Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How far in advance should I begin making event arrangements with Artisan?
Q: How do I book my date?
Q: What information will Artisan wish to collect upon my initial contact and request for an estimate?
Q: When do you need my final guest count?
Q: Is it necessary to meet in person to plan the event?
Q: My venue is not listed on your website. Will you still be able to help us?
Q: How will I know what my total event cost will be?
Q: Besides costs of food and service staff, what other charges can we expect on our estimate?
Q: What types of service will you provide?
Q: How many servers will we need for our event?
Q: What does service include?
Q: Is an hors d’oeuvres reception cheaper than a full meal?
Q: Can you accommodate special dietary needs?
Q: Are you insured?
Q: Do you provide wedding cakes?
Q: What is necessary for a seated, plated dinner?
Q: Everyone is bringing their favorite dish to our office party, and I don’t have time to prepare anything.
I just need something small. Can you help?
Q: How far in advance should I begin making event arrangements with Artisan?
Contact us as soon as possible to secure your date for large events. Certain weekends during wedding
season and all throughout the holidays book up quickly. However, never hesitate to contact us with
last minute requests, as we can often accommodate events large and small on short notice.
For corporate catering and for boxed lunches of 20 or more, please give at least 24 hours notice.
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Q: How do I book my date?
Once you have spoken with our catering staff and have a general idea of your menu, the date will be
secured upon our receipt of your signed contract and deposit, which is 10% of your working estimate.
If you have shown interest in a particular date and we receive another inquiry for that date before
you have booked it, you will have the right of first refusal for the date as long as you sign the
contract and send deposit within 1 day.
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Q: What information will Artisan wish to collect upon my initial contact and request for an estimate?
It is preferable to get as much information as possible in order to provide you with the most accurate
estimate. The date, venue, estimate of the number of guests, type of service and budget parameters are
all extremely helpful. If you do not have all of this information yet, we will work with what you are
able to provide and fill in the blanks as we are able.
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Q: When do you need my final guest count?
Final guest count is required 14 days before your event. If you notify us that the guest count has
dropped more than 25% within 3 days of your event, your invoice may be reduced by no more than 25%,
excluding items that have already been purchased, prepared or rented for your event.
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Q: Is it necessary to meet in person to plan the event?
We welcome meetings in person as it gives us a chance to get to know you, and for you to experience
the quality of our products and services first hand. However, we have worked with many clients who
are unable to visit with us due to either time constraints or distance. All arrangements can be made
by phone, email, fax and mail.
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Q: My venue is not listed on your website. Will you still be able to help us?
We always welcome new venues and private locations. We have catered in homes and on mountaintops far
from electricity and running water. When you are using a home or location at which we have not previously
catered, we will generally do a site visit to plan logistics and become familiar with the space. Our only
restriction is if you choose a site that does not allow off-premise caterers, or if it presents such
challenges that we do not feel we can provide service that meets our expectations. We can travel within
a radius of about 2 hours from Asheville, NC and still provide the hot food and excellent quality expected.
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Q: How will I know what my total event cost will be?
After you speak with a member of our staff about your event, we will create an itemized estimate for you.
We will list food, staff, rental items and other charges separately so that you know exactly for what you
are being billed. Once the estimate is under contract and you approve the final guest count and menu, there
will be no hidden surprises. Please note that staff hours are estimated, and variations from the amount
invoiced will be billed after the event as applicable.
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Q: Besides costs of food and service staff, what other charges can we expect on our estimate?
Cost of rentals
Delivery charges (vary according to location)
Gratuity (18% of food costs)
Venue fees if charged to food vendors by your selected venue
Corkage fees if you provide your own alcohol
*We do not charge tasting fees, nor do we charge cake cutting fees.
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Q: What types of service will you provide?
We will make your event as formal or as casual as you like. Service options include passed hors d’ouevres,
hors d’oeuvres buffet, dinner buffet, action stations, dessert stations and sit down dinner with full service.
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Q: How many servers will we need for our event?
The answer to this question depends upon a large number of factors. Guest count, venue, complexity of the food
catered and type of service selected all play an important role in how we gauge the number of servers required
to provide seamless, excellent service. Keep in mind that in addition to the servers you see serving food and
beverages to your guests, there are generally a few extra servers needed behind the scenes to prepare food going
out, to wash dishes and to keep the “kitchen” area moving along. Please call and speak with our staff to assess
how many servers are recommended for your custom event.
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Q: What does service include?
We strive to offer service that exceeds your expectations. Service time begins when servers arrive at our kitchen
location to begin loading up the van and checking lists twice to be sure that we arrive with all we need. Upon
arrival, service staff can set tables for seated dinners, arrange buffet tables, or assemble hors d’oeuvres on
site, as dictated by your menu and previous arrangements. We will treat each of your guests as guests of honor
and will serve food, pour champagne toasts, cut wedding cake, and anything else we have arranged with you to
make your day special. Behind the scenes we will also be clearing dishes and glasses and cleaning our staging
area, ready to leave your venue as clean as or cleaner than it was when we arrived. Service charges end when
staff have returned all of our cleaned equipment to its appropriate place in our kitchen.
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Q: Is an hors d’oeuvres reception cheaper than a full meal?
Not necessarily. Ultimately the price of an item will depend upon both the expense of the ingredients and complexity
of cooking and serving. Often a full meal will be less expensive because it is all cooked at once, while each hors
d’oeuvre must be put together individually. Hors d’oeuvres tend to be more labor intensive, while meals can vary
greatly in price. Time of day can also affect the cost of your reception; for example, an afternoon hors d’oeuvres
party can be less expensive as guests will not be expecting a full meal between lunch and dinner. There are many
variables, and we will work with you and your budget to create the best menu for your event.
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Q: Can you accommodate special dietary needs?
We will gladly accommodate your special needs; you have only to mention this to our catering staff when you are
planning your menu. We can provide vegetarian, vegan, all organic and gluten-free menus. We are also extremely
cautious regarding food allergies, so please let us know if you or one of your guests has a particular allergy.
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Q: Are you insured?
Yes. If your company requires proof of insurance in order to approve us as caterers, we are happy to provide it.
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Q: Do you provide wedding cakes?
Wedding cakes are a focal point of a wedding. As this is not our specialty, we do not make wedding cakes. We can
point you in the direction of several local bakers who do provide wedding cakes of excellent quality, beauty and
taste. However, there is also a current trend in wedding receptions to forego the traditional wedding cake, instead
having a small cake for a cake cutting photo op and providing other dessert options for your guests. We would be
happy to provide alternative desserts—perhaps a certain dessert that is special to the couple. Among desserts we
have provided at weddings are cheesecakes, ice cream and cookies and elegantly presented banana pudding.
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Q: What is necessary for a seated, plated dinner?
A plated dinner is a very elegant option that does require some additional planning. Once the menu options are
selected, you will need to request that your guests RSVP with a meal choice. You will create a seating chart based
on responses so that our servers can provide seamless service, knowing exactly where each plate is to be delivered.
There are many creative ways to do this; please call our staff for further information.
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Q: Everyone is bringing their favorite dish to our office party, and I don’t have time to prepare anything. I just need
something small. Can you help?
Certainly. We can prepare a tray or two of hors d’oeuvres or a special meal dish for you. Please give us a minimum
of 2 days notice. Our casseroles, meals-to-go and hummus dips in the coolers in the deli are always ready to be
picked up. Please call to be sure your favorite selection is available.
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