How to choose an event caterer
Start with the run of show
An event caterer plans around the schedule as much as the headcount. Share when doors open, when the speeches happen and when guests are expected to eat. A launch with a 20-minute keynote needs food that waits well. A seated gala needs courses timed to the program.
Reception, stations or seated
Standing receptions suit passed bites and a few stationary displays, and they keep people moving and talking. Stations handle a few hundred guests arriving over time. A seated dinner gives the most control over timing but takes the most staff and rentals. Pick the format before you compare menus.
Venues have their own rules
Hotels downtown and in Century City usually insist on their in-house catering. Museums, Pasadena estates and DTLA rooftops often keep approved-caterer lists, charge a kitchen or buyout fee, ask for a certificate of insurance and set a load-in window, sometimes at a dock that closes at a fixed hour. Some ban open flame, which rules out chafers with fuel cans. Get the venue's catering rules in writing first, then send them to every caterer you are considering.
Lines kill the energy in a room
Ask how many serving points the caterer recommends for your count, how many bartenders it will staff, and how it handles meals for guests who registered with restrictions. For a conference, ask about coffee service, breaks and boxed meals for sessions that run through lunch.
What it costs in Los Angeles
A staffed event in LA is priced per guest, and whether guests stand, graze at stations or sit down sets most of the budget. Unless noted, these figures cover food and service before the bar, rentals, service charge and tax.
Corporate events and galas in LA, per guest unless noted| What | Typical range |
|---|
| Reception with passed and heavy appetizers | $35 to $80 per guest |
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| Buffet or food stations | $60 to $130 per guest |
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| Plated gala dinner | $90 to $200 per guest |
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| Open bar | $35 to $75 per guest |
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| Servers | $40 to $60 per hour, 4 to 5 hour minimum |
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| Service charge | 18 to 22 percent |
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Staffing guides commonly plan about one server per 8 to 10 guests for plated service, one per 20 to 25 at a buffet and one bartender per 50 to 75 guests, so the format changes labor costs quickly. A required service charge is taxed in California along with the food, and venues may add their own kitchen or buyout fees.
Event pricing at Marbled LA: passed appetizers from $15 per guest, stationary bites from $3 each, and full menus at $24, $48 or $70 per guest, with delivery from $150 per drop, $2.50 per guest for disposables and a 15 percent service charge.
Tips
- Before a budget goes up for approval, get the all-in per-guest number, with staff, rentals, bar, service charge and tax included.
- For a long reception, a few generous stations often cost less per guest than enough passed bites to stand in for dinner.
- If the venue only allows load-in during a short dock window, ask whether the caterer bills the extra crew needed to unload fast.
These are typical Los Angeles market ranges drawn from public price lists and cost guides, not quotes. Every caterer prices its own menus, so ask each one for a written quote.
