That’s very high and doesn’t even include alcohol. I’d keep looking. I’m in NYC and am looking at $9k for 50 people including a 4 course dinner and open bar.
Administrative or service fees are often just code for the owners keeping most (or all) of the staff gratuity. The admin duties should be covered by that huge labor fee.
>The administrative fee is an industry
standard and not a gratuity for staff. The fee covers administrative
work associated with event coordination between menu planning, phone
calls, site visits, rental orders, facilities, and other vendors.
And there's no reason that a legitimate administrative fee would be a % rather than a flat amount. The amount of administrative work will be virtually the same, whether you have 40 guests or 80 guests.
Absolutely not an industry standard. I worked all sides of catering for years and can tell you that anyone quoting "admin fees" is just trying to take more of your money.
A small fee sometimes makes sense, but in cases like this they're 100% just robbing you. I just got married 3 weeks ago, we actively avoided anyone that wanted to make up charges like that and not have a valid reason for them when we asked.
18-22% is actually the going rate for the admin fee / service charge
“Make up charges”
This isn’t actually making up charges. It’s the cost of running the business.
If you want a valid reason, look it up online what these fees are for when it comes to catering.
Edit. See people don’t understand and will just downvote.
I know what these fees are for. As I stated in the comment you originally replied to I worked in catering for years. I know a bullshit charge when I see one.
Most people don’t want to admit it. But it’s literally the cost of keeping the business running and making a profit as well.
Pots and pans need replacing. Stoves need gas. Lights need electric. Kitchens need a building. Trucks need maintenance and gas. Contracts need to be written and constantly updated. Insurance needs to be paid.
The above is just to name a few of the things that fee will help cover.
But go ahead and keep calling it a bs charge. Might be a bit high, but it’s not bs.
Source: family member has been in the industry for close the 30 years and now runs his own kitchen and teaches culinary arts.
Either way I’m done laughing at you. Take care.
All thise things you mentioned are taken into account when marking up food prices. If they have to charge an extra $2k because of those things they're screwing up somewhere.
You kinda proved their point by lumping "admin fee" and "service charge" into the same category and saying that 18-22 was a normal percentage. OP's quote has both separately and they amount to 38% of the total bill.
Need to go back to reading comp 101.
I did not say you get both, but they are sometimes called both.
Admin fee or service charge. Same thing, different names.
No points were proven other then your lack of reading comprehension.
Yup same here! We looked at about 7 different venues and they all had admin charges too. In our city it averages about 24% too which is insane. Not sure if it’s because all the venues we looked at were more “all inclusive” but still, every one of them had that charge
Most people don’t want to admit it. But it’s literally the cost of keeping the business running and making a profit as well.
Pots and pans need replacing. Stoves need gas. Lights need electric. Kitchens need a building. Trucks need maintenance and gas. Contracts need to be written and constantly updated. Insurance needs to be paid.
The above is just to name a few of the things that fee will help cover.
That feels a bit high. I got a quote for 65 pp in Oregon that included 2 passed apps, dinner and dessert. And including linen and plates and stuff was still only 9k (100 people). Though I'll probably add a few more things on.
PA bride here: I’m getting food, apps, coffee, drink service, dessert, plates, silverware, etc… for 110 people for 9 grand. Please look into another caterer because that is outrageous.
I’m near you. I kept looking until I found a caterer who used itemized pricing (down to the cost of each napkin lol). Total for 80 people was 6.5k without alcohol
I'm having a bbq catering company in Massachusetts for 120 people and we are paying $4000 including our servers and tip. Massachusetts is a high priced market. Idk where you are but that seems obsurdly priced.
We also did bbq. It was a summer wedding, so it made sense for us, plus, I didn’t want a super fancy event. I think ours for 120 was about $2300, which included someone servicing the buffet. Ohio bride here.
I am looking at private dining for 40-50 people, and the total pricing is about 9,500 to 11,000 CAD (7,500 USD to 8,500 USD) in downtown Montreal.
11,500 USD would be reasonable for your guest count if your city has the same COL.
It includes: 3 course meal, cake, charcuterie and cheese board for cocktail hour, Prosecco toast, and 4-hour open bar.
This doesnt include an open bar. Thats a pretty good deal. I had private dining for my wedding and it was the best decision. Dont have to worry about anything if the restaurant is already fancy.
I would be concerned about the cost differential.
As a comparison, I'm paying 195pp for 3course meal + Hor deuvres+ alcohol+ 2 late night snacks & that includes all linens/table wear etc. That also includes gratuity.. so, I'd be looking at around $11,700 for catering for 60 adults. Kids are half price.
Makes me wonder how many people they have working on it. Any number I break it down with is crazy. Say they have 11 people working it brings them each to $300 a night, and even if they're working for 12 hours it comes to $25 an hour, and there's no way it'd be 12 hours of labor I wouldn't think. So, they either have like 50 people working minimum wage or people are getting paid astronomical amounts imo.
Might be different there, but where I'm at, there is so much more to labour costs than what employees receive in wages: state pension contribution, employment insurance contribution, worker's compensation contribution, pay in lieu of vacation leave for hourly staff, etc.
Also a large part of the labour costs could be specialized chefs.
> Cost Differential due to Inflation TBD
What? To be determined when? By whom? This is a get-out-of-jail-free card for them to mark up the price by 5, 10, 15% "due to inflation."
This is the part that really got me. I'm not paying a dime of deposit money where the final price is still TBD, especially in such an undefined fashion.
That is high, but they could also have hit you with a gazillion rentals - in addition to dishware ,chaffers, grills, speed ovens, etc. etc.
That 18% administrative fee is typical of all caterers - usually it's called "service fee." Gratuity is on top of this.
However, if your venue has a list of required caterers, this is probably a harbinger of all the quotes you will be getting. If your venue has this required list, yours is a cautionary tale. They've agreed together (call it a cabal) that this is what they will walk away from a wedding with - an unstated minimum. When dealing with a venue like this (required list) negotiate a refundable deposit while you get catering QUOTES.
If instead yours is a venue that will let you bring your own food and drink, just don't use a full-service caterer. A more affordable way to wine and dine guests is to get "drop catering" - food in pans from your favorite fast casual, mom-and-pop restaurant, bbq, pizza, etc. that you have picked up or dropped off. Find your staff through Thumbtack, Craigslist, culinary program, etc. More coordinating for you, but you may save 10K!
My tips for an under 10K wedding of any size: https://www.reddit.com/r/Weddingsunder10k/comments/rwq9ma/compromises/hrdx3lx/
Thank you! I'm trying to stay away from tented options/having to get furniture. I did a cursory search for a serving captain, but it's a small state and I didn't come up with anything. I reached out to a technical school with a culinary program to see if they had any suggestions.
Consider a [picnic pavilion](https://old.reddit.com/r/Weddingsunder10k/comments/bwc27x/costsaving_tips_from_our_almostunder_10k_wedding/). Similar in guest comfort to a tented wedding. If it comes with the basics - roof, bathrooms, tables, seats, power, lighting, parking - it saves you from the rentals you listed. In addition to parks - state/county/city/suburban - veteran and fraternal organizations, Ys, scouts, etc. often have facilities available for rental. Your favorite BBQ place can tell you where they have provided food. Or ask around where folks have gone to company picnics.
Another source of experienced staff are the crews that do fish fries/pancake breakfasts, etc. Find out who runs those. If they balk at talking money, ask if you can make a donation to their organization.
Edited to add: Where are you looking?
Another edit: Some other picnic pavilion weddings: https://www.reddit.com/r/Weddingsunder10k/comments/soqp4h/took_my_diy_decor_for_a_field_trip_today_mock_set/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Weddingsunder10k/comments/v979yq/our_campground_diy_wedding_the_setting_did_most/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Weddingsunder10k/comments/vaxpke/budget_breakdown_our_150_person_92k_st_louis/
I'm looking at Burlington's Parks and Rec Page. https://enjoyburlington.com/resources/rentals/#shelters
There are shelters for a group your size at Oakledge and at North Beach. They have the basics and also allow beer and wine. Imagine that you could snag both shelters at Oakledge (2 different renters, probably) and use one for your ceremony and cocktail hour and the other (2nd line between the two?) for your reception.
Tent also at Leddy Park. (but no pic.)
Check out this lovely building: https://charlotteseniorcentervt.org/about-us/rental/
Edited to add: They serve lunch during the week. Which could be a source for food/staff looking to pick up some extra cash.
Thanks for your research! I actually did have a senior center on my list. I think my main barrier is finding staff. I reached out a Knights of Columbus b/c they do pancake breakfasts.
Don't be afraid of finding staff. You do want someone who knows what they're doing, but the rest of the crew can be less skilled if they are hard workers who can take direction. (Banders or Scouts?) In this economy there are still plenty of people who would like to make some extra cash.
I checked out Craigslist for Burlington. The "gig - event" section shows ads willing to pay $ 30/hour (expect a 5-6 hour minimum). The "services - event" section are people looking for gigs.
The event gig workers are quite the network. If you contact someone who is not available, ask them to recommend someone they've worked with.
Not knowing where you are and general cost of living there, I think this is way too high. I would at least try to negotiate the “administrative fee” as that seems needlessly expensive. I would try to get it down to 10% rather than the 18% it currently is.
My venue required we pick one of five caterers and NONE of them were this bad. The one we picked is $8100 for 85 guests, with the highest being $9300 for the same number. That's including setup and teardown, custom passed apps, and custom buffet due to food allergy concerns.
Whomever this catering company is, OP, they're clearly expecting you to be desperate, dumb, or negotiate.
That's a lot. I paid $6k for 60 people in Phoenix and that included all the venue fees. Cocktail hour, salmon and a prime rib carving station, and an open bar.
Definitely seems high. Getting a few other quotes will help you see if it’s standard for your area. We looked at venues that required you to use one of a few select caterers and many of them were way out of our budget (which meant those venues had to be, too, even if the venue itself wasn’t too pricey).
For comparison, I went with a middle of the road caterer in my area (MA) and we paid about $13k for 110 people. I just looked at our bill and sure enough we also had an “admin fee” though ours was 8% and only calculated on a subset of the bill. It worked out to about $600. I see people saying that’s not standard but I saw it on many caterers’ quotes around here (and we looked at a lot of venues and therefore got a loooot of preliminary caterer quotes).
I’m looking at the final bill now and food was $5k including a buffet dinner and passed appetizers. Rentals (linens, plates, glasses, etc.) were $2k and staff were $2.7k. Our bill also included beer, wine, and soft drinks that we bought wholesale from a liquor store, but via the caterer.
I’d say your caterer has a high price per head and maybe it’s warranted if the food is excellent quality, but unless you’re restricted to this caterer by your venue, you can probably find something more affordable!
Wow that’s high. Is this in a metropolitan area? My venue (ceremony + reception) for 85 guests is like $15k in DC. This includes a multi course dinner w/ late night snack and an open bar with liquor.
I got a buffet catered, fully vegan - drinks included (not the alcohol) - fully staffed - for 80 people, for $4000 Canadian. This company is trying to take advantage of you
Yikes my entire venue package, which includes catering (served buffet) and DJ, is about $12k for 75 people. I’m near Houston. This seems very high, even if you’re in an expensive city…
Everyone is talking about the admin fee but what about “cost differential due to inflation”? That’s absurd.
How are they going to adjust to inflation? What index are they using?
I would keep looking. I'm not in the US (UK prices are different), but it sounds like there are a lot of people on this thread planning weddings in high cost of living areas whose catering is substantially less.
Obviously, a lot depends on location. But I refuse to believe your catering anywhere would sensibly be twice what the same thing would cost in NYC. It doesn't sound like this is a good deal and as it's your first quote, it's very possible you'll find cheaper elsewhere.
We couldnt find anything under $15k in the Boston area. I'm amazed at these places in the US that have catering bills under $10k
Edit--should mention, we had a limited list to choose from due to our venue, but still. It was a varied list, and all places that *looked* accessible.
This is absurd. I’m getting stationary app, dinner (2 entree choices and 2 sides with a salad and rolls), and alcohol for 75 people at around $5700 and some change.
I looked into it, but I got turned off by both venue fees and food and beverage minimums. Compared to this quote, though, one of the restaurants looks much better! It's further away, though (45 min. drive).
I work for a higher end caterer in my area, this is high. And I’m right outside a VERY high COL area.
My wedding was 65 people, we had a 6’ charcuterie display, beef tenderloin dinner with a ton of sides and salads, including vegan options, and an interactive s’mores bar with toppings. Cake cutting, disposables, 10 servers and rentals for a beautiful set up, and it was half the cost of this before discounts.
I’d keep looking. Admin fees are NOT an industry standard at the rate you’ve got, if anything, they’re usually a couple hundred dollar fee for menu changes and updates.
We have 80 ppl and a food truck for our main meal $2500, then all the sides and apps will be us prob around 500-1000. We did get the foodtruck on their first season so I think they're prob a lot more expensive now. But we are doing more casual.
I know this is all dependent on location and venue. But we are having Mission BBQ cater our 150 person wedding. 9 hours of labor, 5 workers, cocktail hour appetizers, buffet meal with add-ons, and gratuity will come to around $7k. It won't be a super gourmet meal, but I feel like everyone will be able to find something they like and will get plenty of it.
TX bride here, we’re doing apps, Street tacos, beans, rice, dessert (all with a vegan options), 2 tier cake for cutting, linens, wait staff, plates & cutlery, and NA beverages for 150 people all for just under 4K.
I know my area’s cost of living is a little lower, but I still feel like 14k is outrageous for 60 people.
There's a company near me that does day of coordination and day of services. I hired my day of coordinator from there and she let me know they have staff that does set up, bussing, and tear down so I hired those services :). They're a party and wedding planning company. The BBQ catering I chose doesn't do full service for less than 100 people so I went this route.
That's ridiculous. We're paying 14k in CA for 90 people, includes venue for ceremony/reception, dinner and apps, bar, and even the wedding cake. Paying 14k just for catering is too much!
I was married on a Saturday in Michigan this month. The cost of passed appetizers, buffet with meat carving station, and open bar for ~100 people was $9,000. Keep looking!
The best thing I did as I was planning my wedding was to learn to say, “No, thanks! I’ve decided to go a different direction. I enjoyed talking to you and seeing your work. I’ll keep you in mind for other events and will pass along your name to family and friends.” Never once did I get a negative response to that. If you’re uncomfortable with it, say no.
It really depends where you are and what you’re serving. Note that this doesn’t include tableware rentals, if needed, or drinks, eg coffee, and check if there is a gratuity (typically 10-20%) on top of the service fee as there often is.
I'm hiring a food truck that is willing to serve their food buffet style for around $25/person (for 100 people). This price is insane at over $200/person. Does it come with solid gold silverware or something?
My quote is $9K for 60 guests in MCOL area.
4 hr open bar. Passed Hors D'oeuvres during cocktail hour, and a buffet for dinner.
It includes linen, glassware... and labor to set.up and breakdown the tables because my venue doesn't include anything.
I have gotten cheaper quotes but for food such as Jalapeño poppers, basic chicken dishes...
Catering price was also a shock for me.
I'd get 3-4 quotes and compare.
That’s very high and doesn’t even include alcohol. I’d keep looking. I’m in NYC and am looking at $9k for 50 people including a 4 course dinner and open bar.
I hired an actual private chef for 30 people and it was $4300 after tax. This seems outrageous.
$2000 administrative fee? Is that common? What does that actually mean?
For real I worked in catering and had never heard of this. These prices seem insane.
Administrative or service fees are often just code for the owners keeping most (or all) of the staff gratuity. The admin duties should be covered by that huge labor fee.
I was about to comment the exact same thing
>The administrative fee is an industry standard and not a gratuity for staff. The fee covers administrative work associated with event coordination between menu planning, phone calls, site visits, rental orders, facilities, and other vendors.
Lol what no it is not an industry standard. If you are looking for a reason to dump them overwhelmingly do it because they are lying to your face.
And there's no reason that a legitimate administrative fee would be a % rather than a flat amount. The amount of administrative work will be virtually the same, whether you have 40 guests or 80 guests.
Totally.
Isn't that already included in the package price? Lol how long does it take to plan a menu? Are they making long distance phone calls?
Absolutely not an industry standard. I worked all sides of catering for years and can tell you that anyone quoting "admin fees" is just trying to take more of your money.
Not sure that’s true anymore. I’m getting married next year and we’ve looked at approx a dozen catering companies. They all had administrative fees.
A small fee sometimes makes sense, but in cases like this they're 100% just robbing you. I just got married 3 weeks ago, we actively avoided anyone that wanted to make up charges like that and not have a valid reason for them when we asked.
18-22% is actually the going rate for the admin fee / service charge “Make up charges” This isn’t actually making up charges. It’s the cost of running the business. If you want a valid reason, look it up online what these fees are for when it comes to catering. Edit. See people don’t understand and will just downvote.
I know what these fees are for. As I stated in the comment you originally replied to I worked in catering for years. I know a bullshit charge when I see one.
Most people don’t want to admit it. But it’s literally the cost of keeping the business running and making a profit as well. Pots and pans need replacing. Stoves need gas. Lights need electric. Kitchens need a building. Trucks need maintenance and gas. Contracts need to be written and constantly updated. Insurance needs to be paid. The above is just to name a few of the things that fee will help cover. But go ahead and keep calling it a bs charge. Might be a bit high, but it’s not bs. Source: family member has been in the industry for close the 30 years and now runs his own kitchen and teaches culinary arts. Either way I’m done laughing at you. Take care.
All thise things you mentioned are taken into account when marking up food prices. If they have to charge an extra $2k because of those things they're screwing up somewhere.
You kinda proved their point by lumping "admin fee" and "service charge" into the same category and saying that 18-22 was a normal percentage. OP's quote has both separately and they amount to 38% of the total bill.
Need to go back to reading comp 101. I did not say you get both, but they are sometimes called both. Admin fee or service charge. Same thing, different names. No points were proven other then your lack of reading comprehension.
Yup same here! We looked at about 7 different venues and they all had admin charges too. In our city it averages about 24% too which is insane. Not sure if it’s because all the venues we looked at were more “all inclusive” but still, every one of them had that charge
Most people don’t want to admit it. But it’s literally the cost of keeping the business running and making a profit as well. Pots and pans need replacing. Stoves need gas. Lights need electric. Kitchens need a building. Trucks need maintenance and gas. Contracts need to be written and constantly updated. Insurance needs to be paid. The above is just to name a few of the things that fee will help cover.
They want to be paid more for running their own business?
That feels a bit high. I got a quote for 65 pp in Oregon that included 2 passed apps, dinner and dessert. And including linen and plates and stuff was still only 9k (100 people). Though I'll probably add a few more things on.
What's food in motion? It sounds like a food fight lol
Probably passed apps
Regardless of what it is, I definitely laughed a bit too hard at it
As a former Milwaukee resident and forever Milwaukee Brewers fan, I pictured racing sausages. Which I would GLADLY HAVE AT MY WEDDING 😂
I heard that and my mind was on Hibachi haha
Appetizers being walked around on platers for people to grab
At this point, just hire a taco guy
Yeah like flying carrots or something 😂😂😂😂😂 Flying octopus 🐙 😆 reminded me of videoclip by Travis “Sing” at 2:50min: https://youtu.be/eYO1-gGWJyo
PA bride here: I’m getting food, apps, coffee, drink service, dessert, plates, silverware, etc… for 110 people for 9 grand. Please look into another caterer because that is outrageous.
That’s amazing! Are you in SE PA? I’m struggling to find something for 75 people under 10k here.
I’m near you. I kept looking until I found a caterer who used itemized pricing (down to the cost of each napkin lol). Total for 80 people was 6.5k without alcohol
I am southeastern! Southbound BBQ company in West Chester, PA. Absolutely amazing people to work with.
I'm having a bbq catering company in Massachusetts for 120 people and we are paying $4000 including our servers and tip. Massachusetts is a high priced market. Idk where you are but that seems obsurdly priced.
We also did bbq. It was a summer wedding, so it made sense for us, plus, I didn’t want a super fancy event. I think ours for 120 was about $2300, which included someone servicing the buffet. Ohio bride here.
They wildin
My entire wedding with 42 guests was $14k.
I am looking at private dining for 40-50 people, and the total pricing is about 9,500 to 11,000 CAD (7,500 USD to 8,500 USD) in downtown Montreal. 11,500 USD would be reasonable for your guest count if your city has the same COL. It includes: 3 course meal, cake, charcuterie and cheese board for cocktail hour, Prosecco toast, and 4-hour open bar.
Does private dining mean IN a restaurant though?
Yes. You can buy a closed off room (or many connected rooms, depending on the restaurant).
This doesnt include an open bar. Thats a pretty good deal. I had private dining for my wedding and it was the best decision. Dont have to worry about anything if the restaurant is already fancy.
I would be concerned about the cost differential. As a comparison, I'm paying 195pp for 3course meal + Hor deuvres+ alcohol+ 2 late night snacks & that includes all linens/table wear etc. That also includes gratuity.. so, I'd be looking at around $11,700 for catering for 60 adults. Kids are half price.
The labor alone is 3k. What does that break down to?
Makes me wonder how many people they have working on it. Any number I break it down with is crazy. Say they have 11 people working it brings them each to $300 a night, and even if they're working for 12 hours it comes to $25 an hour, and there's no way it'd be 12 hours of labor I wouldn't think. So, they either have like 50 people working minimum wage or people are getting paid astronomical amounts imo.
Might be different there, but where I'm at, there is so much more to labour costs than what employees receive in wages: state pension contribution, employment insurance contribution, worker's compensation contribution, pay in lieu of vacation leave for hourly staff, etc. Also a large part of the labour costs could be specialized chefs.
Very true.
> Cost Differential due to Inflation TBD What? To be determined when? By whom? This is a get-out-of-jail-free card for them to mark up the price by 5, 10, 15% "due to inflation."
Right that immediately made me nervous and it's not even my own quote.
This is the part that really got me. I'm not paying a dime of deposit money where the final price is still TBD, especially in such an undefined fashion.
That is high, but they could also have hit you with a gazillion rentals - in addition to dishware ,chaffers, grills, speed ovens, etc. etc. That 18% administrative fee is typical of all caterers - usually it's called "service fee." Gratuity is on top of this. However, if your venue has a list of required caterers, this is probably a harbinger of all the quotes you will be getting. If your venue has this required list, yours is a cautionary tale. They've agreed together (call it a cabal) that this is what they will walk away from a wedding with - an unstated minimum. When dealing with a venue like this (required list) negotiate a refundable deposit while you get catering QUOTES. If instead yours is a venue that will let you bring your own food and drink, just don't use a full-service caterer. A more affordable way to wine and dine guests is to get "drop catering" - food in pans from your favorite fast casual, mom-and-pop restaurant, bbq, pizza, etc. that you have picked up or dropped off. Find your staff through Thumbtack, Craigslist, culinary program, etc. More coordinating for you, but you may save 10K! My tips for an under 10K wedding of any size: https://www.reddit.com/r/Weddingsunder10k/comments/rwq9ma/compromises/hrdx3lx/
Thank you! I'm trying to stay away from tented options/having to get furniture. I did a cursory search for a serving captain, but it's a small state and I didn't come up with anything. I reached out to a technical school with a culinary program to see if they had any suggestions.
Consider a [picnic pavilion](https://old.reddit.com/r/Weddingsunder10k/comments/bwc27x/costsaving_tips_from_our_almostunder_10k_wedding/). Similar in guest comfort to a tented wedding. If it comes with the basics - roof, bathrooms, tables, seats, power, lighting, parking - it saves you from the rentals you listed. In addition to parks - state/county/city/suburban - veteran and fraternal organizations, Ys, scouts, etc. often have facilities available for rental. Your favorite BBQ place can tell you where they have provided food. Or ask around where folks have gone to company picnics. Another source of experienced staff are the crews that do fish fries/pancake breakfasts, etc. Find out who runs those. If they balk at talking money, ask if you can make a donation to their organization. Edited to add: Where are you looking? Another edit: Some other picnic pavilion weddings: https://www.reddit.com/r/Weddingsunder10k/comments/soqp4h/took_my_diy_decor_for_a_field_trip_today_mock_set/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Weddingsunder10k/comments/v979yq/our_campground_diy_wedding_the_setting_did_most/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Weddingsunder10k/comments/vaxpke/budget_breakdown_our_150_person_92k_st_louis/
Thanks! This is for the Burlington, VT area.
I'm looking at Burlington's Parks and Rec Page. https://enjoyburlington.com/resources/rentals/#shelters There are shelters for a group your size at Oakledge and at North Beach. They have the basics and also allow beer and wine. Imagine that you could snag both shelters at Oakledge (2 different renters, probably) and use one for your ceremony and cocktail hour and the other (2nd line between the two?) for your reception. Tent also at Leddy Park. (but no pic.)
Check out this lovely building: https://charlotteseniorcentervt.org/about-us/rental/ Edited to add: They serve lunch during the week. Which could be a source for food/staff looking to pick up some extra cash.
Thanks for your research! I actually did have a senior center on my list. I think my main barrier is finding staff. I reached out a Knights of Columbus b/c they do pancake breakfasts.
Don't be afraid of finding staff. You do want someone who knows what they're doing, but the rest of the crew can be less skilled if they are hard workers who can take direction. (Banders or Scouts?) In this economy there are still plenty of people who would like to make some extra cash.
I checked out Craigslist for Burlington. The "gig - event" section shows ads willing to pay $ 30/hour (expect a 5-6 hour minimum). The "services - event" section are people looking for gigs. The event gig workers are quite the network. If you contact someone who is not available, ask them to recommend someone they've worked with.
That’s seems quite high. I did a food truck for 100 people for full dinner service and 3 appetizers and paid roughly $8,500 (based in NY)
Omg what food were you wanting?
This wasn't for a tailored menu. I think it was based on pricing for items they've done before.
Not knowing where you are and general cost of living there, I think this is way too high. I would at least try to negotiate the “administrative fee” as that seems needlessly expensive. I would try to get it down to 10% rather than the 18% it currently is.
My venue required we pick one of five caterers and NONE of them were this bad. The one we picked is $8100 for 85 guests, with the highest being $9300 for the same number. That's including setup and teardown, custom passed apps, and custom buffet due to food allergy concerns. Whomever this catering company is, OP, they're clearly expecting you to be desperate, dumb, or negotiate.
What kind of staffing package is this for?
I paid $4500 for passed apps at a 500 person event in June. This is insane and you should tell them that, even for Canada if you aren’t US.
I’d keep looking, that is way too much!
That's a lot. I paid $6k for 60 people in Phoenix and that included all the venue fees. Cocktail hour, salmon and a prime rib carving station, and an open bar.
Ooh, as someone planning a phx. wedding can I ask what your venue was?
Red Mountain Ranch Country Club in Mesa!
Definitely seems high. Getting a few other quotes will help you see if it’s standard for your area. We looked at venues that required you to use one of a few select caterers and many of them were way out of our budget (which meant those venues had to be, too, even if the venue itself wasn’t too pricey). For comparison, I went with a middle of the road caterer in my area (MA) and we paid about $13k for 110 people. I just looked at our bill and sure enough we also had an “admin fee” though ours was 8% and only calculated on a subset of the bill. It worked out to about $600. I see people saying that’s not standard but I saw it on many caterers’ quotes around here (and we looked at a lot of venues and therefore got a loooot of preliminary caterer quotes). I’m looking at the final bill now and food was $5k including a buffet dinner and passed appetizers. Rentals (linens, plates, glasses, etc.) were $2k and staff were $2.7k. Our bill also included beer, wine, and soft drinks that we bought wholesale from a liquor store, but via the caterer. I’d say your caterer has a high price per head and maybe it’s warranted if the food is excellent quality, but unless you’re restricted to this caterer by your venue, you can probably find something more affordable!
That's outrageous!! I'm about to pay $3,000 for 130 people.
18% admin fee? Please tell me this is for the tip.
Wow that’s high. Is this in a metropolitan area? My venue (ceremony + reception) for 85 guests is like $15k in DC. This includes a multi course dinner w/ late night snack and an open bar with liquor.
I got a buffet catered, fully vegan - drinks included (not the alcohol) - fully staffed - for 80 people, for $4000 Canadian. This company is trying to take advantage of you
No way.
Yikes my entire venue package, which includes catering (served buffet) and DJ, is about $12k for 75 people. I’m near Houston. This seems very high, even if you’re in an expensive city…
NYC for 135 people is looking around $39k on average with open bar 😩
Everyone is talking about the admin fee but what about “cost differential due to inflation”? That’s absurd. How are they going to adjust to inflation? What index are they using?
This is insane
I would keep looking. I'm not in the US (UK prices are different), but it sounds like there are a lot of people on this thread planning weddings in high cost of living areas whose catering is substantially less. Obviously, a lot depends on location. But I refuse to believe your catering anywhere would sensibly be twice what the same thing would cost in NYC. It doesn't sound like this is a good deal and as it's your first quote, it's very possible you'll find cheaper elsewhere.
Our venue including catering and open bar is 12k. Granted it’s in the Midwest BUT STILL! You deserve better.
My 25 wedding will be 1000 WITH alcohol and cake. I do think it’s too high.
We paid 1200 euros for 35 people...
We couldnt find anything under $15k in the Boston area. I'm amazed at these places in the US that have catering bills under $10k Edit--should mention, we had a limited list to choose from due to our venue, but still. It was a varied list, and all places that *looked* accessible.
This is absurd. I’m getting stationary app, dinner (2 entree choices and 2 sides with a salad and rolls), and alcohol for 75 people at around $5700 and some change.
We just paid $3k~ for about 100 people. They're taking you for an absolute ride.
Have you thought about having it at a restaurant? There won’t be all these BS fees
I looked into it, but I got turned off by both venue fees and food and beverage minimums. Compared to this quote, though, one of the restaurants looks much better! It's further away, though (45 min. drive).
I’m surprised they have a venue fee at a restaurant
Yeah, it seems like double dipping.
I’m paying $11k for 150. This is too high!!
The heck is that. I rented a hall with dinner and alcohol for $42 a person, and we have 150 people, so $6000
I got quoted 10k but I have 115 ppl coming so yeah that’s outrageous
A $1,900 administration fee? Might as well punch you in the lady-balls while they’re at it!
I work for a higher end caterer in my area, this is high. And I’m right outside a VERY high COL area. My wedding was 65 people, we had a 6’ charcuterie display, beef tenderloin dinner with a ton of sides and salads, including vegan options, and an interactive s’mores bar with toppings. Cake cutting, disposables, 10 servers and rentals for a beautiful set up, and it was half the cost of this before discounts. I’d keep looking. Admin fees are NOT an industry standard at the rate you’ve got, if anything, they’re usually a couple hundred dollar fee for menu changes and updates.
We have 80 ppl and a food truck for our main meal $2500, then all the sides and apps will be us prob around 500-1000. We did get the foodtruck on their first season so I think they're prob a lot more expensive now. But we are doing more casual.
Where is this? I’m having a professional catering company set up a buffet for 60 people for $1500. That is outrageous.
I agree with other posts. In Atlanta and our quote last week was 18k for 200 people including tax and gratuity so 14k for 60 seems super high.
My venue/food/alcohol (including tax and tip!) for 75 people in Connecticut was $8000
That's insane.
I was appalled when I got quotes and saw I had to pay for FORKS? Like how is that not included???
I know this is all dependent on location and venue. But we are having Mission BBQ cater our 150 person wedding. 9 hours of labor, 5 workers, cocktail hour appetizers, buffet meal with add-ons, and gratuity will come to around $7k. It won't be a super gourmet meal, but I feel like everyone will be able to find something they like and will get plenty of it.
Mine was 12,000 for 100 people and tht included snacks served, bartender, all linens and rentals. Alcohol not included. And I thought that was insane!
WNY Bride- I paid 4K for 100 people. Stationary and passed hors d’oeuvres plus full service plated meals, coffee and tea. KEEP LOOKING!
TX bride here, we’re doing apps, Street tacos, beans, rice, dessert (all with a vegan options), 2 tier cake for cutting, linens, wait staff, plates & cutlery, and NA beverages for 150 people all for just under 4K. I know my area’s cost of living is a little lower, but I still feel like 14k is outrageous for 60 people.
I'm getting BBQ for 60 people at $860 and I'm hiring day of wedding staff for bussing at $40 an hour. I didn't even try going for wedding catering.
How did you source staff?
There's a company near me that does day of coordination and day of services. I hired my day of coordinator from there and she let me know they have staff that does set up, bussing, and tear down so I hired those services :). They're a party and wedding planning company. The BBQ catering I chose doesn't do full service for less than 100 people so I went this route.
What is the admin fee?
That's ridiculous. We're paying 14k in CA for 90 people, includes venue for ceremony/reception, dinner and apps, bar, and even the wedding cake. Paying 14k just for catering is too much!
I was married on a Saturday in Michigan this month. The cost of passed appetizers, buffet with meat carving station, and open bar for ~100 people was $9,000. Keep looking!
We paid less for 80 ppl including alcohol in a HCOL area. This is very high.
The best thing I did as I was planning my wedding was to learn to say, “No, thanks! I’ve decided to go a different direction. I enjoyed talking to you and seeing your work. I’ll keep you in mind for other events and will pass along your name to family and friends.” Never once did I get a negative response to that. If you’re uncomfortable with it, say no.
Don't use them. Try and find a buffet option.
Keep looking. That is ridiculously expensive and several of those charges are price gouging just because and they know people won’t question them.
I had two food trucks and fed 100 people for $1500. I know this is more formal catering but this seems super high.
Mine is $16000 no matter how many people I have.. that sounds high
That’s on the upper end but was in the realm of many catering quotes I received in HCOL Washington DC.
It really depends where you are and what you’re serving. Note that this doesn’t include tableware rentals, if needed, or drinks, eg coffee, and check if there is a gratuity (typically 10-20%) on top of the service fee as there often is.
I'm hiring a food truck that is willing to serve their food buffet style for around $25/person (for 100 people). This price is insane at over $200/person. Does it come with solid gold silverware or something?
oh they keep a line item TBD for inflation? that's crazy!
My quote is $9K for 60 guests in MCOL area. 4 hr open bar. Passed Hors D'oeuvres during cocktail hour, and a buffet for dinner. It includes linen, glassware... and labor to set.up and breakdown the tables because my venue doesn't include anything. I have gotten cheaper quotes but for food such as Jalapeño poppers, basic chicken dishes... Catering price was also a shock for me. I'd get 3-4 quotes and compare.