Questions to Ask Breakfast Catering Companies Before Hiring

Just as you wouldn't rush into a decision when choosing a new car or deciding on a new floor for your front room, a breakfast catering company should be carefully selected. Whether you are a business owner who would like to improve the productivity of your workforce by having all meals prepared by a catering company (including breakfast) , or are an individual that is in the process of planning either an informal get-together or a more formal event, there are a number of questions you should ask when interviewing potential candidates for the job. Did we just say interview? That's right, when looking for a breakfast catering company (or any other type of catering company for that matter) you should always start by asking friends and relatives for recommendations, in addition to searching on the Internet. Once you have a rough list of breakfast catering companies in front of you, you should then contact each company and ask them a number of questions. How else are you going to find out if they are capable of providing the level of service that you expect?

What to Say When a Company Offering Breakfast Catering Picks Up the Phone

Always start with companies that were recommended to you (if there were any) as if they impressed a friend or family member, the chances are good that they can provide what you are looking for. If you have several different companies to call, rather than going into great depth about your specific requirements right off the bat, we would advise you to provide them with a brief outline of what you are looking for. After that you should aim to try and extract several pieces of key information that will help you choose the most suitable breakfast catering company for your specific requirements. You can do this by asking the following questions:

Do you specialize in certain breakfast items?

People's diets can vary considerably and you need to make sure that the breakfast catering company you choose to work with doesn't only provide a narrow selection of products. The menu they offer should be wide ranging and feature something for everyone at your event or in your office.

Can I try your products before committing?

Any reputable breakfast catering company will say yes. In fact, they should insist on it. What better way to sell their services than to allow a potential customer to try a sample of their products first-hand. This will allow you to make a decision based on facts rather than an educated guess based on the reviews of others.

What price would you offer?

Before taking up any of your time to go and meet with a breakfast caterer in person, you need to ensure they are on the same page as you in terms of price. Let them know how much you are looking to spend and what you expect for that money. If you are a business client, enquire about any discounts offered for bulk orders and repeat custom.
Will other items necessary for my event be provided, such as tables, chairs, plates...

These are all items needed for the event and to save you either having to buy or purchase them from another source, it's always a good idea to first check whether the breakfast catering company will provide them for you. Even if there is an additional charge to hire these items, it will still usually work out cheaper to get them from the catering company than the other options previously mentioned.

How much breakfast catering experience do you have?

While it's not a hard and fast rule that established catering companies are better than those that have recently set up, if a company has managed to survive for a good number of years, like Pumpernickels (we set up in 1986 and haven't looked back), it shows that they are meeting their customers' needs on a continual basis. And that is a very positive attribute for any company to possess.

Do you have a valid catering license?

Any breakfast catering company you choose to work with at the bare minimum should have a valid license. This shows that their business has passed a health and safety audit (very important in the catering industry) and has active liability insurance.
Can you provide me with the contact details of several of your previous clients ?

While you can go to a sampling session to assess the quality of the breakfast foods a company produces, you can't see firsthand how efficient their service is prior to the day of your event. And as efficiency of service is something that can make or break an event, knowing this would put you in a much stronger position to make a good decision. The best way to obtain this information is to contact former clients and ask them whether they were satisfied with the level of service they received. Any breakfast catering company that is reluctant to volunteer these details is best avoided.

Do you have any other events planned for the same date ?

A firm will have to be of a sufficient size if it is going to manage several events on the same date. You would be well advised to avoid a smaller company that is handling numerous other events on the same day as they may not have the staff or resources to devote the level of attention to your event that you expect. Pumpernickel's is an established catering specialist that offers a range of services including breakfast catering, business catering, party catering and event catering. We have been at the forefront of the catering industry in Toronto since 1986 and also serve Mississauga and Vaughan.

Call Pumpernickels Today for breakfast catering

About Pumpernickel's

Since 1986 Pumpernickel's is a leader in corporate catering. It has been one the premier deli and caterers in Toronto, with thousands of satisfied customers in the GTA.  Many of our kitchen locations are located within Toronto's financial core to provide timely services for catering in downtown Toronto. We use only the freshest ingredients, and promise excellent customer service and value for all of your catering services. As soon as you become our regular customer we will not let you down. We are one of the leading corporate catering companies in Toronto, which also offers breakfast catering and sandwich catering. Visit us on Google+.