Catering a private event?

[Anonymous]

I'm catering a private event for my partner's 50th birthday party. The caterer asked for a deposit initially which I was happy to pay. They just sent me the final invoice and said it's due before the event. Is this customary? How do I make sure they actually show up with the food? I'm not trying to be difficult but just never thought they'd want to be paid before they provide any service.

[Anonymous]

bump

[Anonymous]

Not customary.

[Anonymous]

Is this a reputable caterer? What are their reviews like? I don’t know if it’s customary, but if it’s not customary, and they have a good reputation with good reviews, then I would not worry about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is this a reputable caterer? What are their reviews like? I don’t know if it’s customary, but if it’s not customary, and they have a good reputation with good reviews, then I would not worry about it.

They have several restaurants and also cater. Good reviews. I guess I'll just pay it and hope for the best.

[Anonymous]

We cater our summer party every year. I think DH makes a deposit, then pays before event, perhaps day of. Then we handle the tips on site.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We cater our summer party every year. I think DH makes a deposit, then pays before event, perhaps day of. Then we handle the tips on site.

Thanks. They already included the gratuity. Do you tip on top of that?

[Anonymous]

No don’t tip on top of the gratuity. We typically pay the final balance on the day of the event.

[Anonymous]

We hired a chef, who also owns several restaurants. Also paid ahead of time, which I found a little worrisome, but everything went without a hitch.