Take 10: Meeting and Event Food-Service Essentials, Part 1
- Can you further explain the following slide? Combo meat/fruit/veggie platter for a total count of your group, not each?
If you have a group of 100, and you see on the menu that the vegetable platter serves 100, the fruit platter serves 100, the cheese platter serves 100, etc., you don't need an order of each to have 100 of each item. So, ask for a mixed platter that plates for 50 of each item.
- Dealing with dietary restrictions is always a challenge when you don't know ahead of time. (and I try to get this information when possible through registration, but sometimes I'm not in control.) It's particularly difficult when you have a plated service, because of time. I just did a meeting where the staff were wonderful and the first thing they did was introduce themselves and ask if anyone had special meal requests, but if your staff is limited, that is hard. Any great suggestions, ideas?
Anyone traveling with a diet restriction that does not make arrangements in advance must accept that they cannot always get what they want. You might want to note this in your registration materials.
- Do service personnel get charged tax on their tip?
The employees must pay income tax. Whether tax is added to the gratuity on a bill depends on the state you are meeting in.
- How do you deal with food allergies and large groups at a self-service buffet--without limiting variety of foods offered?
Be sure that every item is labeled with the ingredients, or says “gluten-free,” “contains peanuts,” etc. You could put the special items in a special section or on a separate buffet.
- How do you get rid of room rental fees when you consistently place 10 to 15 meetings annually at the same property for the last five years and spend plenty on room nights and F&B?
It is all about negotiation. What do you have to trade? Do you have alternate locations available? Send the hotel an RFP that will give them the impression you are looking at other venues.
- How do you tackle internal clients requiring a tasting when all food will be served buffet-style? Is it even worth it?
There are many variables, including the value of your meeting. The less profit they are making on your event, the less likely they will be to negotiate.
- I have an information room that we have water stations in. We provide coffee free to attendees--cookies are so expensive--what is an inexpensive food item to offer free to attendees (8,000 people)?
Bring in a popcorn machine. The aroma will fill the room. Pretzels, chips and dips are also good options.
- I need advice on cutting costs for events with 800 people. Plus, trying to meet all the dietary needs of people.
You can cut portions, lower quality or change proteins. Serve a smaller piece of meat. Serve pot roast instead of filet mignon. Serve chicken instead of beef. Serve good-grade meat instead of prime. Cut a course--instead of having both soup and salad, only serve one.
- What blogs do you suggest reading to stay on top of the food trends?
Serious Eats, Chow, Eater National, Eater Vegas, Organic Authority
- I’m planning a three-hour reception, and the venue noted in the proposal that food (buffet-style) will be available only for two hours. Is this acceptable? Why not the entire event? The attendance is around 3,800.
Perhaps it is the price. If you were willing to pay for an extra hour, would they leave it open? It may be for sanitation reasons, though. Certain items, such as meats, cream pies, or anything with mayo, can go bad and cause food poisoning.
BONUS FOOD QUESTIONS!
- Thank you for this great seminar. I wanted to chime in and say that coat check is more of a hard cost and many hotels have this brought in and not staffed by their own people.
Yes, if they bring in an outside company, that would not be negotiable. Just like some places hire outside valet parking companies.
- Patti, how did you start in hotel management? I know this is not a part of the webinars, but I found it very interesting and I am amazed of your knowledge.
I grew up in the restaurant industry. My family owned a big Italian restaurant. I studied hotel and restaurant in college, and worked in hotels while in college.
Take 10: Meeting and Event Alcohol Service Essentials, Part 2
- Can we ask the bartender to serve our sales team (employees) less alcohol versus our guests/potential customers?
How will the bartender know who is on your staff? What if someone else goes and gets the drink for the staff member? Better to tell your staff to order light pours.
- Does per-person cost include tips?
Per-person is usually plus tax, plus gratuity.
- What do you suggest for liquor service off-premises? I understand that we can hire a bar service, but would they come with liability coverage?
I would not hire a bar service that did not have liability insurance. In fact, all of your vendors should submit info to you about their insurance. In most locations, you can get a one- or two-day temporary liquor license, but you would have to plan for this way in advance--you are dealing with a government entity. Check with the local CVB.
- Should you notify the hotel that you'll be counting and marking bottles prior to the cocktail reception?
Yes, they need to know not to open the bars or discard the empties until you have inventoried them. It should also dissuade them from attempting to over-charge you.
- Excellent! I really enjoyed the webinar! I would love to buy the book in bulk. Please advise.
You can contact the publisher directly: John Wiley & Sons (www.wiley.com) and do a search for my name.
- For a corporate event, is the hosting organization required to verify that registrants are 21 years or older for the hosted bar?
You are both responsible. If there were a lawsuit, you would both be named.
- How do you know they have counted the drinks correctly at the end of the night, or the number of bottles of wine corked?
If you have issued drink tickets, you can count them. You can also count the empty bottles.
- How many ounces are in a keg of beer so I know what size the 165 servings are? Thanks!
It depends on the keg you use. A standard beer keg is 15 gallons. There are 128 oz. in a gallon, so 15 x 128 = 1,920 oz., give or take. An import keg is 13.2 gallons, so that would be 1,689.6 oz. A pony keg is 7.75 gallons, so that would be 992 oz. A sixth barrel, which is 5 gallons, is 640.
- How would you tell an attendee they can't have a drink because you have reached your maximum dollar amount?
They should be informed in advance that the bar will close when the limit is met.
- If you're paying by the drink, you don't have to be as vigilant, do you? Unless attendees say the drinks are too weak? Then you would check the pour?
If you are paying by the drink, you want accountability on how many drinks were served. If you are using tickets, you can count them. Or, you can request a pre-check machine where drinks are rung up. And, yes, you should always check the pour.
BONUS ALCOHOL QUESTIONS!
- Is it okay to serve wine and beer by just opening the bottles and leaving them out without a bartender?
Yes, but someone would need to monitor the bar to be sure people are not getting too drunk, because of liability issues.
- Is there a standard hotel policy on what goes under "call brand" liquor and what goes under "premium brand" liquor?
Each property decides what brands they will put in each category. For example, Four Seasons serves call brands in its well. Distinctions are usually made by price.
- Is it considered prudent or a best practice when you're having an event (especially a late-night one) to serve some food--at least snack mix or pretzels? Are we more liable in any way if we do not offer food of any kind?
Yes, you ALWAYS need to serve food with alcohol.
- What argument can I use for senior management, who feel like money shouldn't be spent on any food when hosting a reception?
Ask him that if anything happens that results a lawsuit, and he is sitting on the witness stand and the prosecuting attorney asks if he served food, what he will say.
- Beware of 'hosted' events, particularly, if your hosts are from out-of-state. In some states, the hosts just can't drive their preferred wines in to the state where your conference is held. Many times, you have to buy the wine though a state liquor store, or have the wine shipped to an appropriate state licensed liquor store. As well, you might have to work through the (ABC) alcohol beverage commission in the area where your conference is held.
Most hotels have policies against bringing in liquor. They could lose their liquor license in some states.
- What do you do in places like Mexico where 21 doesn't appear to be the legal drinking age? I had a hospitality suite on a family program. One of teens was served alcohol because Mexico doesn't agree that you must be 21.
Either check what the specific law says, or don't do it.
