago prices smoked meats by the pound.
• Staff by the shift. Food For Thought lists $225 per server, with a 5-hour minimum.
• Flat fees. Delivery, setup or equipment. Smoque lists $60 for delivery with buffet setup inside 10 miles.

When someone asks how much catering costs per person, the honest answer is that the food line alone can swing several times over, and staff and rentals come on top. That is why a quote should show each line, not one total.

Catering prices from published menus in other cities

No Miami event-catering page we read publishes prices, minimums or deposits. The figures below are single companies' published terms in other cities. They show the structure of a quote. They are not a Miami market range and not what any Miami company charges.

Read the table as a map of what appears on a bill. A New York drop-off lunch at the Silver price and the 20-person minimum is 20 times $18.95, or $379 of food, before delivery, tax and the card charge. At the Buffet Lunch price it is $599.

How much does catering cost per person for weddings?

The Knot's $80 average per plate is a national figure for 2024 weddings. It is one average, not a range, and we did not find what the plate includes. A Miami wedding quote may land well above or below it depending on style, staff, rentals and the venue.

Catering quote, catering estimate and request a catering proposal

A catering estimate is a rough number. A catering quote or proposal is the caterer's written plan and price for your date. To request a catering proposal, send the quote form on this page or call, and have ready the date, guest count, venue and its town, the service level and style, a target spend per person and any diet needs. Ask when you will get it. Sweet Baby Ray's says a proposal comes 24 to 72 hours after its request form.

What moves the price

• Guest count. More guests raise the food line, while fixed costs such as delivery spread out.
• Menu. Ask which dishes carry most of the per-person price and what swaps would lower it.
• Service level and style. Staff and rentals are extra to the food line, so ask for them as separate lines.
• Staff hours. Count setup before guests arrive and cleanup after (see the staff section).
• Rentals. Tables, chairs, linens, plates, glassware and chafing dishes.
• Travel and access. Distance, parking, loading and stairs. Some caterers bill mileage, as Smoque does.
• Date. Food For Thought charges extra for weekend delivery. Bite says peak seasons carry themed menus with reduced minimums.

Fees, tax and gratuity

Ask for every add-on in dollars or percent before you compare two quotes.

• Service charge or administrative fee. A percentage on top of food. Dinosaur Bar-B-Que lists 10% on delivery and 15% on drop-off with servers. It is not always a tip.
• Delivery charge. A flat fee or by mileage.
• Card fee. Food For Thought adds 4% for credit cards.
• Gratuity. Ask whether it is included and who receives it.
• Cancellation charge. Food For Thought charges 50% when an order is cancelled less than 24 hours ahead.

Florida's sales tax rule reaches many of these lines. Under Rule 12A-1.0115 of the Florida Administrative Code, a gratuity charged to the customer is part of the taxable sales price unless it is separately stated on the receipt and the seller gets no monetary benefit from it. The rule also treats service, minimum, corkage and setup charges imposed by a restaurant or similar business as taxable when they are part of furnishing, serving or preparing food. It places a caterer's sales premises at the place where the meal is served. The Florida Department of Revenue says the county surtax runs from 0.5% to 2% depending on the county. We did not confirm the Miami-Dade rate, so ask the caterer to show the tax line and its rate.

Minimums

A minimum is the least a caterer will take, in dollars or in guests. Guest-count minimums and order minimums by service level differ from one company to the next.

• Food For Thought: 20 people on its Silver and Buffet Lunch drop-offs.
• Sweet Baby Ray's lists a minimum spend of $450 to $600 when food is dropped off and set up, and the figure changes by area (checked Oct 23, 2026). Its full-service events showed no minimum at that time.
• Dinosaur Bar-B-Que: 10 guests for delivery and 35 for drop-off with servers.
• Hutchins BBQ in Texas: 75 people for its Ultimate BBQ Experience (on-site pitmaster), and 20 people or $650 for delivery.
• Bite: its lighter bites menus suit about 20 to 200 guests, and smaller parties may meet minimums.

Full service can carry a higher guest minimum or none at all, depending on the company. Ask for the minimum at the service level you want, and whether a short order pays a fee to reach it. For a small dinner party, that one answer can decide which companies can quote you.

Events caterers serve

Wedding catering and rehearsal dinner catering

Wedding catering is the longest planning job on this page. Sweet Baby Ray's says to sign a wedding date 6 to 12 months ahead, or shorter if the date is open. Venue rules come first, since several Miami venues control which caterers may work there (see the venue section). One Miami caterer's wedding page lists rehearsal dinners, bridal showers, a post-wedding brunch, destination weddings and live grilling among the occasions it covers. For rehearsal dinner catering, ask whether the same company will quote it with the reception.

Ask who cuts and serves the cake. Sweet Baby Ray's says it cuts and serves a client's cake at no charge, but does not bake wedding cakes. Another caterer may charge for this.

Corporate catering, corporate event catering and office catering

Corporate catering covers meetings, trainings, client lunches and company events. Office catering can fit the drop-off levels, because nobody needs to stay. Bite says corporate lunches run about 1 to 2 hours and corporate dinners 2 to 4 hours or more, which helps you estimate staff time for a larger corporate event catering job. Ask for individually labeled meals if the group has mixed diets, and who will meet the delivery driver at the building.

Breakfast catering, brunch catering and boxed lunches

Morning events need an early delivery window. Bite lists breakfast and brunch among its food types. Check whether hot items arrive hot or need reheating, and whether coffee comes with cups and creamers.

Private party catering, party catering and social event catering

Social event catering covers the events people host for family and friends. Party catering at home often means drop-off with a buffet attendant, or a cocktail party built on passed bites. A park pavilion limits who may cater; ask any venue what kitchen and outside-food rules apply.

• Birthday party catering. Ask about child portions and a cake plan.
• Graduation party catering. Ask how the caterer handles a guest count that moves up to the final-count deadline.
• Holiday party catering. Bite supplements its delivery menu for holidays. Ask when holiday menus and order cutoffs are set.
• Showers, memorials and watch parties. If notice is short, see the booking section for what is realistic.

Galas, fundraisers and brand activations

These events run on a schedule and a head count. They need a clear load-in time, a floor plan, a staff plan and a contact on site. Ask whether the caterer has worked the venue before. For weddings at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, a vendor that has not worked there before must schedule a site visit 30 days ahead. Ask any venue what it requires of a new vendor.

Quinceañeras, boat days and Latin menus

If your event is a quinceañera, a day on a boat or a party built around a Cuban or other Latin menu, say so in the form's details or on the first call. Ask whether the caterer has cooked that menu for events like yours and what the vessel or marina allows for outside food. A quinceañera also brings guests under 21, which matters for the bar: Florida law bars serving alcohol to anyone under 21 (s. 562.11, F.S.), so ask how the caterer keeps the bar apart from younger guests.

Menus: sample and themed menus, custom menus, cuisines, seasonal menus and tastings

A caterer's menu may be fixed or built for you. Ask for a sample menu with the price per person before you ask for changes. Bite describes seasonal menus: a recipe collection that changes with the season, not fixed packages. It also says peak seasons carry themed menus with reduced minimums. Bite describes a consultation about your purpose before it builds a menu. On cuisines, one Miami caterer's wedding page lists signature menus such as an Argentine parrillada and surf and turf, plus live grilling, so menus in this market reach beyond standard buffet fare.

Catering packages are the fixed version: a named menu at a set per-person price with set service. They are easier to compare than custom work, but check what each leaves out. A package that omits staff, rentals or the bar is not a package for a full-service event.

Tastings differ by company. Bite says custom tastings are charged. Sweet Baby Ray's offers a tasting after a custom proposal for a full-service event. Ask whether the tasting fee is credited to your bill and how many people may attend.

Can a caterer accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies?

Often yes, within limits that each caterer sets. Sweet Baby Ray's says it can handle dietary restrictions. Bite says it serves halal, vegan, gluten-free and paleo diets, arranges kosher through partners, and offers mixed-diet options. One New York caterer lists kosher glatt service as a call-for-quote item. If kosher matters, ask whether the menu is kosher-style or certified kosher, how it is labeled, and what proof the caterer can show.

Ask which of these the caterer handles: vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free or dairy-free menus. Ask for the answer to each in writing, since a dish that is safe for one diet may not suit another.

Allergies need a stricter conversation than preferences. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology says eating at a catered event is less in the guest's control than eating at a restaurant. It advises planners to ask early whether guests have allergies, and says caterers need allergy protocols and training and should know their ingredients well enough to label food accurately. Ask:

• How will you handle labeling for each dish?
• How do you prevent cross-contact in the kitchen and at the buffet?
• Who on the event staff knows the allergen list?
• Will serving utensils stay with their dishes?

Bite's FAQ is a good model of honest wording: it says it is not an allergy specialist and that cross-contact is possible. A caterer that tells you plainly what it cannot promise is easier to trust than one that promises everything.

Staffing: servers, bartenders, chefs, event captains and arrival times

Staff-to-guest planning

Event staff include servers, bartenders, chefs or cooks and an event captain, the lead who runs the floor. Food For Thought lists $225 per server with a 5-hour minimum. We found no published staff-to-guest ratio from a Miami caterer, so staff-to-guest planning starts with your questions: ask for the number of servers and bartenders for your guest count, in writing, with their hours.

Arrival and setup times

Sweet Baby Ray's staff arrive about 2 hours before guests and stay about 1 hour after. If a caterer follows that pattern, a 3-hour party means about 6 hours on the clock, so a short party can still carry a long staff bill. Ask for arrival and setup times in writing.

Bite says it does not supply servers when it is not catering the food. A plan to hire servers from one company and food from another needs a yes from both.

Servers and bartenders for events

Ask whether bartenders are in the quote or billed on their own, and whether they pour for the whole event or stop when the toast ends. For a plated dinner, ask how many servers handle the toast and the dessert course, since those moments need the most hands.

Bar and beverages: bar service and bringing your own alcohol

Do not assume a caterer can pour. Ask whether the caterer offers non-alcoholic packages for guests who do not drink. Then ask whether it holds Florida's caterer alcohol license or whether you buy the alcohol and it supplies only staff, ice and glasses. Florida's rule for that license limits a caterer to selling or serving alcohol at a catered event where it also provides prepared food. The caterer must buy alcohol from a licensed vendor, may not store alcohol for catered events, and must earn at least 51 percent of its gross food and beverage revenue at each event from food and non-alcoholic drinks. It must also keep a catered event form (BLE-202) and have its contract, the customer's name, the event location and dates and the on-site representative's identity available for inspection at the event.

• Sweet Baby Ray's discounts its bar staff, ice, garnishes and disposables if you buy the liquor yourself.
• Another full-service New York caterer says clients may provide their own beverages and alcohol. When you are bringing your own alcohol, ask what the caterer then supplies: staff, ice, glasses or mixers.
• Bite uses a hosted bar, not a cash bar, and says cash bars cause lines and liability problems. It also says lunches often limit alcohol.

Section 562.11 bars serving alcohol to anyone under 21. Section 562.14 bars selling or serving alcohol at licensed places between midnight and 7 a.m., unless a county or municipal rule says otherwise. Venues add their own rules, covered below.

Rentals, plates, utensils, setup and cleanup

Do caterers provide plates and utensils?

Sometimes. Drop-off quotes may include disposable plates and utensils or leave them out. Sweet Baby Ray's arranges tableware, glassware and linens through rental vendors, and Bite arranges rentals separately for full service. Bear Pit BBQ says the host supplies serving utensils for its buffets. Ask what is in the price, not whether the caterer usually does it.

Do caterers handle setup and cleanup?

At full service, yes, and the quote should name the hours. Sweet Baby Ray's staff stay about 1 hour after the guests leave, until the space is clean. At drop-off levels, cleanup is yours unless the quote says otherwise. Smoque BBQ charges $15 for each full-size chafing set, which shows that even warming gear can appear on the bill.

Other extras

Tables, chairs and linens are rented through the caterer or a rental company. Food For Thought lists rentals, staffing and table decor among its extra services, and Sweet Baby Ray's says extra fees may apply if you place your own decor. Tents are covered in the permit section below, and cake cutting in the wedding section above.

Booking: how far ahead should I book a caterer?

It depends on the job. The published timelines below come from other cities and a Miami cafe group. They are not Miami norms, so use them to frame questions.

• Drop-off and pickup. Food For Thought asks for 48 hours. A Miami cafe group states 24 hours. For a large drop-off order, planning weeks ahead leaves room.
• Parties and corporate events. One New York caterer suggests one to two months.
• Months for weddings. Sweet Baby Ray's says 6 to 12 months, or shorter if the date is open.
• Proposal turnaround. Sweet Baby Ray's says it sends one in 24 to 72 hours.

Same day catering and last-minute orders

Food For Thought says it takes same-day orders when it can, asks about 48 hours for drop-off and as much notice as possible for full service. For last-minute orders, send the quote form or call early in the day, name the guest count and the venue, and ask what the kitchen can finish in the time left, whether the menu is limited and whether a rush charge applies.

Deposits, final guest count deadline and cancellation terms

Terms in the sources vary. Hutchins BBQ in Texas lists a 50% non-refundable deposit. Food For Thought charges 50% on a cancellation under 24 hours. No Miami event-catering page we read gave a final guest count date or deposit terms, so ask for both, along with what happens if your count drops after it, when each payment is due and what is refundable. Ask for the cancellation terms in the contract, with a hurricane clause.

From inquiry to event day

Bite describes a seven-step path for its own jobs. It is a useful outline for any event catering job.

1. Inquiry. You get in touch.
2. Consultation. Bite starts with your purpose.
3. Options. The caterer maps out menu options.
4. Save the date. You book.
5. Pre-event planning. The caterer coordinates with planners and rental companies.
6. Event day. The event itself.
7. Follow-up. A check-in after the event.

Our advice, not Bite's: in your first message, give the date, guest count, venue town, style and budget per person. Before you sign, ask what the contract, tasting and deposit terms are. Before event day, confirm the final count and the venue's rules in writing, and ask the contract to name arrival, service and cleanup hours.

Miami Catering Pros does not take part in these steps. We take your request and connect you with a local company, and the contract is between you and that company.

How to choose and compare caterers

An event catering company earns your business by being clear. Compare the same event on the same terms, using three checks: what a complete quote shows, the questions to ask and the red flags.

What a complete quote shows

• Date, start and end times, venue and its town.
• Guest count, with the final-count deadline and what happens after it.
• Service level and style, spelled out in tasks.
• Menu with per-person food cost.
• Staff by role, the hours and the cost of each role.
• Rentals, bar, delivery, setup and cleanup.
• Service charge, gratuity, card fee and tax, each as a line.
• Deposit, payment dates, cancellation terms and a weather or hurricane clause.
• State license status and a certificate of insurance.

Questions to ask every caterer

1. Which Miami-Dade venues have you worked, and which cities' event rules have you handled?
2. Have you worked at my venue? What does the venue require of you?
3. What is the minimum for my service level?
4. What is your delivery area, and do you charge by mileage?
5. Who is on site, and who is the lead if something goes wrong?
6. What happens if the guest count or menu changes at the last minute?
7. How do you handle leftovers?

Red flags

• A single total with no lines.
• No clear answer about the state license.
• A promise that a menu is free of every allergen.
• No answer on who holds the alcohol license.
• No written weather plan for an outdoor date.
• Pressure to pay a large non-refundable sum before you see a contract.

Venues, permits and outdoor events in Miami-Dade

Ask which city the venue is in

Miami-Dade County has 34 incorporated municipalities. Your venue's location decides who sets the event rules, so a rule that applies in the City of Miami may not apply in Coral Gables, Pinecrest or Palmetto Bay. Whether a private party in a hired room needs a city permit was not confirmed for each city, so ask the venue and the caterer who files what, in writing.

Venues that control the caterer

These rules come from the venues' own pages, read on October 23, 2026. They can change.

• Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. Clients may only use caterers, planners and vendors from its Approved Vendor List. Confirm vendors with Vizcaya's rental department before you sign. Vizcaya issues no catering permit to a company that is not an approved vendor.
• Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. For weddings you choose your caterer, but all vendors must be pre-approved by the garden. Weddings in its Glasshouse Cafe space must use the in-house caterer. Caterers must carry general liability insurance and give the garden a certificate of insurance within two weeks of the event. Host liquor liability must be included if applicable.
• Deering Estate. It calls itself just the venue and lets wedding clients bring their own caterers. A Resource Guide lists caterers that have worked there. Music stops at 11:00 pm and guests leave by 11:30 pm. A tent requires notifying the Special Events Coordinator three days ahead.
• Venetian Pool, Coral Gables. The city lists a basic rental of $2,400 that includes a warming kitchen. The pool is available 5 to 10 pm Monday to Saturday, with setup from 3:30 pm. The renter must hire two off-duty Coral Gables police officers, and alcohol needs prior approval from the department director. Companies must carry $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate commercial general liability.
• Miami-Dade County parks. The parks page says registered party vendors are the only vendors allowed for parties at department picnic shelters, pavilions and cabanas. Ask whether your caterer is registered. Picnic alcohol may be consumed only at picnic shelter areas or areas the director designates, and cooking is limited to an approved grill. County pages list shelter fees at Matheson Hammock Park that differ from page to page, so confirm the fee with the park.

If your venue is not on a list, ask whether outside caterers are allowed at all. Sweet Baby Ray's says it works at outside venues if the venue allows outside caterers and the site is in its service area. We could not read the Biltmore's or Pinecrest Gardens' caterer rules, so ask them directly.

Permits and tents

Rules differ for a public event, a ticketed event and a private party at a rented space.

• City of Miami special events. The city defines special events by size: small up to 250 people, medium 251 to 1,000, large over 1,000. Applications are due at least 30 days ahead for small and medium events and 45 days for large ones, and late ones pay double. The fee is $250 for up to 1,000 attendees and $500 above. A for-profit event selling anything, food and drink included, needs a Business Tax Receipt. An event with cooking must show the kitchen in the site plan, and serving alcohol needs a copy of an active liquor license with the application.
• Tents. The City of Miami says a tent larger than 10 by 10 needs a fire safety permit. Miami-Dade's short-term events page says tents 10 by 12 or smaller need no building permit, while its parks page calls for a Short Term Event permit for tents 10 by 12 or larger. For exactly 10 by 12, ask the park or the county. Miami-Dade's assembly rules add tent safety items such as fire watch for tents holding 300 or more; confirm whether they apply to a catered tent.
• Temporary food events. For an event with several food vendors, the sponsor must tell the state's hotels and restaurants division at least three business days ahead, and vendors are licensed on site after an inspection. The state's 2020 guide lists license fees of $91 for 1 to 3 days and $105 for 4 to 30 days; confirm the current fees.

Ask your caterer whether it has worked under the same permit type before, and who files each form.

Heat, rain and hurricane season

The National Weather Service puts the South Florida rainy season at May 15 to October 15. Its summer description gives daily highs in the upper 80s and lows in the middle 70s, and says showers and thunderstorms are almost a daily occurrence in summer. The Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30. The National Hurricane Center puts its peak at September 10, with most activity from mid-August to mid-October.

For food, the clock matters more than the calendar. The University of Florida's extension office in Broward County says perishable foods left at room temperature longer than 2 hours should be discarded, and after 1 hour when the temperature is over 90 F. It gives cold foods at 40 F or below and hot foods at 140 F or above. Florida's guide for temporary food events gives 135 F or above for hot food and 41 F or below for cold food, and cooked poultry at 165 F or higher. The extension numbers (140 F and 40 F) and the state temporary-event numbers (135 F and 41 F) differ, so ask the caterer which limits it holds food to and how it checks them.

What to ask:

• How will you keep cold food at or below the limit during a 3-hour outdoor buffet?
• What is the plan for a rain shower mid-event: a tent, a covered buffet or a move indoors?
• Does the quote include a thermometer check, and who does it?
• If a tropical system moves in, is there a rebooking right, or is the deposit lost?

Venue terms show the risk. Fairchild's wedding deposit is refundable for up to 10 days after signing, less a $100 fee, and the balance is due 14 days before the ceremony and is non-refundable. A Miami cafe group's catering page says its catering orders are non-refundable. If your date falls in hurricane season (June 1 to November 30), ask for a written weather and rescheduling clause before you pay a deposit.

Insurance and licensing questions to ask a caterer

Florida requires a state license for catering businesses. Florida Statutes s. 509.013 treats a place that prepares food at one location for delivery and eating at another as a public food service establishment, and s. 509.241 requires each one to hold a license from the Division of Hotels and Restaurants. Operating without a license is a second-degree misdemeanor, and the division can fine up to $1,000 per offense under s. 509.261.

Ask each caterer about its state license before you sign, and confirm it with the division. A company that cannot answer in a sentence is one to compare against others. Rule 61C-4.023 requires managers responsible for storing, preparing, displaying and serving food to hold a division-approved food protection manager certificate, valid five years. Section 509.049 requires food service employees to receive food safety training within 60 days after employment. Ask who the certified manager is for your event and how event staff are trained.

Venues ask for proof of insurance, so request a certificate of insurance for venues that list requirements. Fairchild requires general liability coverage and a certificate within two weeks of the event, and Venetian Pool lists $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate. Ask each caterer for its certificate of insurance, and send it the venue's requirements first so the policy and the venue's list match.

The nine major food allergens

The FDA lists nine major food allergens in the United States: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame. A CDC survey of restaurants (not caterers) found that fewer than half of staff reported allergy training. Tell the caterer about any allergy before the menu is set.

Leftovers: what happens to extra food

Decide what happens to extra food before the event, and who owns the leftovers. Ask the venue and the caterer whether food may leave the building, and who owns it afterward. The University of Florida's extension office, citing USDA guidance, advises refrigerating perishable leftovers within 2 hours of serving, or within 1 hour above 90 F. It says to store them in small, shallow containers, eat them within four days and reheat to at least 165 F as measured by a food thermometer. Food you will not eat in that window can be frozen. In Miami heat, have containers and a cooler ready before the last guest leaves.

Event catering FAQ

How to request an event catering quote

Send the quote form on this page, or call. Put your date, guest count, venue town, service level and any diet needs in the details. You pay Miami Catering Pros nothing for the form or the call.

Send the quote form on this page, or call and leave a message. We call you back within one business day and connect you with a local event catering company.

Call (804) 889-2677 with the same details.

If the event is a dinner in your own home, a personal chef may fit better than a catering crew. For smoked meats and cookouts, see BBQ catering. To see how a request is handled, see the contact page.