Drop off and full catering question
 

If you provide drop off service, do you charge extra for setting up or use of your equiptment such as chafers, utensils etc. Last couple of drop of services we had we ended up allowing them to use our equiptment and utensils as well as setting it up for them.
Just wanted to see what you have found to be the expectations on this or what you do if you provide drop off service. Thanks in advance!

My drop service is just that. From my Cambro to their warmers. Sign the release, then you're off!

To me, setting up chafers, and setting food out is a buffet service, andf will be charged accordingly.

We price it served. Drop off only saves 5%.

For partys of 30 or less we charge extra for full set up. Otherwise we drop it off hot in disposable containers and ready to eat.

We charge more for setup and equipment rental since I started 'loosing' stuff. Plus I never trust the customer to wash my equipment to my standards so I end up doing it over.

I've thought about providing those cheap, disposable wire rack chaffing kits from Smart and Final with a drop-off service.

Thats what I have been using for those who don't have anything of their own to use.

If your providing set-up, chafers and utensils, it's not really a drop off is it?

For jobs like these, we price in the disposable chaffers from RD or GFS and plastic serving spoons, drop that and their on their own. :biggrin:

Yea you have to charge for it

What he said - Dropoff is dropoff, basically curbside delivery, signed and collected for. We do include reheating instructions on request.

Thanks for the follow up answers on this. I explained all this to my wife and we will be changing what we have done for drop off service and charge accordingly!

We drop off hot, unless otherwise requested. We use only wire chafers with cloth skirts when we serve.

We do mostly what was said above. Drop off in aluminum pans, include cheap serving utensils they can keep. Great way to handle small groups and they can save $$$. I really don't want to set up our buffet for groups under 50. If they want us to serve it they have to pay what it would cost for 50 minimum.

Yeah, we have to deliver at 140 for hot items based on HD code.