Our Sterling, Rock Falls and Clinton locations are open 11am-9pm Tuesday-Sunday. Our Lake Carroll location is open 11am-9pm Tuesday-Saturday. Please watch our Facebook pages for the most up-to-date information.
Our Sterling, Rock Falls and Clinton locations are open 11am-9pm Tuesday-Sunday. Our Lake Carroll location is open 11am-9pm Tuesday-Saturday. Please watch our Facebook pages for the most up-to-date information.
Let’s say you have an event coming up. One of the first things you probably think about is catering. As the host, you want to ensure your guests enjoy all the food and drinks. However, that is just half the battle. You might also want to consider whether you wish catering done on-site or the food prepared elsewhere and brought to the venue on the day or evening itself.
At this point, you are left with the choice between on-premise and off-premise catering. But which one better suits your needs? Let’s find out!
When you talk about on-premise catering, all the food and drinks are prepared at the venue itself. This type of catering works best for events with intricate meals and multiple courses. Such occasions include weddings, anniversaries, and corporate gatherings, among others. If you plan to serve dessert or fresh meals off the bat, choose on-premise catering to ensure the quality and freshness of the food.
In terms of pricing and convenience, on-premise catering is your best bet. For one, you don’t have to worry about logistics and additional expenses that come with hiring a separate caterer. Additionally, anyone new to event catering may want to start with on-premise catering. In short, there’s little-to-no fuss with catering done on-site.
The only downside to on-premise catering is that your food choices may be limited. In some cases, the venue may not have a kitchen or is not well-versed in a specific cuisine for the event, while other caterers may be able to accommodate it.
Off-premise catering involves bringing in food that had been prepared at another location beforehand. A host who already has had a positive experience with an event caterer may prefer this type of catering. However, planning and doing your research will also help first-timers who want to try off-premise catering. This includes people who will hold the event at an unusual venue that does not have a full-blown kitchen.
Trust and familiarity are what constitute off-premise catering. Although costly at times, you may be willing to splurge on a highly reputable caterer rather than take a chance on a relatively unknown one. Apart from that, the food and customer service of the off-premise caterer may exceed that of an on-premise caterer.
The type of catering you want for your upcoming event will depend on you. If you are after price and convenience, go with an on-premise caterer. A positive experience or personal preference may gravitate you towards an off-premise caterer, but asking around and doing your research beforehand may also help those new to it.
Did you know that Candlelight Inn offers a catering service, both on-site and off-site? We provide a complete catering package for all events, hotel catering, and other types of wedding catering services in Northwest Illinois and Eastern Iowa.
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