Questions about our catering adventure!

[Gracie]

DH and I would really like this catering job we're doing for my friend's 50th BD to lead to another job(s)/referral(s).

Everyone at work now knows that we're catering this because my friend the hostess works here too. Everyone is saying - including my friend - that we should have business cards available. I think Avery or some brand makes inkjet-printer-compatible perforated card stock so it would be pretty easy.

So I make signs/placards for each food item? The food is so basic but I'm thinking of presentation more than as an explanation of the food. People are going to know it's potato salad, pasta salad etc. I'm thinking of those rectangular, folded once tent-style cards to place in front of each dish/dessert. The baked goods probably need more explanation.

If I did that, should we think up cutesy names for the food? It's so basic - potato salad with egg, italian dressing/vinagrette pasta salad, burgers, chicken breast, hot dogs, etc?

Loren

[sneezles]

Loren,
I wouldn't come up with cutsie name but I would put the business name on the card. We use sticky type of business cards that we attach to the flatware packs on catering jobs.

[katygirl]

I would make business cards as well. You never know who is going to be there. As far as cutesy names, I wouldn't so much make them "cute" but I would make the folding signs and just be descriptive. You are right, what can you say about a hot dog or hamburger...but as far as pasta salad, it could be "3 cheese pasta salad with pesto and roasted peppers" or your potato salad could be "roasted potato salad with fresh parsley and chopped eggs" I'm a computer teacher and one of my assignments is to make a menu using a microsoft table. I take off points if they just list "chicken fingers" or "meatballs" Descriptive writing sells. Or so I tell me students ;)

[Gracie]

Actually I guess "cutesy" was the wrong word. I meant descriptive, like when you write menus so thanks for clarifying Katy! There's nothing "cute" about potato salad! :D

We'll see what we can come up with.

"All-American Potato Salad"? - just potatoes, some onion, hard boiled eggs and may
"Pasta Salad Primavera"? (it will have tomatoes, broccoli, red onion, parmesan cheese, vinagrette, etc)
Garden Salad
Fruit Salad probably in a watermelon boat

For baked goods I made:
Chocolate chip cookies
Snickerdoodles
White Chocolate/Oatmeal/Cranberry cookies
The Farm of Beverly Hills brownies
Carrot Cake
Butter Cakes

Everything's so basic! I may stick to business cards! Any good name ideas?

Loren

[colleency]

Are you going to list the ingredients? I have a friend that is deathly allergic to parmesan, so if ingredients aren't listed, she always has to ask.

[misskitty100]

How about looking over some other catering company menu's to get ideas as to what to call the items you will be serving.

[katygirl]

I like the names you picked out!

[mbrogier]

I'm another that would love for someone to list ingredients, and definitely surprise ingredients like orange in those cookies. or parmesan cheese in the potato salad. If you have allergies, it's frustrating to not know what is in food and have to ask-- moreso when you get the feeling that the staff doesn't believe you. (but that's another rant)

I'd also make sure that the Farm of Beverly Hills isn't trademarked.

I love the idea of the sticky business cards on the silverware packs. I think that's really professional. The Avery business cards are ok, but they can look a bit cheap if they're printed on an ink jet printer. I know you're just starting out and don't have much money, but image is everything.

[IndyKF]

The Avery business cards are ok, but they can look a bit cheap if they're printed on an ink jet printer. I know you're just starting out and don't have much money, but image is everything.

Business cards can be pretty inexpensive to get print professionally, especially if you design them yourself.

www.vistaprint.com has deals for printing "free" business cards (not sure what kind of hook is involved, but it might be worth checking out...I've received samples from them and they are very nice quality).

I agree that you should make cards for the food you are serving. A friend of mine and I hosted an appetizer Christmas party last year and had approximately 14 different appys. We made cute label cards for all of them. It took the guesswork out of it and spared us the "what's THIS?" questions all night :D