How do you deal with kids?

[HBMTN]

Originally Posted by Bamabuzzard

I assume you do this so you won't run the risk of the little kids not eating the food provided for them and begin eating the food that your catered but didn't charge for them to eat?

Not at all, I don't allow other food prepared by a non caterer to be served at an event that I am catering due to liability. If Uncle Joe's Cole Slaw gets half the crowd sick who's going to get the blame and sued - the caterer. Also the couple times that I have allowed it the client would put their food out and then not maintain it. I had an instance where the lady wanted to do her own garden salad and I allowed it. She placed it near our buffet table and then went off drinking and talking with her guests and the salad bowl went dry and a little old lady gave me an a$$ chewing and told me I was not doing a good job keep the salad replenished. I explained that we did not do the salad and it hit me that nobody there knew this and all guests would assume we were slacking. Next thing you have 100's of people telling everyone how bad we did keeping food on the buffet so this is the other reason we don't allow other food at events we cater. If they instist then I will only do a drop off.

[bigdogphin]

Originally Posted by HBMTN

My policy is children under 8 years old are half price, that said if I'm catering for 100 people and there is 4 little ones there I don't charge at all. If a client told me not to worry about the kids that there would be hotdogs and stuff there for them I would tell them to re-read the catering agreement which states no other food can be served at events we are catering and if they would like hotdogs I could add them to what we are catering.

In your case here you had 20 kids it sounds like, and after they load plates with way more than they will eat and spill it on the way to set down your costs can run up. I would have charge half price for the kids and told the client I would cook 2 dozen hotdogs for the little kids at no extra charge but they would be billed half price. At least this way you get them in your food figures and break even on them vs feeding 20 kids on your dollars.

This!

[landarc]

In food service, outside food never benefits you. Whether it is the liability issue, or the issue with the food being assigned to you, even if you didn't cook or prepare it, it always is a bad deal. At best, neutral, but usually bad.

As for the hot dog issue, I have made that mistake for the last time, again. Kids will generally find something to eat that they like, if I am asked to prepare hot dogs, I will, but, as an additional item, not a substitute. How do you tell a kid or parent that their kid gets a hot dog, when the kid is pitching a fit to get BBQ. That is never going to end well for the vendor.

I also do not allow for picky eaters at events. I will allow for vegetarians, vegans, whatever if they tell me up front. But, if a kid is just having an issue with what is available, because they 'don't like the food'... That is not my issue.

[PorkQBBQ]

Originally Posted by TailGateJoecom

Right, that's my point, you have to price for everyone there when charging per head. Sadly, I have also been finding that people increasingly are lying about the amount of guests.

Also, when doing discount pricing for kids, I find they may eat less, but waste a lot more. I did a kid's tailgate party where I just kept throwing away opened but undrank soda cans, and half eaten plates of food. They also tend to break stuff. A group of them were opening bags of chips and dumping them into the soda coolers and then broke the tops off the coolers, expensive marine coolers.

Sounds like a bunch of Gremlins or a Bad dream! LOL... I feel for you. I can visualize this... Funny, Sad, but, True. Unless you were at one of my parties!

[Fishin4bass723]

[quote=HBMTN;2867074] If a client told me not to worry about the kids that there would be hotdogs and stuff there for them I would tell them to re-read the catering agreement which states no other food can be served at events we are catering and if they would like hotdogs I could add them to what we are catering.

QUOTE]

Originally Posted by tuPatrón

thats a smart policy. Any chance you might forward me a copy of your agreement?

I would also like to see that agreement I am going to do a couple of catering events this summer and would like to plan in advance. and this is a policy I can live by.

[luke duke]

This happens to me when I host parties at my house. There are a lot of young kids in my family and I usually don't want to spend the money feeding them ribs or fajitas. So They get hot dogs and drumsticks. I cook those about 30 minutes before the adult food is ready and I tell all of the parents when it's time to feed their kids. The kids fill up on hotdogs and drumsticks and they are done eating and back to playing by the time the adults eat.

[bizznessman]

Originally Posted by luke duke

This happens to me when I host parties at my house. There are a lot of young kids in my family and I usually don't want to spend the money feeding them ribs or fajitas. So They get hot dogs and drumsticks. I cook those about 30 minutes before the adult food is ready and I tell all of the parents when it's time to feed their kids. The kids fill up on hotdogs and drumsticks and they are done eating and back to playing by the time the adults eat.

I love the psychology embedded in this.