NOTE: Due to the uncertainty of the Market, Pricing and Availability of Menu options are subject to review and change if necessary. Current Proposals are based on Pricing and Availability at the time, confirmation of such details will be reviewed and adjusted (if necessary) prior to final billing.
Frequently Asked Questions
ARE LINENS INCLUDED?
Buffet Table Linen Is Included. Table Linens And Linen Napkins Are Available For Rental At Select Venues In The Kenosha Area.
CAN I DELAY SCHEDULED DINNER TIME ON THE DAY OF THE EVENT?
To Ensure Food Quality, We Ask That You Do Not Make Last Minute Time Changes To Your Dinner. If This Would Happen To Occur, We Would Need This Information Prior To Delivery To Avoid Added Hourly Charges On The Day Of Your Event.
CAN I RENT A TENT, TABLES AND CHAIRS FOR MY EVENT THROUGH YOU?
No, But We Can Refer You To A Reputable Company That Does. We Do Offer The Option To Rent Glassware, China, Silverware And Linens. We Include Buffet Table Linen And Serving Equipment For Your Event At No Charge. Table Linens Are Only Available From Us If The Event Is 10 Miles Of Our Location.
CAN WE BRING OUR OWN ALCOHOL TO THE WEDDING?
If Your Venue Allows You To Bring Your Own Alcohol, You May. However, If We Are Providing Bar Service, We Are The Only Party Able To Supply Alcohol During The Event Hours, And You Can’t Have Your Own.
CAN YOU GIVE ME A “BALLPARK” FIGURE FOR THE COST OF CATERING MY EVENT?
As A Rule, Caterers Of Our Caliber And Reputation Will Usually Charge Somewhere Between $30 And $100 Per Guest Inclusive Of Food, Staff, Rentals, Tax And Gratuity. Your Menu, Your Rentals And Your Site Are Key In Determining Your Costs.
CAN YOU PROVIDE PLASTIC-WARE FOR A MORE CASUAL SETTING?
Absolutely! You Can Choose Standard Plastic-Ware At No Charge, Or Upgrade To High End Plastic Type Plates Or Eco-Friendly, Biodegradable Plate ware.
DO I HAVE TO FEED MY VENDORS?
We Always Provide A Meal For Your Vendors Free Of Charge. Be Sure Let Us Know The Number Of Vendors We Will Need To Feed. We Do Not Allow The Vendors To Be Served Prior To You And Your Guests.
DO I HAVE TO HAVE PLACE CARDS? HOW DO I ARRANGE THEM?
If You Have A Choice Plated Dinner Service, Place Cards Allow Our Servers To Correctly Serve Your Guests Quickly And Efficiently. You Can Signify Each Option With A Colored Dot (yellow For Chicken, Blue For Salmon, Red For Beef) Or A Symbol. There Are A Lot Of Different Creative Ways To Go About This.
When You Arrange Your Place Cards, Make Sure To Alphabetize Them Rather Than Sort Them By Table Number. It Is Much Easier For Guests To Search For Their Card By Their Last Name Than Reading Through Every Table Number.
If You Do Not Have A Plated Dinner Service, You Still Want To Ensure Your Guests Know Where They Are Headed So Make Sure To Have Some Kind Of Chart Or Diagram Where They Can Easily Locate Their Names And Table Numbers.
DO YOU CHARGE A SERVICE FEE?
We Do Have A 25% Service Fee That Is Industry Standard. This Fee Covers “bringing The Restaurant Experience And Quality To You”. This Will Be On Your Detailed Proposal That We Help You Design. We Create A Unique Menu For Each Individual Event That We Do. We Will Work With You To Design A Menu That Matches Your Style, Taste, Dietary Restrictions And Budgets.
DO YOU CHARGE SALES TAX?
We Are Required To Charge The Wisconsin Sales Tax Rate Per County Of The Venue.
DO YOU COOK ONSITE AT MY EVENT?
We Prepare All Food At Our Licensed And Insured Commercial Kitchen In Kenosha WI And Deliver It Right Before Service Time. Final Preparations And Plating’s Are Done Onsite.
DO YOU HAVE A DISCOUNT FOR KIDS?
YES! Ages Three And Under Are Free, And Ages 4-10 Can Be Served An Adult Meal At Half-Price. Children 10 And Under Can Be Served A Separate Children’s Meal if requested.
DO YOU HAVE A STAFF OF WAITERS AND BARTENDERS TO SERVE AT EVENTS?
Yes. Whether It Is A Formal Plated Meal, Family-Style Dining Or A Buffet, We Have A Team Of Qualified Service Staff To Make Sure Your Event Runs Smoothly.
DO YOU HAVE RENTALS AVAILABLE?
We Do Have Tabletop Rental (dishes, Flatware, Glassware) Available In-House. We Do Not Offer Tables, Chairs. But Are Happy To Help You Source These Items Through Other Rental Companies.
DO YOU HAVE YOUR OWN EVENT VENUE
Yes, We Are The Exclusive Caterer For The 222 Room Delta Hotel By Marriott In Racine WI. Delta Has Over 15,000 Square Feet Of Flexible Event Space With A Ballroom Seating 450 And A Private Restaurant Style Banquet Room Seating 250.
DO YOU OFFER CUSTOM MENUS? I DON’T SEE ONE THAT FITS ALL MY NEEDS.
All Of Our Menus Are Completely Customizable-We Love Creating New Menus Tailored To Our Clients’ Event And Dietary Preferences!
DO YOU OFFER FOOD TASTINGS?
Sophisticatering Has Earned An Unsurpassed Reputation Regarding The Quality Of Our Cuisine For The Past 30 Years. Please Feel Free To View The Many Photographed Events That Are Posted Regularly On Our Facebook Page.
Sophisticatering’s Business Is Strictly Offsite Catering. We Do Not Have A Restaurant And Our Kitchen Facility Along With Our Exclusive Venues Are Seasonal And Do Not Accommodate Heated Seating For Menu Tasting In The Off Season. Our Chef Does Not Stock All Items On Hand At Any Given Time Because They Make Each Menu To Order The Day Of The Event. This Allows Sophisticatering To Keep Their Inventory Low, Which In Return Helps Keeps Costs Low And Food Fresh. To Cook For 2-4 People Is Nothing Like Cooking For 200+ People, The Timing And End Products Are Going To Be Different, It Is Not A Fair Representation Of The Products. It Is Because Of These Reasons, We Do Not Offer Personal Menu Tastings.
Because We Are Not A Restaurant, This Means That You Are Our Only Focus On Your Wedding Day. When You Book Your Event With Sophisticatering You Can Be Assured That Our Professional Staff Of Chefs, Servers And Bartenders (including The Owners) Will Be With You Every Step Of The Way To Ensure A Flawless Event Your Family And Friends Will Truly Enjoy And Remember.
Many Of Our Clients Have Chosen Sophisticatering Because They Or Their Friends And Family Have Experienced Our Wonderful Food And Services. Additionally, Because We Feed All Of The Vendors Involved In Our Wedding Events (at No Cost To You) It Would Make Perfect Sense To Ask For Their Thoughts And Opinions On Our Cuisine And Services.
That Said, If A Menu Tasting Is The Deciding Factor In Choosing Your Caterer, There Are Two Questions We Would Need To Determine When Considering Requests.
Are You Looking To Taste The Quality Of Our Food, And See Our Presentation?
The First Weekend In December (Thursday, Friday, Saturday And Sunday) We Offer Tickets To Ye Olde Madrigal Feaste At Tremper High School In Kenosha. You Can Pre-Order These Tickets Through Sophisticatering, As Many As You Like. If You Book Your Wedding With Us The Price Of Two Tickets Will Be Deducted From Your Final Invoice. This Event Features An Eight Course Meal Including Wonderful Entertainment And Beverages.
Are You Having Trouble Choosing The Specific Entrée For Your Plated Or Buffet Dinner?
Please Let Us Know Which Menu Items You Are Deciding On. It May Be Possible, When Summer Events Come Up With These Specific Menu Items, Our Chef Would Be Happy To Set Aside Portions Of These Items For You To Pick-Up For You To Heat And Serve. We Will Contact You When These Occasions Occur So We Can Arrange For This Service. As Stated Above, If You Are Booked With Us, The Cost For These Items Would Be Deducted From Your Final Invoice
We Offer A Couple “open House” Tastings Throughout The Year That Are Free Of Charge.
DO YOU OFFER VEGAN OPTIONS?
YES! We Have A Great Variety Of Vegan Options, Let Us Know What You Are Looking For And We Will Prepare Something Delicious For You.
DO YOU PROVIDE BARTENDING SERVICES?
Bartenders Can Be Provided At Your Event For $35.00 Per hour for each Bartender. When Beverages Are Provided By Us, Bartenders Are Subject To A 20% Service Fee and hourly charges will be waived.
DO YOU PROVIDE DROP OFF CATERING?
If You Are Just Looking For A Delicious Meal But Without The Extra Services, We Are Happy To Drop Off Only. Disposable Containers, Napkins, Plates And Flatware Will Be Included. The 25% Service Charge Will Be Waived And A 12% Delivery Fee Will Apply. Delivery Fee Depends Upon Distance. You Can Also Pick Up Food From Us To Save Yourself The Delivery Fee. Here Is The Link To Our Delivery/Pick-Up Party Pan Service Menus. Sophisticatering.Com/Party-Pan-Service/
DO YOU PROVIDE UTENSILS AND WARMING EQUIPMENT?
Based On Your Style Of Service, We Provide All Necessary Buffet And Serving Equipment For The Items You Order. We Include Include Disposable Dinnerware. However, If You Are Looking For An Elevated Dining Experience To Provide Your Guests With Essentials Such As: China, Water Goblets, Silverware, Wine Glasses, Etc. We Happily Offer Them As A Rental Charge.
DO YOU SET-UP TABLE DÉCOR?
We Are Happy To Assist In Setting Up Any Décor For An Up charge Based On The Complexity Of Your Event Needs.
DOES SOPHISTICATERING PROVIDE AND SERVICE ITEMS NOT LISTED ON THE INVOICE?
Sophisticatering Cannot Provide Product And / Or Services For Items That Are Not Listed On The Final Contract. We Only Service And Provide Food And Equipment That Is Spelled Out On Your Final Invoice / Contract.
DOES THE “SERVICE FEE” INCLUDE TAX AND/OR GRATUITY?
The Service Fee Does NOT Include Tax And/Or Gratuity. This Fee Serves A Purpose For Non-Food Related Company And Event Expenses Such As: Service Staff Wages, Buffet And Serving Equipment, Licensing, Lability, Insurance, Workman’s Comp, Gas, Travel, Etc. Tipping Your Service Staff Is Welcome, But Not Required.
HOW DO I RECEIVE THE FOOD?
We Offer Three Options, Pick Up, Drop Off With Set-Up / Pick-Up And On Site-Staffed Service.
HOW DO I SECURE YOUR SERVICES FOR MY EVENT DATE?
Sophisticatering Cannot Reserve The Date Of Your Event Until This Signed Letter Of Agreement And Deposit Are Received. However, We Will Not Accept An Alternate Agreement For This Date Without First Contacting You About Your Intentions.
HOW DO WE BEGIN THE PROCESS OF RESERVING SOPHISTICATERING FOR OUR EVENT?
Your Event Designer And Chef \ Owner Will Put Together A Proposal That Includes As Much Or As Little As You Want. Being That We Are Full Service We Typically Include The Food, Equipment Rentals (linens, China, Flatware, Etc.), And Staff. Since We Are Planning 9-12 Months Out These Numbers May Adjust Based On Your Final Selections And Guest Counts.
HOW FAR OUT SHOULD I START BOOK MY EVENT?
We Recommend Choosing Your Caterer 9-12 Months Prior To Your Event Date. It Is Really Important That You Have Selected Your Wedding Venue Prior To Starting The Caterer Selection Process. Since We Are Full Service It Is Important That We Know Where Your Reception Will Be So That We Can Get You The Most Accurate Proposal Possible. We Do Fill Up Most Weekends From May Through October, Therefore We Suggest Confirming A Little Earlier For These Months.
HOW LONG WILL YOU BE AT THE EVENT?
Our Catering Service Includes Up To 2 Hours Of Set Up And 2 – 4 Hours Of Service. Service Time Depends Upon Menu Selections Made.
HOW MANY EVENTS WILL SOPHISTICATERING HAVE ON MY EVENT DAY?
We Will Only Take On One Outside Event On Your Event Date Because We Are The Exclusive Caterer For The Delta Hotel By Marriott In Racine WI. While We Can Do Multiple Events At Delta Because It Has Over 15,000 Square Feet Of Flexible Event Space With A Ballroom Seating 450 And 250 We Will Only Take One Other Outside Event.
HOW MANY GUESTS DO I NEED TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR A BUFFET CATERING PACKAGE?
Depending On The Buffet You Choose, We Have A 75-100 Person Minimum For Buffet Packages.
HOW MANY SERVERS WILL BE PROVIDED?
This Would Depend On The Complexity Of Your Menu. In General, 1 Server Per 30 Guests Will Be Provided For A Buffet Style Meal And 1 Server Per 20 Guests For A Plated Or Family Style Meal.
IS IT CHEAPER TO SERVE APPETIZERS RATHER THAN A MEAL?
As A General Rule, Appetizers Are More Expensive Than A Meal Due To The Amount Of Hand-Labor Needed To Prepare And Serve Them.
IS LEFTOVER FOOD ALLOWED TO BE LEFT AT THE VENUE FOR THE CLIENT TO TAKE HOME?
According To Applicable Health Codes, Sophisticatering May Discard Any Food Items Where It Believes There Is A Reasonable Risk Of Food-Borne Illness. Therefore, Due To Health Concerns, Leftover Food From Your Buffet May Not Be Given To Client At The End Of Catering Service. Any Deviation From This Policy Must Have Prior Approval By Sophisticatering And May Incur Packaging, Chilling And Delivery Or Pickup Charges. Please Note That We Encourage Your Guests To Have Seconds After Everyone Has Gotten Their Plate, So There Is Always Very Little Food Waste. However, If Your Party Is Held At A Private Home We Are Happy To Leave You With Any Leftovers That Have Been Stored Safely Throughout The Duration Of The Event.
IS THERE A WEDDING CAKE CUTTING FEE?
We Include Wedding Cake Cutting Service At No Additional Cost When The Cake Is Provided By Us. We Charge $1.25 Per Person For Cake Cutting Station, $2.25 For Cake Cutting With Table Service.
IS THERE AN ADDITIONAL SERVICE CHARGE?
All Pricing Is Subject To An Additional 25% Service Or 12% Delivery Charge And Applicable Wisconsin Sales Tax. Delivery Charge May Also Be Applied For Out Of Our Service Area Events.
WHAT ARE ALL OF MY MEAL STYLE OPTIONS?
BUFFET: Guests Are Dismissed Table By Table By A Sophisticatering Representative To Your Buffet. Plates Are On The Buffet For Guests To Take And Then Guests Are Able To Take As Much Or As Little Food As They Want And Are Welcome To Return To The Buffet For Seconds!
FAMILY STYLE: Each Dish Is Served At One Time So Guests Are Able To Pass Bowls And Plates In Order To Get The Food They Want. Guests Are Welcome To Seconds!
STATIONED: Tables Are Dismissed And Guests Are Able To Walk Station To Station In Order To Assemble Their Food Or Have Their Food Cooked By An On-Site Chef, Pending On The Stations You Have Chosen.
PLATED: Choice: Guests Select One Of Two Or Three Options On Their RSVP Cards And Are Served Their Selected Meal During Dinner Service. The Couple Tracks Dinner Choices As Their RSVP Cards Come Back And Must Pass Along The Count To Sophisticatering.
COMBO PLATED: All Guests Receive Smaller Portions Of The Same Two Entrees And Do Not Have To Select Their Meal, Which Means No Tracking Meal Options And RSVP Cards! The Couple’s Final Count Is Passed Along To Their Planner As They Would With A Stationed, Family Style, Or Buffet Dinner Service.
COCKTAIL RECEPTION: Food Samplings Can Be Are Both Stationed And Passed. This Choice May Be Misleading In Cost, As You Would Think Less Food Would Be A More Budget Friendly Option. Consider That Your Guests Will Most Likely Be Drinking And If Your Event Falls Around A Meal Time, You May Have To Order More Food Than Normal As Your Guests Will Be Consuming The Food Options For 90 Minutes Or More.
WHAT FORMS OF PAYMENT DO YOU ACCEPT?
We Currently Accept Cash, Checks And Payments Through The Venmo App
WHAT IF MY ESTIMATED GUEST COUNTS LOWERS SUBSTANTIALLY?
Menu Price (per Person) Is Based On Your Original Estimated Guest Count. If The Guarantee Is Considerably Less (50% Or Greater) Than The Original Estimated Number Of Guests, Or Drops To Below 50 People For A Buffet, We Reserve The Right To Increase The Price Per Person. Note: Due to Pandemic Capacity limits, this policy is no longer in effect until further notice.
WHAT INFORMATION DO YOU NEED TO BEGIN THE PROCESS?
Please Fill Out Our Form Submit Using This Link- Sophisticatering.Com/Contact/ Or Email Us With Your Contact Information Including Names, Phone Number, And Email Address. Feel Free To Include Any Details That You Already Know About Your Reception Like Date, Location, Number Of Guests, Theme And Any Specific Requests That You Have. Of Course, The More Information That You Provide, The Better We Can Serve You.
WHAT IS YOUR TIPPING POLICY?
We Leave Gratuity Up To The Discretion Of The Client. Most Of Our Clients Do Choose To Tip Which Is Very Much Appreciated As It Allows Us To Retain High-Quality Staff.
WHAT KIND OF DEPOSIT IS REQUIRED?
Based On Your Expected Number Of Guests, A Non-Refundable Deposit Of 25% Of The Estimated Invoice Amount Is Required To Reserve Our Services For Your Event. In General; Cancellation Terms Are As Follows …
-Cancelation Fee Up To (180 Days Prior To Event): 50% Of The Deposit.
-No Refunds Will Be Granted For Guests That Do Not Appear On The Booked Date.
*Deposit Is Not Refunded If Client Chooses Another Caterer At The Same Venue Or Changes To A Venue That Does Not Use Sophisticatering’S Catering Services Or Is Outside Sophisticatering’S Service Range.
WHAT KIND OF FOOD DO YOU PREPARE?
Just About Any Kind. You Can Go To Our Website And Click On Any Of Our “menus” For Suggestions. We Are Happy To Speak With You Personally About Your Needs.
WHAT SIZE EVENTS DO YOU HANDLE?
We’ve Been In The Catering Business For More Than 30 Years. So, We Have The Experience, Expertise And Staff To Handle Parties-Big And Small-From Large Weddings And Corporate Events To Backyard Bashes And Office Meetings. A 50 Person Minimum Is Required.
WHAT TYPE OF CUISINE DO YOU PROVIDE?
We Offer Delicious Plates From All Around The World. Our Most Popular Cuisines Are Italian, Indian, Latin, Mediterranean And BBQ Inspired Dishes, But Are Always Open To Customizing Something Special Just For You.
WHAT TYPE OF FOOD ALLERGIES CAN YOU ACCOMMODATE?
Our Executive Chef / Owner And Event Specialists Will Work With You To Accommodate Any Food Allergies And Special Dietary Needs. The Majority Of Our Existing Buffet Menus Already Accommodate Gluten Free Needs. We Also Routinely Design Menus To Eliminate Top Allergens Like Tree Nuts, Peanuts, Wheat, Shellfish, Etc. Most Of Our Menu Can Be Modified To Be Gluten-Free.
WHAT TYPE OF GLASSWARE, PLATES, AND FLATWARE ARE PROVIDED?
We Offer Rental Of Bone White China For Your Dinner Plate, Glass Or China Appetizer, Salad Plate, And Silverware. A Water Goblet With Pitcher For Water Service Throughout Dinner Will Also Be Provided.
WHAT TYPE OF UNIFORM DOES THE STAFF WEAR?
Our Catering Staff Arrives In Professional Attire Consisting Of Black Pants, Dress Shirt, , And A Tie. If You Prefer A More Casual Feel, Our Staff Can Also Arrive In A Catering Polo Shirt And Black Pants.
WHAT’S YOUR CANCELATION POLICY?
In General; Cancellation Terms Are As Follows …
-Cancelation Fee Up To (180 Days Prior To Event): 50% Of The Deposit.
-No Refunds Will Be Granted For Guests That Do Not Appear On The Booked Date.
*Deposit Is Not Refunded If Client Chooses Another Caterer At The Same Venue Or Changes To A Venue That Does Not Use Sophisticatering’s Services Or Is Outside Sophisticatering’s Service Range.
Please See Our Web Site At Sophisticatering.Com For Additional Information.
WHEN IS OUR FINAL COUNT AND PAYMENT DUE?
The Final Guest Count And Final Payment Are Due 10 Days Prior To The Event. This Count Can Be Increased With Approval, But Cannot Be Lowered.
WHY DOES CATERING COST SO MUCH?
We Bring The Restaurant To You! Caterers Are Really In The Logistics Management Business (and The Logistics Involves Food). Think About A Restaurant Meal-To Have The Same Meal Catered Will Cost About Twice What You Pay In A Restaurant.
WILL THE OWNER OF SOPHISTICATERING BE ONSITE THE DAY OF MY EVENT?
Absolutely! Either One Or Both Of The Owners. Both Experienced Event Managers And Chefs Will Be Familiar With The Details Of Your Event Inside And Out And Will Be Onsite For The Full Duration Of Your Event For Your Special Day To Help Coordinate.
WILL THERE BE ADDITIONAL CHARGES ON THE DAY OF MY EVENT?
There Are No Itemized Fees On The Event Date That You Need To Be Aware Of. Your Proposal Will Include Everything. The Only Exception To This Is If Your Dinner Count Increases Or Is Delayed For Greater Then One Hour, In That Case A Hourly Service Charge May Be Required. To Ensure Food Quality, We Ask That You Do Not Make Last Minute Time Changes Just Prior To Service.