Ordering Information

Our Reputation

Food for Thought Catering has proudly and responsibly served the Tri-State area for over 20 years. We stand by our work and strive to always exceed your expectations. In our business, we realize that reputation is everything and word of mouth is the best advertising. Our main interest is in the gratification of our customers. We not only want to please you so that you will come back time and time again, but we also want you to proudly and confidently tell your family and friends that you highly recommend us. We are a proud member of the Better Business Bureau and committed to the highest level of customer satisfaction and ethical business practices. Our reputation speaks for itself; however, we encourage you to review our A+ rating on the Better Business Bureau’s website at www.delaware.bbb.org.

Corporate Catering is Our Specialty!

We specialize in corporate catering Monday through Friday. Whether you are having a breakfast meeting, a working lunch, sending food to a client, a company picnic or a holiday party, we do it all. We offer 30-day terms to our corporate clients and accept all major credit cards. For your convenience, all billing is done via email. Final invoices will be sent on the day of service. Clients that use credit cards will be emailed both an itemized receipt and a credit card receipt for expense account purposes.

Catering Service Options

Pick Ups

Cold Pick Up
Perhaps you want to take a pan of Italian Pulled Pork to the beach for the weekend, or a Pear and Candied Walnut Salad to a party you’re attending tonight. Maybe you just prefer the do-it-yourself approach and want to cater your own party, but need some help with the preparation. Whatever the reason, your food will be fully prepared and refrigerated for you to re-heat at a later time.

Hot Pick-Up
Your food will be hot and ready to serve. We’ll pack it in a heavy-duty cardboard catering box.

We are typically able to accommodate pick-ups Monday through Friday between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm. We do not have office hours on the weekends, so pick-ups are available by appointment only. We try to schedule you before, after, or in between events when we have staff members available. We ask that you arrive as close to your pick-up time as possible, as the staff member waiting to meet you cannot be late to the next event.

Delivery and Set-Up

One Way Delivery and Set-Up
This is our most convenient and economical service. We’ll deliver and set up your meal with disposable equipment, including trays, serving utensils, and anything else needed to serve the food that you order from us. Your meal will be ready for your guests to serve themselves, and save you the trouble of having to clean and return equipment. Please have tables in place for our staff, and inform us of any situations that may require more time, such as stairs or difficult parking conditions. $200 minimum order required for delivery.

Delivery Charges for One Way Delivery and Set-Up:
Delivery charges are based on day of the week, time of day, and distance from our kitchen.

Premium Delivery and Set-Up
Want a fancier look? We’ll deliver and set up your meal with stainless steel chafing dishes and serving utensils and decorative platters and bowls.  Stainless steel chafing dishes are a rental item and are $20 each. Equipment must be returned to us free of food on the next business day. Charges will be calculated based on travel distance and the time required to set up food equipment.

Return and Pick Up
Unable to return Premium Equipment or coffee equipment to us? We can get it on the next business day after your event. Call for pricing.

Full-Service Events

Staffing
Would you like passed appetizers? How about on-site cooking? Are you serving alcoholic beverages? Full-service events are staffed as necessary to ensure that your event runs smoothly and efficiently. Hiring Chefs, Servers, and Bartenders is the perfect way for you to enjoy a carefree event. Staffing is billed at an hourly rate and will be calculated when the scope of the event is determined.

Rental Equipment
Need tables, chairs, china, glassware, tents, or linen? We can refer you to locally owned and operated companies that will be able to assist with all of your rental needs, or if you prefer, we can handle it for you.

Confirmation and Payments

Order Confirmation
In order for us to ensure that we can schedule adequate staffing, please confirm your order 10 business days before the event date. The final menu and guest count are due 5 business days prior to your event. After that point, we cannot accept cancellations or deletions, as the ordering process and planning have already begun. Additions can usually be made up until the day before the event. Just call and we will make every effort to accommodate you!

Deposit and Payment
A non-refundable retainer of $250 is required to reserve a date and secure pricing. 50% of the total price is required 2 weeks prior to the event, and the balance is due 1 week prior to the event. We accept cash, check, and all major credit cards. For your convenience, all billing is done via email. Clients that use credit cards will be emailed both an itemized receipt and a credit card receipt.

Gratuity
Gratuity for our Staff is never included in our menu pricing and invoicing. However, tips are considered proper and are always greatly appreciated by our staff. Please pay the server directly, or if you wish, we can include it on your invoice at your request.

Cancellation Policy
Please note that we cater all events rain or shine. This policy applies to snowstorms as well. Please have a contingency plan in place for inclement weather. Tent rentals are a great “insurance policy” for your outdoor event. Should the weather affect your event, we will try to work with you to the best of our ability, but we cannot accept a full cancellation of the order.  It is not our intent to penalize our clients, but we cannot take a loss on the labor and the food that has been ordered and/or prepared on your behalf. We will be happy to take items such as disposable products or canned sodas and bottled water off of your bill because we can put them back on our shelf and use them again. Perishable prepared food items, however, do not offer that same flexibility. We can hold your food for you to pick up or have delivered at a later date, or we can make arrangements to donate it to a charitable organization on your behalf.

 

How Do I Place an Order?

We now have two ways to get the wheels in motion! You can use the “Build a Menu” feature on the site, or you can just give us a call. Either way, once you provide us with all the information we need, we can email an estimate to you. All of our charges are line itemized, so there are no hidden fees. You only pay for what you need!

1. Choose a Menu

   Take a look at the menus on the website and choose some items that interest you. For your convenience, each menu item notes the number of servings and prices. We are happy to answer any questions you have about menu items. Keep in mind that we won’t be able to tell you how much your event will cost until you choose a menu. With the exception of a few very select menu items, we can only sell items in the quantities noted on each item. For example, an order of crab cakes is 10, and we can’t do it for 11.

2. Consider the Level of Service You’d Like to Have

   See Catering Options above. The majority of our clients take advantage of the convenience and economy of a One Way Delivery and Set-Up.

3. Establish a Location

   Please provide us with a street address, and if applicable, a suite number, floor, or room number. Additionally, an alternate point of contact and a cell phone number will help ensure timely delivery.

4. Decide When You Want to Eat

   We operate by start times, not arrival times. Please let us know what time you want the setup process to be complete, and we will arrive at the appropriate time, which is typically 45 to 15 minutes before most Delivery and Set-Ups. For example, if you would like to have your food set up and us out of your hair by 12:00, we will plan to arrive between 11:15 and 11:45. Premium and Staffed events generally require more time, but we’ll be able to give you an idea of when we will arrive when the scope of the event is determined.

5. Choose a Disposable Ware Package

   We have three types, one very basic and economical, one that is environmentally friendly, and one a little fancier. View them here. Want to provide your own? No problem! Note that serving utensils (tongs, spoons, spreaders, etc.) are included in the price of the food.

6. Decide if You Want Chafing Dishes for Any Hot Food

   We sell disposable chafing dishes that are yours to keep. They’re a good idea if you don’t plan on eating immediately or for events where you need to make food available for longer periods of time. If you already own some and want us to use them for your set up, please make sure that you have the water pans and sterno to go with the wire frames. We have those items available for purchase if you need them. If you don’t plan to use chafing dishes, we’ll set up your hot food in a specially designed cardboard container which will help insulate the food for a short period of time.

7. Determine Payment Method

   We accept cash, check, and all major credit cards. We will take your credit card information over the phone when you place your order. We typically charge the card on the day before the event or on Friday for Saturday, Sunday, or Monday events. A receipt and an itemized invoice will be emailed to you. Please note that our staff is not equipped with credit card processing devices, and do not carry cash.