Are these the only menus and items that you offer?
No they are not. These are our most popular menus and have been specially created to combine complementary flavors and offer a terrific value. If you aren’t able to find the perfect items for you on these menus please feel free to contact us and we will provide you with our complete à la carte menus that you can use to create your own custom menu. In Fact, our menus do not even include everything we are able to do so if you have something specific in mind just let us know and we can use that to create a custom menu for you as well. The cost for custom menus varies depending on the complexity and food costs of the menu created.
Can I combine items or switch items out between these menus?
Yes, of course. These menus are meant to serve as a guide and you’re welcome to combine elements from different menus to personalize yours into something That’s perfect for you. Switching out or replacing items from one menu to the next may affect the pricing of the menu but we will be happy to provide you with a no obligation quote so you can see exactly what any particular menu you create would cost.
You said in your video thatChef 1 Studios can cater for less than we could expect to pay at a mid- range casual dining chain, what did you mean?
We did a survey of casual dining chains and selected The Outback Steakhouse for our comparison. We compared our buffet pricing to their menu prices for similar menus using the least expensive menu item in each category from their menu and found that our buffet prices were less expensive than takeout from this restaurant would cost. You can see the comparison as a PDF file here. We are very proud of the fact that we can offer you chef prepared from scratch menus at prices that are extremely competitive to other caterers and actually less expensive than many comparable restaurants.
Can you provide these menus at venues besides The Crystal Ballroom?
Yes we can but we are typically fully booked with work from The Crystal Ballroom venues and these menus cost significantly more at other venues. Because The Crystal Ballroom provides so many things that are normally provided by your caterer we are able to offer these menus at a significant discount at their venues.
What are the payment terms for having Chef 1 Studios cater my event at The Crystal Ballroom?
We normally take a 35% deposit in order to book your event based on what we call your “guess count” which is the number of guests you are expecting will attend when you book the event. We collect the remaining balance seven days prior to the event based on the actual attendance number that you will provide at that time. Chef 1 Studios prefers payment by cash or check; we do accept Visa, MasterCard and American Express however there may be an additional fee to cover credit card processing.
Does Chef 1 Studios offer tastings?
Chef 1 Studios offers a complementary tasting for two before booking any event. A tasting is different from a sampling, a tasting is the last step before booking your event where you will try the actual menu you have selected for your event in order to make sure that it is exactly what you want and prepared the way you would like.
How far in advance should I book Chef 1 Studios?
When planning an event the first item to be booked is always your venue since they are booked the furthest in advance. As soon as you have secured a venue the next thing you probably want to lock down is your caterer in order to ensure that you have as many choices as possible. We frequently book events 2 to 3 years in advance and why we do offer preference to clients of The Crystal Ballroom we cannot guarantee that your date will be available. Because of this we recommend that you book Chef 1 Studios as far in advance as possible.
Can you accommodate special dietary needs like vegetarians?
Most times the answer to this is yes depending how complicated or delicate the dietary limitations are. For liability and safety reasons there are certain dietary restrictions that we are unable to accommodate. For example, we would be unable to provide food for someone who has an extreme allergy to peanuts since peanuts are used and exist within our facility.
What is a buffet service fee?
The buffet service fee covers costs incurred byChef 1 Studios in order to provide the food for your event including but not limited to chafing dishes (what we serve the food out of), serving utensils, table cards, transportation to and from the venue etc.
What is a staffing service fee?
The staffing service fee is used to compensate our employees the same way gratuity or tips would be.Chef 1 Studios always distributes 100% of our staffing service fees to our staff and employees, they are never kept as an additional profit margin for the company. The staffing service fee is primarily distributed to the people who directly staffed your event but part of it is placed into a “tip pool” where it is distributed among everyone who participated in the staging or arranging of your event.Chef 1 Studios believes that this makes each employee involved feel like they have a direct stake in the success of your event.
What if I cancel my event after I have paid my deposit?
If you cancel your event far enough in advance you may be able to receive a portion of your deposit as a refund. Cancellation terms and refund terms are specified in your catering agreement which you will receive before you book your event.