DePaul Catering Policies and Procedures

DePaul University

Thank you for considering DePaul University, Plate 1898 Catering for your upcoming event. We are a full-service catering company, and we are dedicated to meeting the varied needs of our customers by creating memorable, signature events. Whether it’s a meeting break, tailgate party or evening reception, DePaul University, Plate 1898 Catering caters to you! Our services include Pick-up, delivery, and staffed on-premises events.

To provide the most appropriate services for your event, we offer a range of service levels, styles, and options. The prices shown in our menus include disposable service, delivery on campus, and set up labor. If you would prefer sustainable service items, china, specialty linen, or specialty china, we are happy to provide those at an additional fee.

Policies & Booking Information

Plate 1898 Catering is proud to provide the highest quality service to DePaul University and its surrounding community. We have developed the following procedures that enable us to respond to your catering needs.

Policies

Prior to booking with Plate 1898 Catering, please have your location confirmed by contacting the building coordinator at the desired location to reserve your date and time.

We would appreciate two weeks advanced notice for booking your event; however, we will make every effort to accommodate your group on less notice whenever possible. If you are planning your event within the following week, please call us to ensure the availability of menu items. 773-325-3250, Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm

To better serve all our customers and operate in an efficient manner, we have set order minimums on all our catering packages. All orders have a 12-person minimum. If the menu for your event falls below the order minimum, we will be glad to provide you with a quote to fit your needs. Orders that come below the minimum order requirements may incur an additional fee.

The Catering Sales Office must receive a signed copy of your catering agreement 5 business days prior to your event date in order to guarantee and prevent cancellation of your function.

In order to adequately prepare for your event, we ask that you provide us with a guaranteed number of guests 5 business days prior to the event date. Billings are based on the guaranteed guest count plus any additions or the guaranteed count if your number of guests decreases.

We will be glad to provide vegetarian meals or accommodate special dietary needs for your guests. When you place your order, please be as specific as possible regarding any dietary needs. (NOTE: For severe allergies with potentially anaphylactic reactions, we cannot guarantee full omission of the offending ingredient. This is due to the physical constraints of our own kitchen and that of our specialist suppliers where the ingredients may be present within the production environment.)

For health and liability reasons, the removal of any unused food or beverage from an event by the client and/or guests is prohibited.

Outside food or beverages are not permitted at a staffed Plate 1898 Catering event with the exception of wedding cakes.

Coffee and tea service can be ordered by the gallon and can be refreshed during the day for an additional service fee.

Payment

When placing your order, please supply us with the appropriate University Segment, as well as any required authorizations to use for billing. Payment may also be made via credit card; Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover. If your group is not affiliated with the university, a 50% deposit is required when confirming your event with the remaining balance due the day prior to the event.

Items charged on a consumption basis will be added to the contract the following day.

Service Fee & Sales Tax

A service fee of 11% of the total bill is added to all food and beverages for all Non-DePaul Organizations and External Clients.

State tax exempt organizations must submit a copy of their tax-exempt certificate prior to the event. University organizations and departments using an UAC will be tax exempt from state and local sales and meal taxes. State sales and local meal taxes may apply to all non-exempt events.

Cancellations & Adjustments

50% of event cost will be charged if order is cancelled within three business days of the event date.

100% of event cost will be charged if order is cancelled on the day of the event.

Costs & Fees

The minimum charge for plated meals is $750. The minimum charge for receptions or buffet meals, delivered or staffed, is $300. Special accommodations may be made for events that do not reach the minimums, please contact our office.

For a staffed event, we provide one server per 16 guests if serving a plated meal, or 1 server per 50 guests if serving a buffet style meal. Passed receptions require a 2-server minimum. The fee is $30 per server, per hour, 4 hours minimum.

We will be glad to provide china, glassware, and silverware to add elegance to your event. The china fee for a staffed event is $2.50 per person.

Custom floral arrangements are also available. Please contact us to make arrangements at least five business days prior to your event to order.

Black house linen service will be provided for food tables. Guest tables can be covered with linen by the catering department for an additional $12.00 per round, hi boy, cocktail, and banquet tables. Please contact the catering department for specialty linens.

Any furniture needed for an event will need to be set up and broken down by the DePaul space management team. The client must arrange that directly with the facility manager. Any rental of equipment beyond what is offered by the DePaul facility will be rented by Plate 1898, and that rental and set up charge will be billed back to the client.

Alcohol

We offer full bar services for your event. All alcohol at DePaul University must be served by Plate 1898 Catering and accompany food. Staffing requirements for bar services are 1 bartender/50 guests for a full bar and 1 bartender/75 guests for a beer and wine only bar. $30/hour, 4-hour min.

Please reach out to Plate 1898 Catering to learn more about our bar packages. 773-325-3250, Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm