4 Differences Between Buffet Catering and Full Service Catering

No matter if you are catering a wedding, a party, or a gathering of family and friends, you will eventually have to choose between full-service catering and buffet catering. Now, it’s easy to think that both of these options are very similar, or that they don’t matter in the grand scheme of things, but you would be very wrong.

Depending on what you are catering, then you need to pick a certain type of catering that will work for your events. To do that, you need to understand what these catering types are, and the differences between them.

The Definitions

For buffet catering, it is where the food is simply given to you buffet style. The food is good and is laid out on the table for everyone to take what they want whenever they want it. If you want a certain type of food, then you can pile your plate high with it and leave the rest. Everything is set up for you, and then the caterers either leave or help you set things up.

For Full Service Catering, these partners are there for the entire event. They serve the food, clean up and refill trays, set up tables and silverware, and even wait on certain tables if you want a wait staff.

You probably already have an idea of what type of catering is the best for certain events, but if you need more help, here are the various differences between the two catering types.

1.  What’s On The Menu?

For full service catering in Philadelphia, you can customize the menu at the beginning stages of the planning stage. You will tell the caterer what you want and of any dietary restrictions for the guests, as well as how many guests are coming. The menu items you want are all decided on in advance, so you have a lot of freedom.

For buffet style catering, you typically have to go off of what’s on the menu with very little time for adjustments if you get any at all. Instead, buffet style catering has a much shorter time frame so you typically get what you get.

2.  Do You Want To Clean Up?

The hardest part of a party is cleaning up afterward, and one of the key differences between cleaning up after a party with the two buffet types is who gets shouldered with that burden. With Buffet style catering, while some of the trays and bins are disposable, you still might need to wash plates, silverware, and serving utensils. Additionally, trash will need to be disposed of, This isn’t so if you are using a full-service buffet. The staff on duty will handle all of your messes without too much trouble, and you won’t have to worry.

If you have booked a venue for your catering gathering, then they can even help with stacking chairs and clearing tables. Then, all you need to do is say goodbye to your guests. Also, speaking of venues?

3.  How Will You Set Up?

If you own a venue, they might have some chairs and tables you can use, or you might have to supply your own. No matter what your situation is, you can take care of wedding catering Delaware Country PA and you will need to focus on the set up. With buffet catering, you need to set everything up yourself for the event. However, with full-service catering, the staff comes well before the event starts and not only sets up the food but also the venue.

They will set up the tables, spread the table cloth, and place all the silverware for you. Most staffs work pretty well as a team, and they can set up a decent-sized venue in a few minutes. So if you want to let someone else handle the set up and tear down, full service is the way to go.

This will depend on the size of the venue and how many people are coming. If you have twenty people and five seats at four tables, you might be able to do that yourself. If you have 50 people and five seats at ten tables, then you might have a problem that needs some serious help.

4.  What Event Style Are You Aiming For?

Buffet catering is where your guests stand up and walk up to get their food, often going cafeteria-style from station to station and either serving themselves or being served. It’s very informal and often good for informal style events. Sports games, friendly gatherings, parties, and the like. People get up, serve themselves, and not much is interrupted.

However, full-service buffets often have staff who come and wait for the tables and also attend to the needs of your guests. It’s a lot more formal and works whenever you are catering for weddings, bar mitzvahs, and formal banquets.

Figure out if you want an event that is more formal or less formal, and you’ll have an idea of what type of buffet-style to have to cater that event. Some events might be formal or informal by default, while others need to be thought about.

There’s No Wrong Answer.

Of course, you don’t want to overthink this, and chances are you know instinctively which buffet-style to choose from both options. No matter which one you pick you will be having a great company working for you that will help you make your event amazing. Of course, you also need to look at the type of food the company serves, the pricing, your budget, and everything else as well. There’s a lot that goes into picking the perfect catering company and you need to make sure you take the time to do it right.

But once you do, you will have the perfect buffet catering company that will make your event amazing! No matter what the event is, having a really good meal attached to it is certainly a great way to make it memorable.

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