Frequently Asked Questions:

When do I need to reserve a date on your calendar?
How do I make a reservation?
I may need a tent. Can you provide one?
Some of my guests are vegetarian. How will you accommodate them?
I'm not very confident when it comes to choosing the best wines to pair with my food selections, how can you help?
Do you provide flowers or other event and entertainment services?
What beverage services do you provide?
Can I provide my own beverages?
Do you provide valet parking?
What can I expect to see in your proposal?
How are labor costs determined?
Are any gratuities included in either my proposal or final bill?
When do I need to decide on a final guest count? What happens if that number goes up or down shortly before or the day of the event?
Do you have a contract? What does it include?

When do I need to reserve a date on your calendar?
As soon as you have a specific date in mind, contact us to reserve that date on our calendar. Some events are booked a year in advance! Normally, we need 10 days advance notice to plan an event, although some can be arranged in less time. A $100.00 "save the date" deposit will hold a date in advance of our custom proposal. This deposit is non-refundable if you chose not to proceed with your event. Otherwise, it will be deducted from your final bill.
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How do I make a reservation?
Call us: 252.725.5394
Email us! clarke@whitecollarcatering.com
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I may need a tent. Can you provide one?
We can arrange a tent rental for your event. Typically, rental companies for tents bill the client directly and require a deposit before installation.
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Some of my guests are vegetarian. How will you accommodate them?
We are happy to provide vegetarian or other special menu choices, as needed, to please your guests.
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I'm not very confident when it comes to choosing the best wines to pair with my food selections, how can you help?
Our team is well-versed in matching wine to food and can recommend or select for you the best wine in your price range. Our wine prices (per bottle) are highly competitive and we offer the added advantage of charging you only for bottles opened, with no left-over, unused inventory.
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Do you provide flowers or other event and entertainment services?
We work closely with many prominent special event planners in the area. Florists will bill directly to the client. We can also suggest a wide range of musicians and disc jockeys available in the area.
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What beverage services do you provide?
Full bar services can be provided for parties large and small. By State Law we can only serve mixed drinks when the client supplies the liquor. We can recommend how much liquor to purchase for any given event. With the exception of liquor, we provide all other beverage needs. Beverage costs themselves are billed by number of bottles opened. We do charge a corking fee ($3.00 per 750 ml bottle of wine, $ .50 per bottle of beer) when we serve wine or beer supplied by the client. There are no other special surcharges for bartending when we serve mixed drinks or other specialty beverages supplied by the client.
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Can I provide my own beverages?
Yes, you can provide your own beverages. We charge a corking fee for alcoholic beverages: $3.00 per 750 ml bottle of wine, $ .50 per bottle of beer. Most clients find that unless they are getting a very good discount on the wine they are providing it is more reasonable and less work to get their beverages from us.
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Do you provide valet parking?
Yes. These services are contracted through independent service agencies. We are happy to coordinate these services for your event.
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What can I expect to see in your proposal?
Our event proposals itemize cost estimates per person for food and beverage in addition to cost estimates for labor, rentals, linens, etc. Changes in the final guest count as calculated on our proposal may affect stated cost estimates.
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How are labor costs determined?
All service labor is billed by the hour, excluding deliveries. Wait staff labor is billed at a minimum of 5 hours per server, per event. Kitchen labor, including lead chef and dish staff, are billed only for service hours provided. Labor cost estimates in our proposals normally include travel time between our facility and the event site.
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Are any gratuities included in either my proposal or final bill?
Gratuities are wholly at the discretion of the client and are never included in our proposal or on our invoice.
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When do I need to decide on a final guest count? What happens if that number goes up or down shortly before or the day of the event?
We require your final minimum guest count five (5) business days in advance of your event. This number will be used to establish ordering quantities for food, rentals, numbers of staff, etc. After this final guaranteed minimum number is given, we will make every effort to accommodate increases to your final count made within three (3) business days of your event, but we cannot lower your final count for billing purposes after the first deadline.
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Do you have a contract? What does it include?
Our catering contract is as follows:
TERMS & CONDITIONS:
Signatures below acknowledge that White Collar Catering will provide catering services as specifically detailed in the proposal above. Food and Equipment Rental costs listed in this proposal are estimates only and may vary as the details of the event change, Beverage and Labor estimates may also vary (see above notes). Changes to the above information are possible and will be agreed upon by the client and a representative of White Collar Catering no later than five (5) business days prior to your event.
Your final guest count is due five (5) business days prior to your event and will not be decreased after this date for final billing purposes by White Collar Catering. The final guest count may be raised no later than three (3) business days prior to your event. In the event of a necessary increase within three days of your event, our staff will make all possible arrangements to accommodate additional guests; however additional service fees may apply in the form of vendor delivery fees and food procurement and preparation fees. The client will be financially responsible for any increased cost for rush orders required to acquire products or services necessary to accommodate increases in the final count made less than three (3) business days prior to your event.

A fifty percent (50%) deposit is required upon signature of this contract to secure our services for this event, with the balance due upon receipt of final invoice. All credit card payments (MC, VISA, AMEX) will incur an appropriate service fee.
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