Mandy’s Wedding Catering Tips

Mandy’s Wedding Catering Tips: Volume 2:
What to consider when hiring the ideal food truck for your wedding.

Welcome Back Nearly-weds and Congratulations on your upcoming BIG DAY!

In Volume 1 of Mandy’s Wedding Catering Tips, I gave you my first 3 nuggets on what to consider when hiring the ideal food truck for your wedding. Below are my next 3 tips. And please be sure to check out Volume 1 as well. Enjoy!

When we first jumped into the food truck scene, about 10 years ago, there were about 20 food trucks in the Denver Metro area. Catering was unchartered territory for most of us and we had to sort of “pave the way” for the industry. That came with not only, great successes and but also some solid fails.  Today, there are hundreds of food trucks rolling out there. Which is AWESOME for our industry and for YOU the consumer, but it also can make it overwhelming when picking the ideal truck for your special day. Here are few helpful tips on what to look for when making a decision on a food truck for your special day.

Tip #4: Experience
Interview them. Have they catered a wedding before? How long have they been in business? How big was it? Can they handle large numbers in a timely manner? Check out their reviews. I do all of the sales and booking for our trucks and I have been asked all of these questions and more. The best one I received recently was, “what was the biggest challenge you had to overcome at a wedding and how did you deal with it?”  Great question! It’s a wedding, something WILL, come up.  You caterer needs to be able to shift and be flexible. I understand weddings can get expensive…so it can be intriguing to go with a lower priced, less experienced truck. However, it does go back to that saying, “you get what you pay for.” This is your day! You want it to be flawless. Choose someone you feel really good about. It’s a great combo of doing your research and listening to your gut (pun intended).

Tip #5: Appearance
This is important! Cleanliness is a deal breaker for me. If a food truck looks dirty on the outside and in…what does that say about the quality of their food?  Does the staff look tight and professional?  Do they take pride in their appearance?  In addition, you not only want their food to rock and fit your theme, you want their truck appearance to mesh as well. Do you like how the wrap on the outside looks? Do they have one?  It doesn’t have to be spot on with the theme of your wedding, but at minimum choose a truck, that has a nice clean appearance, and resonates with the vibe you are wanting to create for your day.

Tip #6: Romance
Some of the most romantic experiences I’ve had with my husband, is over yummy food and libations. Since we usually want to try, before we buy, why not make your “tasting” experience a DATE NIGHT!  One of the perks of owning food trucks, is that we get to vend at a lot of unique and fun events and venues. I have met numerous couples at a brewery, winery, festival or music events, to have them come sample our food. Pick your top 5 contenders, find out where they will be over the weekend, and go for a tasting tour with your fiancé. You’ll get to sample a lot of great food and make some sweet memories along the way. You only get to experience this time in your engagement once…so enjoy every moment. This is YOUR time…Eat, Drink and Be-Almost-Married.

These are my second round of tips. There are of course, many more. Lookout for my next blog, filled with additional helpful tips, suggestions and insights.

Happy Planning!
PS: Interested in speaking with the Crock Spot catering team about YOUR upcoming BIG DAY? Email us at mandy@thecrockspot.com or call us at 720-675-7720.  OR simply fill out an inquiry form on our websites catering page.
 

Mandy’s Wedding Catering Tips: Volume 1:

What to consider when hiring the ideal food truck for your wedding.

Greetings Nearly-weds and Congratulations on your upcoming BIG DAY!

The last several years, we have catered over a hundred weddings or wedding events from our food trucks. Many couples are leaning towards a more unconventional and unique form of catering for their special day or weekend! They are looking for a less expensive, lower fuss option, that their guests will remember for years to come. I mean how many weddings have YOU been to where you got to say, “I ate from a food truck?” With more and more folks (in Colorado especially) wanting to “do the I DO’s” in the mountains, campgrounds, lakes, barns and backyards…our food truck catering has become quite popular. Food trucks can roll up to just about any location, serve their cuisine, and roll out. Making it quick and easy, so you can get onto dancing, toasts and all the fun that follows.

With that, I have put together a few helpful tips on what to consider when hiring a food truck and how to find the best one to suite your needs.

Tip #1: Timing

I’d say one of the biggest issues couples can run into with food truck catering, is making sure their guests are served in a timely manner. I have heard stories of food trucks taking over 3 hours to get dinner served. 3 hours that has now cut into their time to do toasts, special dances, cake cutting, etc. Not to mention, their allotted time at the venue. While food is big component at a wedding, it shouldn’t interrupt the flow of the day. It should go quick, be easy, be delicious and get everyone fulfilled so you can move onto the next portion of the evening. I suggest hiring a food truck that can have 100 people served in an hour. Dinner should not exceed 2 hours. You and your guests will be grateful for it.

Tip #2: Variety

It’s important to make sure you pick a truck that has nice variety of food options for your guests. Yes, it’s MOST important that you and your partner are excited about what you are serving, considering your guests is also key. They have taken time off from work, some have travelled or spent money to be there. Take care of them. Find a menu that meets unique dietary needs (vegan, gluten free, etc) and something that the kids will enjoy as well.

Tip #3: What’s Included?

Since food trucks don’t claim to be a “full service” catering company, it’s important to ask them what they will provide. Most food trucks plan to serve for a couple hours, then roll out.  They don’t typically provide bussing of tables, clean up, or help with set up or tear down. However, with most food trucks, these services can be provided for an additional charge upon request.  Have a clear conversation with your food truck caterer, about what they provide and won’t provide. And also make sure that your venue understands the difference between a “full service” catering company and a “food truck catering” company.  If the venue requires the caterer to handle more then they are contracted to do, you can run into some issues at the end of the night.

These are my first 3 tips! There are of course, many more. Lookout for next week’s blog, for additional helpful tips, suggestions and insights.

Happy Planning!

PS: Interested in speaking with the Crock Spot catering team about YOUR upcoming BIG DAY? Email us at mandy@thecrockspot.com or call us at 720-675-7720.  OR simply fill out an inquiry form on our websites catering page.

Don’t forget to ask about this month’s catering promotion!  It’s SIMPLY GORGEOUS! Just like you!