Policies and Procedures

Elizabethtown College Catering Department

In order to provide a professional presentation of events and to exceed our guests expectations while maintaining the financial responsibility of our department we must use the following procedures. We thank you in advance for your cooperation and understanding and for your continued support of our catering department.

Planning your event: Please book your event location via our web schedulingsystem, 25Live on the Etown College website. Make sure to select the catering option as a resource. If you do not select this option our catering department is not notified with any information concerning your event. Please book all catered events 2 weeks prior, as all food orders, schedules and other details are done at this time. We will no longer accept catering requests made less than 6 days prior to an event. So please plan ahead and book your space within the 2 week period. It is helpful to our planning department if you include a brief note on your reservation request describing your basic catering need such as:

Continental Breakfast for 40, or Dinner Buffet for 100.

You must provide your department account number when reserving your space in 25 Live. If you decide to change your account number after the event sheet has been sent it will be your responsibility to contact the business office to make that change.

Begin Planning

  • The Date
  • The Times: Arrival and DeparturePlease do not try to figure set up and tear down time, our experienced scheduler will do this automatically. A brief itinerary of your event is essential for our department. We need to know are you having your program first then dinner or dinner then your program.
  • Group Name and Contact Name with email and phone number
  • Number of guests: The final guest count must be provided 4 full business days prior to your event. You will be billed for the count given on this date, if no adjustment is received you will be charged for the original guest count or if the number of guests that show up to the event is higher, then you will be charged for the highest number.
  • Guest Minimum: Please Note for parties under 20 guests there will be an additional service charge. Minimum service charge will be $20.00. Charges will vary based on required staffing and length of event.
  • Location:Please be sure to book the appropriate location for your event. Feel free to contact the catering manager prior to booking your event for suggestions.
  • Buffet, Served Meal or Break (Served meals in some locations are more labor intensive and there may be an additional charge depending on the details of the event. Examples are events that take place in Leffler Chapel, The Young Center, Alumni House, Hoover 110. Buffet dinners are strongly suggested for these areas.
  • The amount you have in your budget per person for each event. This will save us all a lot of time.

.

Payment and Meal Exchanges

  • Account number must be provided when booking your event. (You will receive a copy of your statement prior to the event, any count changes will be reflected in the final billing at the end of each week in which your event took place via the business office. You may simply change it to coincide with the final count changes on your copy. You must provide a department account number. If you are planning an event for an off campus client or for your own personal event, policies and pricing are much different, please contact the catering manager directly to plan any events that do not pertain to the college
  • If using meal exchanges please select your menu from the meal exchange menu options or the balance due for any other selection will be billed to your account. Please only one meal exchange per person. Value towards non-meal exchange menus will be $6.00. Names and ID numbers must be emailed to the catering manager prior to your event. You may only use meal exchanges for student meal events. Cookies, beverages, snacks must be paid for by an account number. Meal exchanges are for STUDENT GROUP USE ONLY, the purpose is to provide groups that are student based with an opportunity to use their meal plan to help provide a meal for a special event since unlike departments on campus they typically do NOT have a budget for this purpose. If you are planning a department event you may collect meal exchanges from those students attending, only one per person for the person attending, and the $6.00 amount will be deducted from the total. (Re: your event is $15.95 per person, minus the meal exchange, the department would be responsible for the remaining $9.95 per person. If the meal exchanges are not received prior to the billing process at the end of the week, we will be unable to accept them.

Student Groups, you may NOT randomly collect meal exchanges from just anyone and turn them in to pay for your event. The person providing the meal exchange by giving their name and ID number, must be attending the event.

Also meal exchanges CANNOT be exchanged for any cash value from the dining services department for any reason including fundraisers.

You may not use meal exchanges to purchase food items from any off campus vendor.

Student attending and using a meal exchange should be prepared to present their id at the event.

  • If you are planning a benefit and wish to obtain support from Dining Services a detailed letter must be emailed to our director, Eric Turzai. He will review the information and respond to you directly.

Details

  • Menu: Please review our latest menus available online at and have your decisions and or questions in mind. We are always happy to plan custom menus, which will be priced accordingly. Also keep in mind that when selecting split entrees, you will be limited to no more than 2 entrees. You will need to provide each guest with a marked place card as to their previously selected entrée. This card should be presented to the guest on arrival at the function and placed on the table so the servers may read it.

Prices are subject to change without notice. However those prices in effect at the time your event sheet was prepared will be honored.

  • Included with each event will be china or black plasticware depending on the menu requirements.
  • Linens are included in the price for each event to cover all tables for food presentation, display tables and dining tables.

However there may be a charge of $5.00 per tablecloth for any additional linens to cover conference tables etc.

  • Servers are included in the price of each event. The ratio per guest will be at the catering manager’s discretion. There may be additional labor fees if our staff must remain past the 2 hour service time due to meetings, etc. There are many times that people suggest that we simply leave, however we are not permitted to leave catering items in a space until the next day, so staff must stay until the event is over. For events that will be exceptionally long(exceeding 4 hours), please let the catering manager know in advance so we can plan accordingly.
  • All menus are priced per person for your planning ease.
  • Any leftover food and beverage is property of the catering department and will be picked up by the catering staff unless other arrangements have been previously made with the catering manager. Please do not remove items and take back to offices, etc. Please do not remove any catering supplies or equipment. If catering supplies such as leftover cups, plates, flatware, napkins, trays, linen, etc. are removed, the department will be charged for the replacement cost of all items.

We are very concerned with the health and safety of our campus and have strict health regulations that do not permit food to be out after certain time frames. Food may not be left out for longer than 2 hours regardless of the length of your event. So please keep in mind while planning that we will remove the food after 2 hours.

  • Other needs to consider that we can assist you with:

*Tables for other items, such as pamphlets, registration, awards, etc.

*ITS needs, such as screens, smart cart, flip charts, overhead, etc. Please contact ITS as well as copy the catering manager. Some spaces the screens, projectors are built in. For example, Susquehanna room we have all of the above items and the catering manager will handle those details, please just inform us of any needs you will have for all of your events regardless of location, so that we can make sure during our set up that everything that you require is there and ready.

*Centerpieces or other decorations. They are not included in our pricing but we are happy to order them for you at an additional cost. Any centerpieces that we do have you are welcome to use at no additional charge for our on campus events.

*Our standard linen color is champagne or white. If you have another request, you must let us know when booking the event. Typically we can accommodate, but there would be an additional charge.

*Special set-up requirements. (Susquehanna Room is set with round tables of 8. Event Space, M&M Mars, Hoover 110 are round tables of 8 and it is campus policy that Hoover 110 is not changed, it remains set up for 80 at all times)

  • Now that the event is planned, the catering manager will prepare an event sheet for you and send it via email. Please send a return email acknowledging receipt of the event sheet. At this time, please note any changes or questions.
  • When you receive your event sheet also please take a few minutes toreviewand make sure the following things are correct, if they are not correct contact the catering manager immediately.

Time, guest counts, location, date, set up needs, menu any special requests including special dietary needs and account number. If you do not notify us of any errors, we will not be held responsible.

  • Upon arrival at your event either the catering manager or other catering staff will be there to assist you with all your catering needs and to answer any questions or last minute concerns you may have. If at this time there are changes we will do our best to accommodate you, but sometimes there may be circumstances beyond our control.

Policies

  • Four business days prior to your event we must have your guaranteed guest count. This count will be used for preparation as well as final billing purposes. It is essential that if you do NOT receive an event sheet at least one week prior to your event that you contact the catering manager to assure that there has not been an oversight.
  • Elizabethtown College shall not be liable for damage to, or loss of, personal property.
  • Cancellation policy: We must be notified at least one week prior to your scheduled event. If the event is cancelled on a shorter notice you may be billed for the event. Of course there are exceptions due to weather, etc. The catering manager will review and make a decision concerning billing.
  • All events, which require food and beverage service must be provided by The Elizabethtown College Catering Department. Any other off campus caterer orfood service company must be approved through the catering manager prior to the event. Including those providing donated items. They must provide us with a copy of their liability insurance as well as their health inspection.You are not permitted to bring your own food intodesignated catering spaces. If catering is requested, our department must provide all of your food and beverage needs. You may not provide any food items unless preapproved by the catering manager.
  • Beer and Wine only may be served at the Alumni House, Susquehanna/Swatara Rooms, Writer’s House and the President’s Home. Each event will be handled on an individual basis following the Elizabethtown College Alcohol Policy and must be previously approved by the Presidentof Elizabethtown College. Please send an email to him prior to your event to receive his approval via email. (you may send it to Sheryl Cyphert at ) He will then notify our catering department of the approval. Please refer to the alcohol policy prior to planning your event. Alcoholic beverages are prohibited for student events.

Kathy Christopher

Catering Manager

717-361-1155

August 2013