Top 10 Catering Questions, Answered

…by local catering favorite, Garry’s Grill

 

By Desiree Smith-Daughety | November 2011

Photos by Alison Harbaugh

If you’ve ever attended a holiday party, fundraiser, wedding, or gallery opening, you’ve probably enjoyed a catered experience. The idea of food cooked, delivered and served may seem straightforward and simple, but there's a lot more to it than that. 

 

While food is the star of the catering world, it's only part of the equation. Eddie Conway, owner of Garry’s Grill & Catering, a full service catering company in Severna Park, agrees.

 

According to Conway, planning an event is always complicated, regardless of the headcount and caterers handle many pieces of the puzzle, from glassware to décor. Conway says when it comes to catering, clients want a perfect event, and he and his team work hard to cover every base and achieve that perfection. “We specialize in providing a back-up plan, preparing for the ‘what if's.’ Clients are focused on their event being the best, but they can’t always think of all the things that could potentially go wrong,” he says. “We cater up to 30 events monthly and know what could go wrong, and want our clients to feel comfortable that we are experts at what we do.”

We sat down with Conway to learn ten of the most common questions he’s been asked. Here, he gives us the answers. 

1. I’ve never used a caterer before. What’s the best reason to do it?

Simply put, we can cater an entire multi-course meal or event, or simply take care of the side dishes or one course. When you hire us, you leave the details to us, so you can so you can enjoy your event.

We take the nerves out of orchestrating a successful event. It’s our job to think ahead and to consider the little things. You want coffee at your event? Maybe you didn’t realize you’d need an extension cord to reach the outlet because of its distance from the table. We prepare for those details.

2. What types of events do you specialize in?

We don’t specialize – we enjoy catering every type of event – but we do cater 50 to 75 wedding receptions a year. For me, it’s just another day. But for the bride and groom, it’s their big day. We know messing up even one minor thing is not an option because of the importance they place on this event.

We also cater a lot of Christmas parties, golf tournaments, birthdays, bridal showers, baby showers, day-after breakfasts for weddings, catering jobs for pharmaceutical representatives at medical offices… any event that needs food and may require a staff.

3. We’re on a tight budget. Can you work with us?

Everyone has a budget of some sort they’re working with, especially with this economy. We make it work. Share your budget number upfront so we can customize our offerings to fit. We work with you to help you stick to your budget and still have a wonderful event.

We’ve heard from many clients that we’re a lot less expensive than some of our competitors – and clients have confessed that this scared them at first. But when we have them in for a tasting, they’re blown away. They think it’s too good to be true – that may be why we have a lot of repeat customers.

 

4. What is the smallest catering job you’ll do, and what does it include?

The smallest job we’ve ever done was for eight people. We delivered it to someone’s house for a dinner. Within the Severna Park/Arnold area, there’s no minimum. Outside of that, the minimum is 15 people.

And the only time we would say no to a job is when we don’t have the product to fulfill the order: we need at least 48 hours to order and prepare the food.

 

5. What’s included: do you handle set up and clean up?

Garry’s Grill offers soup-to-nuts catering, if needed. For example, we cater at Quiet Waters Park a lot, at what would be called a nude facility because it requires a complete set up. We have to get there about 2 1/2 hours early to prepare, then stay afterward to break down everything, vacuum and mop. The room must look the same as it did when we came in, which is empty.

We can help you decide which type of service best suits your event and budget. We offer a full professional staff to run your event; however, we also offer pick-up or drop-off catering services that don’t require staffing.

6. What types of food and beverages do you provide, and can we customize the menu?

We’ll do whatever suits the event. For example, I’m a huge sports fan and therefore know what sports fans like to eat, so I really enjoy catering tailgating events. I have catered tailgates for Ravens, Redskins, and Navy games – but we'll cater them all. For one Ravens tailgate, we took a deep fryer with us to make a deep-fried turkey, and also had blue cheese-stuffed buffalo chicken balls, mini crab cakes, steamed shrimp, a fruit and cheese display for vegetarians, and wings with sauces such as buffalo garlic, mild and Asian teriyaki. We also served London broil.

Customization depends on the event; we can pretty much do whatever you want: filet mignon, roast beef, tea/mini-croissant sandwiches, wraps. We even cater entire Thanksgiving dinners for pick-up the day before: all you’d have to do is pop it in the oven the next day. We need that advance notice, of course!

Desserts are something we can provide too: a chocolate fondue station, brownies, cookies, mini cheesecakes. For cakes, we have them made at Donna’s Bakery in Baltimore.

We can also provide beer, wine and liquor service and supply bar tenders and serving staff.

7. Do you handle themed events?

Yes, we do. For example, now that it’s fall, we’ll bring out pumpkins and leaves to decorate. Or, provide a fall-themed wedding with apple butter pork chops, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin muffins, homemade spiced tea… Also, for Christmas parties, we can provide a tree, garlands and lights.

8. Do you find the facility or party venue, or do we?

We have a list of facilities that we can recommend, but 90 percent of clients locate their own venue. For some venues, we simply send a copy of our insurance to the facility; however, there are many places in the area where Garry’s Catering already has a working relationship.

9. If we need special items, such as china, linens and crystal glassware, or entertainment, can you provide those?

Absolutely. We work with a local party rental company and can get flatware, plates, glassware and any color linens you could want. We can also give you recommendations for entertainers.

10. How far in advance should I book, depending on the type of event?

We ask that you give us at least 48 hours notice. However, if you’re in a crunch, we’ll do everything we can to get a short-notice done. Keep in mind, however, that there’s a finite schedule, so the earlier you book a date, the better, in case that day fills up.

Catering is all in the details and you want to work with someone who pays attention to each facet, from the planning stages right through to serving delicious and perfectly-presented food.

To learn more about Garry’s Grill Restaurant & Catering, visit www.GarrysGrill.com or call 410.544.0499. Catering menus are available online. Stop by for breakfast, lunch, or dinner – any day except Thanksgiving or Christmas – at 553A Baltimore Annapolis Blvd., Severna Park.

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