Catering an event al fresco is very different from catering an event indoors. When catering indoors you have much more control over your environment. With nature it is a different thing. Nature can be unpredictable and actually may work against your plans. Here are five tips and tricks to make sure that the party runs smoothly when you take it outdoors:
- Take care of your team: During extremely hot days things can get uncomfortable quickly for your wait staff. Make sure that your staff has access to water and a shady place to escape the sun. Also, encourage your staff not to overdo it when carrying trays and other equipment.
- Keep food at a safe temperature: Take precautions to keep all food at a safe temperature. Use ice baths and coolers to preserve food that could spoil and become dangerous to consume when exposed to heat for too long. Moreover, be sure to have plenty of tents and umbrellas on hand so that guests can protect the food they are served.
- Have plenty of ice on hand: Whatever amount of ice you think you will need at your event – add to it. Ice is essential for outdoor events and it melts quickly so you will need as much ice as you can practically bring with you. Also, keep coolers around to preserve the ice for as long as you can.
- Protect guests from insects: One huge disadvantage to holding an event outdoors is that bugs and other pests are certain to make an appearance at some point. Therefore, you will need a way to minimize their presence. Use food covers, netting, citronella candles etc, to stop insects from ruining what might otherwise be an enjoyable occasion. Also, be sure that you have bug spray and anti-histamines on hand for guests who are particularly vulnerable to insect bites.
- Have a rain plan ready: You will naturally wish to protect your guests from sudden wind gusts and the occasional rain shower. Have a plan ready for people to move indoors quickly if you run afoul of bad weather or at the least have tents available so that your guests can take refuge underneath them.
Finally, our online catering software will help you organize and manage your event regardless of whether or not you hold it in or outdoors. Hospitality software helps you to prevent the unexpected from ruining your event. This helps you to better serve your customers and build your company’s reputation at the same time.