How Covid Changed the Event Catering Business - And What You Need to Plan For

Despite a relative return to normalcy, there’s no denying that COVID-19 has invariably changed the landscape of the event catering industry. But that certainly doesn’t mean your special event has to lose any of its lustre. By taking into account a few key considerations, you and your caterer will be able to craft a game plan to ensure your event will be remembered for years to come.

Government Regulations

Province-wide gathering restrictions may have been lifted, but as we’ve all come to learn over the past two years, things can change rather quickly. So, first and foremost, you’ll want to check what provincial guidelines are currently in place. In a similar vein, we suggest that you confirm with your caterer when final table seating numbers and arrangements need to be confirmed, and how they’ll work with you to make any last-minute adjustments if a large number of guests are unable to attend due to illness. 

The Savoury City Catering team is always happy to rise to a challenge, so whether it be a creative custom menu to accommodate dietary restrictions or an order for hundreds of boxed lunches for conference attendees,, you can feel confident and relaxed knowing no hurdle will be too high. 

Choosing Your Venue and Vendors

When it comes to booking your vendors, be prepared to inquire early and secure your caterer and other vendors further in advance than was typical pre-pandemic. With the backlog of events and weddings, vendors are booking up for weekend dates months and years in advance. Consider hosting your event on an off-peak time, such as a weekday evening or during the day to ensure your dream vendors are available. If your date isn’t flexible, and your preferred vendors are already booked up, they might be able to recommend reputable industry colleagues who might have availability.

If you haven’t done so already, try to choose a venue that allows for spacious seating. If an outdoor event is available, we often recommend going al fresco as it offers a variety of service options and fewer challenges in terms of space constraints. 

If an outdoor event isn’t in season, a great way to ensure your guests will feel comfortable attending, and you will feel confident moving forward with planning the event, is to pick a venue that already has excellent safety standards and a solid reputation in place. Asking questions about the venue’s  Covid policies and flexibility working with past events during the pandemic will help you find out if the space is fit for the type of event you envision. 

Your caterer will be able to assist you in the strategic, distanced placement of action stations, dessert tables and buffet lines, so if you have a chance to do a walkthrough of the space beforehand, we recommend asking your caterer to attend with you.

Service Style

Once you’ve decided on a venue, we recommend working with your caterer to choose a service style that suits your event. If you’re planning something a bit more business-casual, like a boardroom luncheon with clients or an in-office brainstorming session, we suggest asking your caterer if they can provide drop-off services. Savoury City offers a wide selection of creative hot and cold items that can be prepared off-site and delivered directly to your office, so you can keep your mind at ease and focused on what’s important. Sandwiches, wraps or individually-packaged snack boxes or charcuterie cones are an easy way to provide lunch for colleagues while accommodating all comfort levels.

Buffets and family-style meals are always a great option when catering to a large event crowd, but if you think guests would be more comfortable with socially-distanced methods of eating, we recommend seating a smaller number of people, or one household, per table and inquiring about plated entrees to reduce the number of interactions between guests.

Taking Advantage Of Technology 

If you’re planning to offer any kind of ticketed station at your event, try to take advantage of today’s technology by implementing e-tickets and cashless payments. By doing so, you’ll not only reduce unnecessary close-quarter interactions and long lineups, your guests will also get to spend more time enjoying your event. 

Cash bars are a popular choice when hosting a reception or party, so we recommend asking your caterer if they are equipped to deal with digital payment and socially-distanced queuing. 

Planning an event of any kind in the post-pandemic era can appear daunting at first glance, but working with experienced vendors will set you up with the proficiency, precision, and poise to traverse our tricky new terrain and tackle any unforeseen challenges that may lie ahead.

Fluctuating Food Costs

As seen in almost every other industry, food and operating costs have risen substantially over the last few months due to inflation and the current state of supply chains. Caterers and other vendors are working hard to find creative solutions for their clients, while juggling unpredictable supply prices. Be patient with your caterer - you hired them for a reason, and you can trust they’re doing their best to ensure your event is minimally impacted. If you’ve worked with your caterer previously, be mindful that their current pricing will almost certainly be higher than it was for the last event they worked with you.