Industry Overview
With over 40 years of culinary experience, I have developed all of my original recipes.
Achieving success in the catering industry requires strong leadership, skilled staff, solid organizational abilities, significant investment in equipment, and proper licensing and insurance.
From my experience with vendors and industry contacts, the catering industry in northern Michigan seems deeply dysfunctional and under significant pressure.
Nearly 80% of catering companies in Northern Michigan operate without proper health department licenses. If your caterer is not forthcoming, you can verify its status with your county health department.
If a guest or catering staff member is harmed by foodborne illness, an accident, or an untrained bartender who does not follow best practices, and lacks insurance coverage, the host or property owner may be held liable.
Over half of the caterers featured on venues’ preferred vendor lists do not have adequate licensing or insurance, which raises the likelihood of legal action
Venues should always require proof of a health department license, general liability insurance, workers’ compensation coverage, and liquor liability coverage.
It’s wise to be cautious when considering caterers who request deposits greater than 25%. This is because many companies go out of business, leaving clients unable to recover their deposits. Often, customers only discover the company has closed when they try to contact them a few weeks or months before their event.
Each year, I book five or more catering events from clients whose original caterers have gone out of business or were never legitimate businesses in the first place.
Online reviews are not an accurate measure of the catering industry, and I find that type of advertising disappointing.
Factors such as foodborne illness, supply shortages, unprofessional conduct among staff, billing discrepancies, theft, and the swift removal of negative feedback can all contribute to five-star ratings that do not fully represent actual service quality.
Many clients hire a caterer only once in their lifetime, so they often have little basis for comparison. This is not an apples-to-apples industry.
A common industry practice is to sell food packages that do not provide enough to satisfy the group, which is especially problematic when alcohol is served.
Reach out to your venues, photographers, DJs, rental companies, coordinators, and friends to get their suggestions.
Since emails can be legally binding, ask for a quote before hiring a caterer to prevent misunderstandings.
I first provide a guaranteed written quote and only collect a deposit after reviewing it by phone, so the client clearly understands the service.
The caterer may not be able to make enough meals at the time you need. For example, if you want dinner at 5:30 pm but book a food truck that takes two hours to serve 100 people, or if your caterer is inexperienced with big events and doesn’t bring enough food, you could face delays.
Ask how long it will take to serve all guests so your event stays on schedule. Make sure the caterer can accommodate your group size.
Operationally, my current equipment inventory enables production capacity exceeding 2,000 meals. I prioritize reinvestment in my operations, focusing on acquiring new equipment, ensuring regular maintenance, and securing backup resources.
Keeping all your emails on file can be helpful for future reference when planning an event. If your caterer fails to reply to your messages, take it as a potential red flag.
I send an updated confirmation letter with the new date to each client within one day of their contact.
I schedule only one event per day to provide each client with my undivided attention, ensuring a superior level of service.
Every dish is prepared personally in my kitchen, and I oversee all aspects of service during your event.
Nothing is more disappointing than businesses that overpromise and underdeliver, regardless of whether you hire me.
I hope this is helpful.
Larry Burdek
Chefs Pride Catering Inc.