SO, YOU GOT TO PLACE THE BIG CATERING ORDER?

What to ask Before placing a Catering Order. 

We have all been there before, you have to get that lunch catered for the office. Happens to all of us.  Either you are having a client come to the office for a meeting...or you got one of those marathon meetings that stretches through the lunch time.  

Here at Taco Ocho, we can totally help you make sure you don’t lose bonus points for taking care of the catering.  We can do breakfast, lunch and dinner catering as well as custom catering for parties and weddings. Our three restaurants in  Flower Mound, Richardson, and Frisco routinely cater to large and small companies, PTAs and neighborhood HOAs

Below are some questions you should ask your team before placing a catering order.  This will ensure that you covered all the bases.  

What time / day do you want the food delivered by?

This is a pretty basic question. However,  for larger catering most restaurants prefer 24-48 hours to make sure they can accommodate your order.  At Taco Ocho, we prefer a 24 hour notice, but if you are in a tight squeeze we always do our best to make sure you are covered.  

Also, it’s a good idea to understand when you actually want your food delivered by.  At Taco Ocho, we always make it a habit to bring the catering order 15 minutes early so we have time to set up, but if you have any special requests and need it there earlier it’s good to specify so we can make sure your team can start eating when you scheduled. 

Does anyone on the team have any dietary restrictions? 

Generally you should find out if any of the participants have any special dietary requests such as, Vegan/Vegetarian or a Gluten Free Diet.  At Taco Ocho, we have several Vegan/Vegetarian options, and can totally accommodate Gluten Free Diets. If you are unsure how many members on your team have dietary restrictions, it's a safe bet to include a few boxes or plates!

How many people are you trying to feed?  

Always a good idea to know how many people are coming to the meeting.  Generally it’s a good idea to account for a couple of folks that might be invited to join the meeting at the last minute, or to account for the one with a voracious appetite needing three helpings!

Who is the contact day of?  

If this is going to be you, that is great, but if you are going to be stuck in meetings or out of pocket, please determine if there is someone else in your office we should work with to make sure we get everything set up where it needs to be.  

Are you looking for Buffet Style or Lunch Boxes?

This really depends on the style of your meeting/party.  We would say if you don’t have much time for lunch go with the boxes, as they are easy to distribute.  But if you have a bit more time for lunch we suggest going with a buffet.   

What about ordering Drinks? 

Yes. You totally need to think about drinks when placing a catering order.  If you order drinks thru Taco Ocho, we take care of the cups and ice too, so you don’t need to worry about it.  If you are ordering lunch we have Ice Tea (Sweetened, Unsweetened, Peach) and Coffee/OJ for breakfast. They all serve enough for 8 people.  

Do you guys cover silverware and plates? 

Yup, we got it covered. If you order catering from Taco Ocho, we will provide plates, silverware and serving dishes. for what you order.  If you have any special requests, please let us know and we will be happy to accommodate as best as we can.  

What’s your budget?

Budgets matter, and you want to make sure you don’t blow the meeting overhead.  Always ask your boss if there is a budget you need to work within (either a total number or a cost per person). Tax always sneaks up on the total cost, so be sure to take that into consideration.

Are there some foods you shouldn’t order?

Say your boss really likes fish...we have to be honest, fish really doesn’t cater well.  Our recommendation is to order items like Beef, Chicken, pork or Vegetarian options. We can provide a list of tacos that hold up best for catering.

It’s super easy to order catering at Taco Ocho at any of our three locations in Richardson, Flower Mound, and Frisco.  You can always order online at tacoocho.com/catering, call the store, walk right in and place a catering order or find us on EZ Catering.