Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Where should I start?
Do you offer tastings?
Yes! We are happy to meet with you and provide one tasting to help you understand our chef’s commitment to quality and flavor. Tastings are $40.
How do I "lock in" the date with you?
In order to secure your date, we ask for a 25% non refundable deposit and a signed contract. This will be applied to your final bill. The 25% deposit is our standard practice; however, depending on the size of your event and the proximity of booking, we may ask for a greater deposit amount.
When is my final payment due?
Your final payment is due 7 days prior to your event date.
What if my guest counts go up or down?
We know that your initial guest count is a preliminary estimate, so we don’t require a final guest count until 14 days prior to your event date. Once we have received your final count, we cannot drop the count. However, if your count goes UP, we will work with you to accommodate additional guests.
What if I have a guest with food allergies?
We are very sensitive to allergies and would work with you to make accommodations for your guests. Please understand, all types of foods are prepared in our kitchen, so while we can prepare food to be gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, etc., we cannot guarantee that said foods would be completely allergen-free, as trace amounts of the allergen may be present due to cross-contamination. Additional fees may apply.
How many emails and phone calls are allowed during the planning process?
We do not charge you based on a number of phone calls or emails…we are always there for you, throughout your planning process! However if you have multiple questions, or need an immediate answer about something, a phone call works best. We pride ourselves on our response time, but we are sometimes out of the office on site visits, or events, or outside meetings.
How many servers and chefs will I need?
There are many criteria considered when determining this…we schedule our service staff and kitchen staff according to how many guests will be attending, as well as the details of your event, menu specifications, and event location. We always make certain that we have a proper number of staff to make your event run smoothly and efficiently. If additiona staffing levels are requested or required, additional fees may apply.
Do you have insurance?
Absolutely! We are fully licensed and insured.
What is your service charge amount and what does it cover? Is there a gratuity?
The hourly labor charge covers a portion of the staffing labor at the event. The service charge is 25% of all food, beverage, and rental items. The service charge covers the remaining labor for staff prior to the event (all the planning, preparation and set up that goes into your event), along with post-service clean-up work (things like doing all of the dishes, processing linens and putting items back in stock at our warehouse). We do not have an additional gratuity added. Our gratuity policy is: It’s not required, but much appreciated. Our team truly loves what they do and we want that to shine through in your event services.
What is your delivery charge?
In Metro Grand Rapids area, our delivery fee is $100. Deliveries outside the city range from $125-$300.
Do you have an early set up charge?
If early set up is requested at any facility prior to our standard arrival time (2 hours prior), additional fees will apply. Early set up fees are based on venue location. Local charges (Grand Rapids) a flat $200 – set up will begin 4 hours prior to guest arrival. Additional venue charges for early set up at begin at $250. If linens are requested prior to our arrival, clients are welcome to make arrangements to pick up linens at our corporate offices ahead of time. Please be advised, linen pick up services MUST be arranged at your 1 month check in. If a client elects to pick up linen early, the client accepts all responsiblity for placement of linen as well. Early pick up for linen is complimentary.
What will the staff wear at my event?
Our service staff is outfit in urban modern service attire. Outdoor more casual events may present more relaxed uniform standards. Our culinary team presents in traditional chef coats.
Do you provide china, glassware, silverware, and linens?
We absolutely can – Above & Beyond is a full-service caterer! While our packages include high quality disposable products, we could provide chinaware and linens for an additional fee. Please contact us directly for more details.
If I need more than just catering, can you help me with that?
We’d love to! Above & Beyond has a great relationship with numerous area vendors and venues. We will be more than happy to help you in planning all areas of your event, additional fees may apply.
What is your cancellation policy?
If you cancel the event with Above & Beyond Catering, ALL deposits are non-refundable. In the instance an event is cancelled within two weeks of the event, Above & Beyond Catering, at its discretion, may require event payment in full. Events cancelled within 7 days will be charged the full balance. Refunds of any kind, and the application of any deposits paid to a future event will be at the sole discretion of Above & Beyond Catering.