Sometimes the hardest thing about stepping out of our comfort zones and trying something new is gaining the knowledge on how to do it, for example, wanting to book Aioli Burger Catering for your food catering events in Phoenix! You may not know how to start the process, how you are going to get a big food truck into the limited space you have available, or even what the caterers will do during the event. You might find yourself thinking it will be easier to just do all the cooking yourself rather than risk embarrassing yourself by expecting or doing all the wrong things. Our passion is feeding hungry people, and the side benefit is we love making life easier for those we feed, so we have created this detailed guide to what you can expect when you book our Aioli Burger catering services for your upcoming event!
The Easy Part
You have already decided on your date, your theme, and probably your guest list, and you may have already begun cleaning closets, redecorating your bathroom, and deciding on the themed cocktail you will serve, so the hiring of our catering service is the easy part. There’s a form on the right of our catering page, and at the top of that form it says in big red letters “CONTACT FOR A FREE QUOTE,” and to get the party started, all you need to do is fill in the blanks. An asterisk in each box will indicate that filling in that blank is a requirement. The questions are easy, asking for your name, address (email and home), and phone number to start, and then it moves on to the details of your party. Some of the boxes will have dropdown categories, making it easier to fill in those blanks, and if you don’t see exactly what you need, just choose something close. We will contact you within a few days of receiving your form.
The Ball Is in Our Court
There is a box at the end of the form you filled out that lets you write in any special requirements or questions you may have, and if you have a particular way you would like us to contact you (phone or email), just write those instructions in. This initial contact will be to set up a time to meet, to discuss the details, including what you want from us and how much we will charge for the event you are contemplating. We can loosely describe the menu, the number of guests you expect to have, and the size of your venue, determining if a food truck will fit or if you should choose a burger cart or our drop off catering services. We know you are busy and this part of the burger catering service can take up as little or as much time as you need. The questions on your form will also help us determine if we have the date available and approximately how much it will cost for our service, and that is generally the most difficult part of the initial inquiry.
Let’s Talk Food
The food you serve at your event will generally determine its success, and you probably already know that we serve delicious foods made with quality ingredients, but in case you don’t, we will go over all of that with you here. The ingredients we use to create our menus are all locally sourced whenever possible, with produce, meat, and dairy products all coming from local farms. We think it is possible to eat the foods you love while doing so in a healthy manner, and harvesting locally is the best way to accomplish that apparent dichotomy. Our chefs didn’t just wake up one day and think, “Hey, I want to open a business in the food industry!” They studied, they worked in the business, and they carefully considered how to provide quality food that tastes great and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg before starting their first food truck business, and you can feel good about the food you feed your guests when you hire our event catering in Phoenix, Arizona services.
More Than Burgers?
Every event will be elevated with the selection of our Aioli Gourmet Burgers, but our chefs are also fully qualified to work with you to create a menu that you think will work best with the theme of your party. In the past we’ve created small bites feasts, international delights, and even really fun brunches that are popular for bridal or baby showers. Once you’ve determined that you want to hire Aioli, we can sit down and crunch out the numbers as well as create a menu you will be proud to offer, and if you’re still not sure about what you want served, we can discuss menus we have created in the past to help make the final selection easier. If you do decide that it is our burgers you need to make your party a success, there will be choices there as well, including protein choices, toppings and sides, even dietary choices such as gluten-free buns or lettuce wraps instead of any bread.
What’s the Event?
One of the best reasons for hiring Aioli Burger for your gourmet burger catering is our experience. We’ve been doing this for about a dozen years and we don’t think there is an event we haven’t catered. We love being there for the most exciting moments in our client’s lives, including bridal showers, wedding receptions, and baby showers, and we also love helping clients welcome new stages in their lives. Celebrating a milestone birthday or anniversary? We’ve catered many. Moving out of the state or country? We will be sad to see you go but are happy to provide the meal for everyone who wants to say their goodbyes. We’ve done school fundraisers, Pride events, and we’ve catered holiday shindigs including Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. Graduations are popular events for our Aioli food trucks and if you are excited that summer’s over and the kids are going back to school, a neighborhood block party is yet another event that can be catered by Aioli!
Sticking to Your Budget
Another benefit of choosing Aioli for your event is our experience can help you stay within the budget you desire. We know how to make substitutions that cost less but taste just as good and we know how to determine how much food is needed based on the size of your guest list. And because we offer different types of catering services, guests can choose between food trucks (the most expensive), burger carts (lower in cost and capable of fitting into smaller venues), or the least expensive of them all, drop off catering. We prepare the food, supply the plates, utensils, and serving pieces, drop them off at your venue, and leave you to celebrate with the people you know. Requiring no staff after prep and drop off can cut quite a bit off the bill, while still providing an elevated menu your guests will be talking about (in a good way) for months to come.
Transparency and Cooperation
Tensions can run high when preparing for a big event, but when you work with Aioli Burger for food catering events in Phoenix, we keep things on an even keel as much as possible. Complete transparency on both parts can ensure that no confusion ensues, covering issues such as size of the venue (don’t exaggerate your venue’s size simply because you want to impress your guests with a full-sized food truck) and who handles the clean up duty at the end of the event (that depends on the burger catering service you choose). If you have a specific idea of how you want the food served, share it with us and we will make sure that our staff follows that plan to a tee. Ask us any questions you may have, including ones about food safety and hygiene practices, and we will answer openly and honestly. We may even be able to invite you to our kitchen to see how the preparation process goes and whatever happens, we will keep the communication channels open in the days, weeks, or even months that lead up to the big event, ensuring that all questions will be answered, any problems will be addressed, and any changes that need to be met will not fall through the cracks.
When the Big Day Finally Arrives
And finally, after weeks of conversation and communication, it is time for your big event to begin. What this part of the equation looks like will differ, depending on which of our gourmet burger catering services you ordered, but the basic details will all be the same. We will arrive early, generally about 30 minutes before the party’s schedule time to start, and begin our set up as discussed. At this point, you will be free to take care of last minute details on your end, setting up tables, doing your make-up, or simply sitting with a glass of wine and relaxing in these moments before the “chaos” begins. Believe it or not, THIS will be the easiest part of all because you don’t have to worry about timing your foods so that everything is ready at the same time, you won’t need to be concerned that you didn’t prepare enough for the large group because your numbers and our knowledge worked together to create the right amount of food. Once the music has started and your guests have arrived, all you have to do is sit back, relax, and enjoy the festivities.
Quiet Is a Good Thing
There may come a moment in the evening when noise levels drop to almost nothing and you fear that something is wrong, but we assure you, this is something you want to happen. Because this is the moment when your guests take their first bite of the delicious food that is before them, savoring every flavor and forgetting that there is anything out there but the food, the drinks, and the happy feeling in their stomachs. This momentary burst of silence is a sign that your guests are devouring a meal to remember, and the noise levels will rise again soon as they all start to clamor about the taste of their meal and your brilliance in hiring Aioli Gourmet Burgers to cater their big event!
Until Next Time, Then!
All too soon, the last guest leaves, the final notes of music fades into the night, and Aioli will have cleared away and packed all our equipment into our food truck before driving off into a moonlit night. The taste of our food will be a memory, the sounds of laughter and conversation will just be echoes, and although you may be tired and ready for bed, you might feel a sense of letdown, knowing that all your hard work led to a beautiful evening that ended too soon. When we drive away though, we have a feeling that this isn’t goodbye forever, because now that you have witnessed how easy it is to hire our catering services, you will remember us again when it is time to throw your next big event. Remember, your 60th birthday is coming up in April and your first grandchild is due to be born on the 4th of July and celebrations for both are right in our wheelhouse!
And All Because You Requested a Free Quote
The party that just ended is guaranteed to be the party that furthers your reputation as the hostess with the “mostest,” and it all began with some simple questions and a free quote. Fill out the form today and let’s start planning your next sensational soiree, giving us a call at 602-848-8823 if you have any further questions that need to be answered!
