Posted on Sun, May 02, 2010
It's that time of year again. Finals are just about to end, and graduation is right around the corner. Whether it's junior high, high school, college, or grad school, it is an achievement that deserves to be celebrated!
But planning a party at this busy time of year can feel like one more added source of stress. Here are some tips on how to plan your graduation or next special event:
- Discuss menu requirements with the graduate or group that is celebrating. Even if they say that they don't care and want you to pick the menu, make sure to run possible options by them to make sure that you are thinking along similar lines. Also find out whether there are any special dietary restrictions or preferences among the group of people you will be serving. No matter your tastes or dietary preferences, Mexican food is healthy and made with natural ingredients including rice, beans and healthy fresh vegetables. At Guadalajara Grill, we start from scratch and every order is made with care, and delivered from our family-style kitchen to your home or venue.
- Determine the amount of food. Find out how many guests are expected and whether they will be having a full meal or just a light snack. If it's a meal, you'll probably want to plan several courses with at least a couple of options for each. In this case you can use the recipes to estimate the number of servings that each will make, although you should plan for a total of more meals than you will have people because meal preferences are unlikely to be evenly split. If it's a buffet of hors douvres, plan a catering menu of several different items with a total of four to ten pieces per person, depending on the amount of food expected. Guadalajara Grill's catering packages make it easy for you to calculate your needs and order just the right amount and types of food for your gathering. Our catering staff is always available to answer your questions and help you with planning.
- Choose a variety of dishes. If you're making an assortment of small items, choose some savory recipes and some sweet. A good place to start is with a variety of salsas, and our fresh home made corn and flour tortillas to give everyone even more choices of how to serve themselces. Also consider making some items rich and some lighter, and if your service permits, some hot and some cold. If you're planning a full dinner menu, make sure that the options are cooked or flavored differently in case guests don't like one of the options.
- Do consider special diets, particularly vegetarian and lower calorie. While you don't need to put a great deal of thought into this unless your client has requested it, it's nice to make sure there's at least one option available, even if this just means making sure you've offered a salad and a vegetable dish that isn't soaked ahead of time with sauces or dressings. Guests who have these needs will really appreciate your consideration.
- Weigh the practical factors, specifically the time and money your ideal menu will require. Chances are what you've planned will be fine, but make sure you have also thought through your space needs, cold storage, serving and re-heating requirements, as well as waste disposal.
We hope this tips are helpful for you as plan for your next catered event in Tucson, whether it be for a birthday, graduation or other special event. We hope you will consider us as a resource to think through your needs and plan for an event that will come off without a hitch. And if Mexican food is on the menu for your next catered event, we are confident that you'll find our Mexican food catering menu to have everything you need.
Whatever you're celebrating, cheers to you! Salud y felicidades!