1. Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. Planning for Banquets: The Banquet Event Order (BEO) Chapter 2 2

2. Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. Read, understand, and execute a banquet event order (BEO). Create a timeline for the event. Schedule sufficient service staff to provide remarkable banquet service (and prepare for the unexpected). Create a floor or site plan for a banquet. Rent or requisition service items and tableware for a banquet. Rent or requisition appropriate types and quantities of service items necessary for an off-premise event Learning Objectives

3. Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. External Section Internal Section Reading and Understanding a Banquet Event Order BEO

4. Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. Sample BEO © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America

5. Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. Sample BEO (cont’d) © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America

6. Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. The external section is the only part the client sees. Includes: – Prices and billing information – Contact information – Number attending – Itinerary – Menu and bar information Reading and Understanding a Banquet Event Order The External Document

7. Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. The internal document should provide a complete description of the event including responsibilities. Distribute External & Internal document to all departments involved: Chef F&B director Maître d’hôtel Stewarding Maintenance Reading and Understanding a Banquet Event Order (cont’d) The Internal Document

8. Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. The internal document should provide a complete description of the event including responsibilities. Distribute to all departments involved. Includes: – Requests, like coat check or valet parking – Linen rentals – Outside vendor information – Anything the client is supplying Reading and Understanding a Banquet Event Order (cont’d) The Internal Document

9. Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. The BEO includes a guaranteed minimum and a guaranteed maximum. The host must pay for the minimum in the BEO, not just the amount that shows up. The maximum prevents a shortage of food and space if too many people show up. Reading and Understanding a Banquet Event Order (cont’d) Guarantees

10. Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. Creating a Timeline and a List of Priorities Create a timeline to keep track of the details for an event. Use the date and time of the event and work backward. 9/20 Birthday Party 9/19 Tent/Rental delivery 9/18 Confirm Staffing 9/10 Confirm # Guests 8/25 Staff 8/15 Confirm/adjust rental 6/1 Arrange Rental 5/1 Arrange Bouncy Ball Rental © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America

11. Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. Each course should be served within a 20-minute period. Banquet assembly lines—behind the scenes—help organize the service of each course. The service team works together in the time leading up to the reception and then before service. Service must also be coordinated for a buffet Servers must maintain the buffet line and remove plates from tables, among other tasks. Creating a Timeline and a List of Priorities (cont’d) Coordinating Service

12. Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. The server-to-guest ratio is determined based on several factors, including: – Style of service – Meal period (breakfast, lunch, or dinner) – On- or off-premise – Skill level of servers Service Staffing

13. Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. Servers are typically assigned to a specific number of tables. – There may be a team approach at service. Generally plan for one bar and two bartenders/100 guests. – An open bar is generally much busier than a cash bar. Service Staffing (cont’d) Staffing Needs and Assignments

14. Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. Off-premise events typically require additional staffing. It may be helpful to hire an additional setup and breakdown crew. Additional needs include: – Loading, transporting, and unloading equipment – Setting up tables and chairs – Setting up and breaking down cooking areas – Organizing rental items Service Staffing (cont’d) Off-Premise Staffing: Additional Needs

15. Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. Floor plans should include the placement of bars, gift tables, dance floor, and guest tables. Dining tables should be split into stations with an assigned server. Table numbers are typically displayed in holders on the table. Number the tables, just as in a typical dining room. Clients may request a VIP table. Floor or Site Plan

16. Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America

17. Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. Off-premise sites should be previewed before the contract is considered. Take a closer look at the power needed for equipment and plan around the available power. Floor or Site Plan (cont’d) Electricity

18. Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. Renting has some specific benefits for caterers, including: – Events that are larger than your plate inventory – Offering specialty items and presentations Ensure that items are properly prepared before returning to the rental company. – Damaged or dirty items can lead to charges. Rental companies typically deliver items a day or two before the event. Rental versus Ownership Renting

19. Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. Always order extra, in case of an accident or extra guests. Remember to order enough to account for service staff and vendor meals. The client should pay the rental company directly. Rental versus Ownership (cont’d) Renting (cont’d)

20. Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. Glassware must be returned in the correct racks to avoid breakage. Rinse all items before packing them for return. Rental versus Ownership (cont’d) Renting (cont’d)

21. Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. Owning requires storage space, man hours to load and clean items, and extra insurance. Owned equipment must be spotless before storing. It is helpful to keep china wrapped in numbered quantities. Do not stack large quantities of plates for a long period of time. Rental versus Ownership (cont’d) Owning

22. Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. Tents When choosing a tent, consider the size of the tables, as well as space in between them. Additional tents may be necessary for ceremony, as a weather backup. © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America

23. Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. A backup tent should always be ordered, even if rain is not expected. Keep tent sides rolled up as long as the weather holds. Have the sides pre-rolled and installed on the tent. If needed, simply untie the bow knots and unfurl. Tents (cont’d) Tent Sides © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America

24. Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. A tent with sides for collecting dirty china and glassware at an outdoor event. It should be convenient for servers but an adequate distance from guests. Set up linen bags for used linens and garbage cans for scraping plates. Tents (cont’d) The Sanitation Tent for Outdoor Events

25. Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. Bars can be rented for off-premise events. Use two banquet tables (one for back bar, one to make drinks) in the absence of a bar. Rent bins to hold ice, and scoops to prevent people from using glasses. There should be – 1 bar per 100 guests for dinner. – 1 bar per 200 guests for lunch. Bars

26. Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. Rental companies suggest 60-inch round tables to seat 8 to 10 people and 72-inch rounds for 10 to 12 people. Rent one or two extra tables, as a precaution. Other tables that may be needed include: – A table for place cards – Cake table – Gift table – DJ’s table – Prep tables for plating – Tables for silent auction items Tables

27. Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. You need enough chairs for everyone to sit during the meal, and possibly extra for a ceremony. Seat pads or chair covers can be rented to adorn folding chairs. Train employees to handle the chairs in a way that extends their longevity. Chairs

28. Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. The client may ask that ceremony chairs be reused for the dinner service. Disadvantages of this include: – Servers will be busy moving chairs, instead of other dinner prep. – Servers might get sweaty. – Early guests may not be able to sit, depending on the current location of chairs. Chairs (cont’d) Chairs for a Ceremony

29. Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. Service style affects the serving equipment needed. Necessary items can be rented, or may already be part of an established inventory. The BEO should include details on the types and designs of service items. Meet with the chef to determine how they would like items displayed and served. Serviceware

30. Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. Tableware Most caterers buy or rent basic, medium-weight white china for dinnerware. For a casual lunch, you could use inexpensive glass dinnerware. China © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America

31. Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. Tableware (cont’d) You need the appropriate glassware for all beverages. Most come in racks of 25. It is typically adequate to offer limited styles of glasses, like all-purpose wine glasses. Glassware

32. Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. The flatware that you use for a banquet can go a long way toward creating a specific effect. There are special pieces of flatware for a range of menu items. – Some may be difficult to rent, like fish knives or shellfish forks. Remember to include any support staff meals and employee meals to the quantity ordered. Tableware (cont’d) Flatware

33. Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. The color and style for linens should appear on the BEO. A set table should look generous, never skimpy in any way. Extra napkins or serviettes will be needed at any event. Keep an iron on hand, since linen is delivered pressed and wrapped. Banquet facilities with multiple events every weekend may maintain a linen inventory. Tableware (cont’d) Linens

34. Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. The fancier the napkin fold, the less sanitary the serviette due to the extra handling. At cocktail parties with passed appetizers or at an outdoor barbecue, disposable/recyclable paper goods can be used. Table skirting is typically used to dress tables in receiving areas, buffet tables, bars, and other display or special use tables. – Tables can also be draped with tablecloths, which is less expensive. Tableware (cont’d) Linens (cont’d)

35. Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. Coffee urns are an effective way to brew large quantities of coffee and can be rented in various sizes. You may also need one coffeepot for each server. You may rent a refrigerator truck, to hold food at a safe temperature. Themed decorations may be rented or owned if they can be used repeatedly. Miscellaneous Service Items

36. Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. It is essential to have an accurate event packing list so you don’t forget anything for an off-premise event. Go through the menu one line at a time to determine needs. Keep items stored in standard units by quantity, to simplify packing. The Off-Premise Event Packing List

37. Copyright © 2014 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. Exercise: prepare a rental list for an off-premise event, excluding bar supplies. Go to any website for party rentals and calculate the cost. Cite source and include the printed price list. List china glassware, tables, chairs, creamers, sugars, S&P, and linen. A banquet for 100 guests, tables of 10. Include: DJ, cake table, gift table, prep/plating tables, etc. Menu Sparkling wine toast Salad of mixed greens, heirloom tomatoes Rosemary chicken breast jus lié, double-baked potato, haricots verts White wine (red available as alternative upon request.) Wedding cake Coffee/tea The Off-Premise Event Packing List