Catering questions, answered

We cater events in Palo Alto and throughout nearby Silicon Valley communities, subject to the date, address, order size, and service requirements. We regularly receive requests for Stanford Catering, Mountain View Catering, and Redwood City Catering. Enter the complete event address so our team can confirm delivery, staffing, parking, and venue-access details.

Yes. Our team supports executive breakfasts, office lunches, conferences, company receptions, birthdays, showers, memorials, holiday parties, weddings, and formal dinners. Service can range from prepared trays delivered ready to serve to a fully staffed event with rentals, florals, beverage service, and cleanup of the catering areas.

Most drop-off orders require at least 72 hours of notice. Full-service events may be accepted with a minimum of 10 days, but reserving two to four weeks ahead gives you better access to preferred delivery times, staff, rentals, and floral design. Weekends and the months of June, November, and December tend to book first.

Yes. Many menu items are available for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free guests. Dietary designations appear on applicable selections and should be confirmed on the final order. For allergies, provide the specific allergen and number of affected guests so we can review suitable options and preparation limitations.

Choose drop-off catering when you want hot or chilled platters delivered ready to serve and are comfortable managing the meal and cleanup. Choose a staffed package when you want professionals to set up, present and replenish the food, assist guests, and break down the contracted catering areas. Full-service packages may also incorporate serveware, dinnerware, linens, rentals, florals, and beverage support.

Browse the online menu, select the dishes and tray sizes you need, add them to your cart, and complete checkout with your event and delivery details. For a complex menu, unusual access requirements, or help estimating quantities, request a custom proposal instead.

Most drop-off catering orders require a $500 food minimum. Boxed meals use a different ordering structure and generally require at least 25 boxes per selected meal or menu. Staffing, rentals, multiple delivery addresses, and other services may have separate charges or requirements.

Most tray orders must be booked at least 72 hours before delivery. That is the minimum notice rather than a guarantee that every date and time will remain available. Earlier ordering is recommended for Silicon Valley office lunches, weekends, graduations, and holiday periods.

Yes. You may mix selections from different menu categories to suit the event. This works well for all-day meetings, Stanford-area conferences, open houses, and celebrations with more than one service period. Applicable dietary labels are displayed on menu items to help you create a varied spread.

The displayed price covers the selected food and the stated quantity. Delivery, staffing, rentals, service-related charges, and optional additions are calculated separately. Review the cart or proposal to confirm whether disposable place settings, serving utensils, chafing equipment, beverages, or other supplies are included.

The right format depends on the venue, timeline, budget, and guest experience you want. A staffed buffet offers flexibility, family-style service creates a communal seated meal, and plated service provides the most formal structure. We can help compare the staffing, rentals, and flow required for each option.

A wedding proposal may include menu planning, setup, professional service staff, buffet, plated, or family-style dinner service, and cleanup of the catering areas. Couples may also add passed appetizers, stations, coffee and tea, cakes, bartenders, tables, chairs, linens, china, glassware, florals, and complete tablescape styling.

Yes. Mobile tastings are complimentary for confirmed wedding bookings and may also be purchased before signing a contract. If you later book with Palo Alto Catering Company, the tasting charge can be removed from the final bill. Tastings are most useful after you have narrowed the menu to a focused group of dishes.

Wedding packages generally range from about $55 to $120 per guest, depending on the menu, service format, and staffing level. A buffet is usually more economical than a detailed plated dinner. Premium entrees, appetizers, beverages, rentals, florals, cakes, bartenders, and complex venue logistics can raise the final investment.

We offer vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free selections and can label applicable buffet dishes. Plated receptions may require final dietary counts and a clear meal-identification method. Provide specific allergens and the number of affected guests early because food may be prepared in facilities that also handle common allergens.

Yes. We can coordinate meal timing, loading access, staging areas, floor plans, rentals, and breakdown requirements with your planner, venue manager, and relevant vendors. Palo Alto, Stanford, Mountain View, and Redwood City venues may have security, parking, elevator, or loading restrictions that should be included in the final service plan.

Booking at least four to six weeks ahead is recommended, although popular dates are often reserved months earlier. Orders totaling more than $3,000 require a 50% deposit, and the signed agreement plus required deposit secure the date according to the proposal. The remaining balance is due 10 days before the wedding.

Yes. Bartenders and expert bartenders are available. Palo Alto Catering Company does not sell or furnish alcohol, so the couple or venue must purchase and provide it. The proposal should clarify responsibility for mixers, ice, glassware, refrigeration, and other bar supplies.

Full-service catering adds an on-site team to manage setup, food presentation, buffet, family-style, or plated service, replenishment, and breakdown of the contracted catering areas. It is a strong fit when the host, office team, or family should not have to manage the meal while guests are present.

The team arrives during the scheduled setup window, organizes food and equipment, prepares the service area, assists guests, keeps the presentation orderly, and clears and packs the catering materials at the end. Optional additions may include passed appetizers, beverage stations, coffee and tea, bartenders, rentals, florals, and tablescape design.

Staffing depends on attendance, meal format, venue layout, access, and timeline. Buffets generally use about one server for every 25 guests, while plated dinners usually require one server for every 15 to 20 guests. Events with 50 or more guests commonly include a captain to supervise service and timing.

Many full-service packages include ceramic plates, utensils, glassware, and linens, but inclusions vary. Budget-conscious packages may use elegant disposable plates, utensils, and cups instead. Review the selected package carefully, and add reusable china, glassware, linens, tables, or chairs when they are not already included.

Yes. The food is prepared before arrival, so an on-site commercial kitchen is not required for most events. We may still need a protected staging area where staff can organize food and equipment. Depending on the menu, access to water, electricity, refrigeration, or another workspace may be helpful.

Most full-service packages require at least 25 guests. For a smaller gathering, drop-off catering with an attendant may offer the setup, monitoring, or cleanup support you need without requiring a complete full-service package.

We recommend reserving full service at least three to four weeks ahead. Orders may sometimes be accepted as late as 10 days before the event, but availability depends on the date, menu, staffing, rentals, and complexity. Weekends and June, November, and December are particularly busy.

Yes. Palo Alto Catering can coordinate food service with guest tables, chairs, linens, china, glassware, buffet equipment, centerpieces, and tablescape styling. Using one team can simplify scheduling and help the buffet, dining tables, florals, and tabletop details feel like one cohesive event.

Boxed meals are useful when guests need quick distribution, individual portions, dietary labels, or the flexibility to eat at different times. They work especially well for office lunches, training sessions, executive meetings, conferences, outdoor programs, and teams moving between locations.

A minimum of 25 boxes applies per meal. Classic and artisan boxed lunches may allow eligible sandwiches and wraps to be mixed within the order. Breakfast and dinner boxes generally require at least 25 of the same selected box.

Each meal arrives sealed and individually packaged with the appropriate utensils and a napkin. This makes distribution straightforward for Palo Alto offices, Stanford meetings, conferences, and groups whose guests will not all eat from a shared buffet.

Yes. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free boxes can be labeled upon request. Provide the exact number needed in each category and identify serious allergies separately so the team can review suitable options and preparation limitations.

Cold boxes should generally be served within two hours when held at room temperature. Hot boxes arrive in insulated carriers and should normally be served within one hour. Coordinate delivery closely with the meal period or arrange suitable refrigeration for cold meals held before distribution.

Yes, provided each delivery location meets the $500 minimum. Additional delivery charges may apply. Submit separate quantities, arrival times, access instructions, and on-site contacts for every Palo Alto, Stanford, Redwood City, or Mountain View address.

Cold breakfast and lunch boxes begin around $18.75 per person. Hot lunch boxes start at approximately $30 per person, and hot dinner boxes begin around $40 per person. Final pricing depends on the selected menu, premium items, dietary modifications, beverages, desserts, and delivery details.

Yes. Recurring corporate schedules may receive a dedicated coordinator and locked pricing. This is useful for team lunches, trainings, executive meetings, and rotating shifts. Menu rotation, dietary quantities, delivery times, and change deadlines can be established when the program is created.

November and December dates fill quickly, so reserving three to five weeks ahead is recommended for likely availability. Popular workplace lunch times and Thursday-through-Saturday celebrations may sell out earlier, particularly for staffed events or orders requiring rentals and florals.

Yes. Palo Alto Catering Company can provide staffed buffets, family-style meals, and plated dinners for workplace groups of approximately 25 to more than 400 guests. Proposals may also include appetizers, beverages, bartenders, rentals, florals, and cleanup of the contracted catering areas.

Yes. Holiday entrees, sides, salads, breads, and desserts may be ordered a la carte for smaller gatherings. The food arrives ready to serve, while the client manages distribution and cleanup unless attendants or equipment are added.

A limited number of events are accepted on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, and New Year's Eve, and holiday surcharges apply. The company is closed on Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Limited holiday time slots should be reserved well in advance.

Yes. Holiday events may incorporate tables, chairs, linens, china, glassware, buffet equipment, centerpieces, floral arrangements, and coordinated tablescapes. Combining these services can simplify setup and create a polished look for a private or corporate celebration.

Holiday orders cancelled at least 72 hours before the event are subject to a 50% cancellation fee. Confirmed orders cancelled with less than 72 hours of notice are subject to a 100% cancellation fee because food, staffing, rentals, and other resources may already have been committed.

Options include bud-vase groupings, centerpieces, statement arrangements, floral meadows, arches, mantle installations, custom bloom bars, flower-crown bars, balloon arches, and full tablescape design coordinated with linens, china, glassware, and other event details.

Yes. You may browse the published offerings or request a custom consultation and proposal. A custom plan can show the intended palette, style, representative flowers, recommended pieces, and pricing before the floral order is finalized.

Current starting prices include bud-vase clusters from $95 for three, lush centerpieces around $195 to $350 per table, statement arrangements from $350 to $600, the signature tabletop broken-arch set from $800, meadows from $400 to $600, installations from about $1,350 to $8,500, mantle designs from about $750 to $2,000, and custom bloom bars from $48 per guest. Custom work is priced by scope.

Yes. Share preferred varieties, color palettes, inspiration images, and any flowers you do not want. Exact stems cannot always be guaranteed because availability changes with season and wholesale supply. When substitutions are necessary, comparable flowers are chosen for color, shape, texture, and overall effect.

Booking three to four weeks ahead is recommended for stronger sourcing and design flexibility. Some orders may be accepted with approximately 10 days of notice, depending on the event date, scale, installation requirements, staffing, and flower availability.

Setup is included so arrangements are placed before guests arrive. Breakdown and disposal can be added when you want the team to return for arches, meadows, mantle pieces, rental vessels, mechanics, and floral waste after the event.

Yes. Fresh flowers may be kept upon request, and guests are welcome to take arrangements or individual stems. Some vessels, stands, structures, or installation mechanics may be rented and must remain on-site for collection, so those details will be clarified before the event.

Available categories include Chiavari and resin chairs, guest tables with standard linens, cocktail and buffet tables, glassware, china, flatware, chafing dishes, and selected floral or tablescape additions. Inventory and quantities are subject to availability for the event date.

On-site attendants are required for setup, safe handling, breakdown, and preparation for pickup. This protects the equipment and prevents the client or venue from being responsible for moving and managing commercial tables, chairs, china, glassware, or serving pieces.

There is no strict rental-product minimum, but on-site staff are required for every rental order. Because staffing affects the total cost, many clients combine rentals with catering, florals, or another full-service package.

Yes. Each guest table booked through us includes one standard linen. A broad selection of colors is available, while specialty fabrics, additional layers, or upgraded styles may involve separate pricing when available.

Normal wear from appropriate event use is covered. Significant damage, breakage, loss, or items unavailable for collection are billed at replacement cost. The client remains responsible for the rental inventory during the event.

Delivery generally occurs on the event date, approximately two to four hours before the scheduled start. Pickup may take place later that evening or the following morning, depending on the event timeline, venue access, staffing, and whether the property permits overnight storage.

Tell us about loading zones, parking restrictions, security desks, elevators, stairs, long walking distances, narrow entrances, and firm setup or exit deadlines. These details are especially important for Palo Alto, Stanford, Redwood City, and Mountain View venues and may affect staffing, delivery timing, or labor charges.

Yes. Once you approve your quote we send a catering agreement to sign. Orders over $3,000 also require a 50% deposit to reserve the date.

Yes — guest counts and menu changes are welcome up to 10 days before your event. After that we may not be able to adjust quantities.

Our commercial kitchen and primary operations are based in Pleasanton, California. We are a service-area catering company serving events throughout the Bay Area, including Palo Alto and nearby communities. Our team delivers and provides full-service catering directly at offices, homes, wedding venues, and other event locations.