How much should you tip on a catering delivery?

As we look at our website traffic analytics reports, we constantly see this question or similar being asked in Google searches and then the customers get linked to our FAQ page, so finally after about a year of seeing this, we figured we would write a blog article about this, and would love to hear some comments/opinions on this from anyone reading this article!

Tipping on corporate catering is a very gray subject matter compared to the customary 15-20% expected for good service dining in at a restaurant. I think it's also gotten to be somewhat customary to tip close to these percentages for the "pizza delivery driver".

The policies of our Snapfinger Catering partners are all over the map and we try to mirror their "direct" policies. Some charge a high delivery fee and do not expect a tip or suggest something very small like 5%, some charge no delivery (or a very small one) and suggest a restaurant-like 18% tip, and then we even have some like Chick-fil-A that include it in their prices (usually a higher price than takeout prices) and do not expect either. The common denominator - a customer should expect to pay something extra to have an order delivered to them.

If there is not a separate delivery price or a delivery fee is not included, we would suggest a minimum 10% tip as appropriate.

If a restaurant only charges a nominal delivery fee of $10 or less, a tip of around 7 to 12% is likely appropriate. Also, take a look at the vehicle being used --- if it's a company vehicle, it is likely the majority of any delivery fee is not going to the driver and is being used to cover the expenses of maintaining the vehicle by the restaurant or caterer and thus you may want to take a little better care of the driver.

If they charge a delivery fee of more than $20, and the distance traveled is not terribly far, then tips of 0 to 5% and no more than 10% are probably more appropriate as it is more likely that some of that delivery fee is going to the driver.

And then you have the case of a "restaurant delivery service" that utilizes independent contractors. These companies usually will charge a nominal delivery fee and suggest tips of 15% or more. These independent contractors are using their own vehicles and usually do not get a chunk of the nominal delivery fee, nor are they compensated on an hourly basis. If they provide a decent service in setting up your meal in a courteous fashion versus dropping it off at the receptionist desk, 15% will be greatly appreciated by these drivers.

Your company can set a standard tipping policy with Snapfinger Catering, such as adding a 10% tip to all orders with the ability to edit that amount prior to checking out. Give us a call to get this setup for your company.

Also, if you are not happy with the service you received on an order or better yet if they exceeded your expectations, remember you can contact us or chat with us to have the tip adjusted after the delivery, as we do not charge credit cards till later in the day. And just so you know, Snapfinger Catering passes 100% of the delivery fee and tip amounts to our partners, none of this is withheld for what we believe are "value-added" services provided by the Snapfinger Catering team. Our service really is free to our customer base and remember that we offer price assurance! Throw in our SNAP Rewards program and we could argue we are cheaper than "going direct"!

We could go on and on with this topic, but thought we'd get some of our thoughts out there based on our experiences these past 18 months or so, and would love for some corporate customers, pharmaceutical reps and restaurants/caterers to weigh in with their opinions on this tipping topic! While we may not have made the topic any more black and white, we hope you found this article helpful!

Cooking Tips from Snapfinger Catering - Super Bowl Party

This week's tip from Chef Aaron from Creations Catering in Orlando, Florida - sharing some tips on this weekend's Super Bowl parties!

The holidays are over, but there are still plenty of opportunities to entertain, ranging from birthdays and showers to the Super Bowl!  Here are some tips for entertaining from Chef Aaron:

I always suggest that people who entertain plan ahead. In the kitchen we call it "Mis en Place", which means everything in its place. We get everything in order before we start preparing for any event. I am also a stickler for clean as you go; it really saves time in the long run.

Always consider a caterer, so you can enjoy the party more and stress out less.  Most caterers offer affordable drop off, as well as full service, catering.  Another consideration: A cleaning service for the next day to help get everything back to normal.

Another tip?  Turn your ac down a few degrees before having a large party and try to keep the oven off. People like to congregate in the kitchen!

One last tip: If you buy alcohol, most stores such as ABC will help with selection and amounts.  And they will also take any unopened bottles back.

Cooking Tips from Snapfinger Catering - Nothing Wrong With Grilling in the Winter!

This week's tip is from Chef Aaron at Creations Catering in Orlando, Florida - as he shares some quick tips for marinating and grilling.

Marinating:

Include soy sauce, fresh garlic,hot sauce, Worcestershire, onion, & olive oil into your marinades, even if it is just a small amount.  It will enhance the flavor greatly.

Grill like a professional:

For great grill marks take the meats out of a marinade & spray with olive oil before placing on med high clean grill at an angle. After a few minutes, reverse the angle, then flip after a few more minutes depending on how well done you like it & repeat.

A note from Ginger:

Great tips!!  One other thing:

If you are like me, you may find yourself wondering how long to cook your steak, so check out Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steak) for a temperature guide.  You will also find other sources suggesting specific times depending on the thickness of your steak.  One I found was on the Omaha Steak site: http://www.omahasteaks.com/servlet/OnlineShopping?Dsp=32&FID=recipe_cookchart.

There’s nothing wrong with grilling in the winter!

Cooking Tips from Snapfinger Catering - Great Salad for the Holidays!

This is a great recipe from Chef Dale at Bon Appetit Caterers in Orlando, FL to dress up your holiday table with an elegant salad.

Field Greens with Dried Pear, Blue Cheese and Walnuts Dressed with Butterscotch Pear Vinaigrette
Serves 4-6
 
1 Bag Artisanal Blend of Young Greens or your favorite salad blend
1 Cup Diced Dried Pears
1/2 Cup Toasted Chopped Walnuts
1 Cup Amish Blue Cheese or other mild, crumbly blue veined cheese
1 Recipe Butterscotch Pear Vinaigrette - recipe follows
 
3/4 Cup Butterscotch Schnapps
1 Medium Pear - peeled, cored and diced
1/2 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
1/2 Olive Oil - not extra virgin here
 
Bring butterscotch schnapps and pear to a boil, lower heat and simmer until reduced by half and the pear is tender.  Let cool.  Add all ingredients to blender and liquefy.
 
Arrange the salad ingredients decoratively on a platter and serve this beautiful pink salad dressing on the side.

Cooking Tips from Snapfinger Catering - Using "Old" Chocolate

Do you often wonder if it's ok to use chocolate that you've had for a while and has turned white around the edges?  The white haze is called bloom. It's caused by cocoa butter rising to the surface, and it happens to chocolate when it is stored in a place that is too warm. The best place to keep it is in a dark cabinet that stays cool, between 60 to 70 degrees. In most kitchens, that means the cabinet that is farthest from the stove. 

Bloom doesn't mean you can't use the chocolate. It will disappear when it melts. Taste a little bit just to make sure it hasn't picked up an off flavor.

Cooking Tips from Snapfinger Catering - The Perfect Turkey

Want to have a "self-basting" turkey that looks and tastes great when you serve it? Check out this tip from Chef Dale at Bon Appetit Caterers in Orlando, Florida.

Our Thanksgiving feasts challenge our culinary skills in a professional kitchen as well our home kitchens.  One less thing to do is one less thing to forget to do!

During the cooking frenzy, it’s easy to overlook basting the center of attraction, Tom the Turkey!  We all want the ooh’s and ah’s when we proudly strut the golden-skinned bird to the wide-eyed family and friends with forks and knives in hand, sitting around our beautifully decorated dining table.  But then you open the oven and there's your beige turkey!

Here's what I do so the bird bastes itself.  First, warm some chicken stock and butter until melted.  Soak a large enough piece of cheesecloth in the prepared stock and snugly drape the cloth over your prepared bird, letting enough drape in the bottom of your roasting pan.  The cloth will continually soak up the juices during the baking process and you won't have to worry about basting at all!  Carefully peel the cloth to reveal that perfectly golden skin you'll be proud of.

Also, consider rubbing flavored butters and fresh herbs under the skin as well as the outside of the skin.  I have used:

Maple Butter
Southwestern Chipotle Butter
Citrus Butter
Herb Butter

Get creative and use create your own flavorful butter recipe!

Last Minute Catering Orders Through Snapfinger Catering

So, it is 9 a.m. and either of the following two scenarios plays out.

Scenario one - Your boss pops his head out of his office to let you know that he needs lunch for 30 people today at noon.

Scenario two - In your rush to get home to pick up the kids, to get them to soccer practice, to get dinner on the table, to do some cleaning....yadda, yadda, yadda...you get the picture, you forget to order lunch for the sales meeting the next day and you don't realize it until you arrive at work at 8:30 a.m. the next day.

So, do you A) Freak out and begin to panic, or do you, B) Turn to Snapfinger Catering to pull it all together for you?

We hope you said B because that is exactly what we do nearly every day of the week for someone in one of our six markets. Trust us, you are not alone. And you know what else? It doesn't matter to us why you are in the predicament you are in. The only thing that matters is that we get a solution and make you and your boss happy.

So, either give us a call at 1.888.760.7627 or utilize our Live Chat feature on our site, and let us know what you need. Trust us, we can do this a lot faster than you can. We know our providers. We know who can pull together last minute orders the best. We can even see which providers may already be coming to a location near you with another delivery and can easily add an extra 30 box lunches to their route.

And, if worse came to shove, we've got market owners that work and live right there in your markets. So don't be surprised to see Sean, or Ginger or Donna or Katherine making a delivery. Listen, we know what it takes to make a successful business, and we're willing to do whatever it takes.

So, if you find yourself in a pinch, don't panic, give us a call at 1.888.760.7627 or hit us up on the Live Chat right on our website at www.snapfingercatering.com.