Food and beverage

When selecting a caterer for an on-campus event, make sure you use a caterer from the list of Approved Caterers, found online.

Keep in mind if the cost of food for your function exceeds $40/person, including tax and gratuity, you need to get Dean’s approval.

Check with your caterer on the setup equipment they will provide (e.g., banquet tables for the food, linen for the tables, décor for the banquet table, plates (what kind), glasses (what kind), napkins (paper or linen), plastic utensils or silverware. It is also important to know how the food will be served.

A caterer can often provide you with upgraded linen, plates, glassware and other items needed for your event. This can be very helpful and makes one less thing you have to worry about. Make sure you are getting a fair price or you can get the same items from a rental company, see list of rental companies under tent and event rental companies on Sunmart.

Make sure you use a caterer that can be accommodating to dietary needs. The day of the event make sure you know the name of the persons with dietary needs and inform the serving staff of the need where the person is seated and how they can identify him/her.

Temporary Food Establishment Permit
If your event is open to the general public or has attendees other than faculty, staff or students at the university you will have to apply for Temporary Food Establishment Permit.  The only exception for this is when you use ASU in-house caterers (Aramark, Atlasta and Sodexo).

Donated Food or Special Menu Item
If you expect to receive food donations or require a special menu item that cannot be provided by a company on the Approved Food Providers List, a Food Waiver Request must be completed and submitted to:

ASU Campus Health Services
Veronica Oros
PO Box 872104
Tempe, AZ 85287-2104

Food Waiver Request needs to be submitted a minimum of 14 days prior to the event date. The request will be reviewed and then forwarded to Student Development and the Memorial Union administrative office for final approval.

In addition, you need to comply with the university insurance requirements when preparing and serving donated foods for special events. Food permit and health information can be found at https://students.asu.edu/health/foodsafety.

Tasting
When using a new caterer or planning a high profile event, ask for a tasting of possible menu options. You might prefer the chicken on one dish but the vegetables on another. This allows you to select the best menu and presentation possible.

Business Meals Form
You need to submit a Business Meals Form to your accounts payable person (Office Specialist, Senior Accountant or Accountant Associate) with any food or beverage request for payment, include separate list of attendees if you have more guests than can be listed on the form.

Guarantee
Read your contract to see when your guarantee deadlines are for the final number. This is the number you will be billed for regardless of if only half the people show up. Sometimes this is one week out, other times it might be 72 hours before the event date. Make sure your RSVP date is at least two days prior to the earliest guarantee date. Check with the caterers on how much they “over seat.” This means how much extra food or seats they provide. The norm is between three to five percent. Don’t forget to account for those that don’t RSVP and subtract potential no shows. When making changes to your estimated number, remember to change your linen, centerpieces, tables and chairs accordingly.

Approval Signature for Food and Beverage
Any banquet ticket or conference authorization must be signed by an ASU employee if paid from an ASU account, even if the responsibility of the conference arrangements is shared by non-ASU individuals or entity.