Catering questions, answered

We cater events throughout Pleasanton and neighboring Tri-Valley communities, subject to the date, complete address, order size, and service requirements. Requests for Dublin Catering, Livermore Catering, San Ramon Catering, and Sunol Catering are also welcome. Share the exact office, home, or venue location so we can confirm delivery access, staffing, parking, and timing.

Our team caters office breakfasts, team lunches, company receptions, birthdays, showers, memorials, holiday gatherings, weddings, and formal dinners. You can choose straightforward delivery of hot or chilled platters or a complete staffed experience with setup, meal service, rentals, florals, and breakdown of the contracted catering areas.

Most drop-off orders require at least 72 hours of notice. Staffed events may sometimes be accepted with a minimum of 10 days, although reserving two to four weeks ahead provides better access to preferred menus, delivery windows, service staff, rentals, and floral design. Weekends and the months of June, November, and December tend to fill first.

Yes. Many menu selections can accommodate vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free guests. Dietary designations appear on applicable menu items and should be confirmed on the final order. For allergies, provide the specific allergen and number of affected guests so the team can review appropriate options and explain any preparation limitations.

Choose drop-off catering when you want prepared food delivered ready to serve and your group can manage presentation, replenishment, and cleanup. Choose full service when you want an on-site team to set up, present the meal, assist guests, replenish food, and break down the catering areas. Depending on the package, serveware, dinnerware, linens, rentals, florals, and beverage service may also be available.

Browse the online menu, select your dishes and tray sizes, add them to the cart, and complete checkout with the delivery and event details. A custom proposal is a better option when you need assistance estimating quantities, planning multiple meal periods, coordinating several dietary needs, or handling complicated venue access.

Most drop-off catering orders require a $400 food minimum. Boxed meals use a separate ordering structure and generally require at least 25 boxes per selected meal or menu. Staffing, rentals, multiple delivery addresses, and other event services may have additional requirements or charges.

Most drop-off orders must be booked at least 72 hours before delivery. This is the minimum notice rather than a promise that every date or arrival time will still be open. Earlier ordering is recommended for weekday office lunches, Dublin and Livermore corporate events, weekend celebrations, graduations, and holiday periods.

Yes. Breakfast, lunch, appetizer, dinner, side, dessert, and beverage selections may be combined in one order. This works especially well for all-day meetings, open houses, company retreats, and celebrations with more than one food-service period. Dietary labels on applicable items can help you create a balanced menu for the group.

The listed price covers the selected food and stated quantity. Delivery, staffing, rentals, service-related charges, and optional additions are calculated separately. Review the cart or proposal to confirm whether disposable place settings, serving utensils, chafing equipment, beverages, desserts, or other supplies are included.

A wedding proposal may include menu planning, rental coordination, catering setup, professional service staff, buffet, family-style, or plated dinner service, and cleanup of the catering areas. Couples may also add passed appetizers, stations, coffee and tea, cakes, bartenders, tables, chairs, linens, china, glassware, florals, and complete tablescape styling.

Yes. Mobile tastings are complimentary for confirmed wedding bookings and may also be purchased before a contract is signed. If you later book with Pleasanton Catering Company, the tasting charge can be removed from the final bill. Tastings are most useful after you have narrowed the menu to a focused group of dishes.

Wedding catering packages generally range from approximately $55 to $120 per guest, depending on the menu, service style, and staffing level. Buffets usually fall toward the lower end, while detailed plated meals and premium selections cost more. Appetizers, beverages, cakes, rentals, florals, bartenders, and complex venue logistics may increase the final total.

We offer vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free selections and can label applicable buffet dishes. Plated receptions may require final dietary counts and a clear meal-identification method. Provide the specific allergen and number of affected guests early, since food may be prepared in facilities that also handle common allergens.

Yes. We can coordinate meal timing, loading access, staging areas, floor plans, rentals, and breakdown requirements with your planner, venue manager, and relevant vendors. Pleasanton, Dublin, Livermore, San Ramon, and Sunol venues may have parking, security, elevator, noise, or departure restrictions that should be included in the final service plan.

Booking at least four to six weeks ahead is recommended, although popular dates are often reserved several months in advance. Weddings have occasionally been accepted with as little as 10 days of notice, but weekend availability is limited and June, November, and December are especially busy.

Orders totaling more than $3,000 require a 50% deposit. The signed catering agreement and required deposit reserve the event according to the terms of the proposal. The remaining balance is due 10 days before the wedding date.

Yes. Bartenders and expert bartenders are available for hire. Pleasanton Catering Company does not sell or furnish alcohol, so the couple or venue must purchase and provide it. The proposal should clarify responsibility for mixers, ice, glassware, refrigeration, bar equipment, and any venue-specific alcohol requirements.

Full-service catering includes setup, professional servers, buffet, family-style, or plated meal service, food replenishment, and breakdown and cleanup of the contracted catering areas. Optional additions may include coffee and tea, passed appetizers, beverage stations, bartenders, guest tables, chairs, linens, florals, and coordinated tablescape design.

Staffing is based on attendance, service format, venue layout, access, and timing. Buffets generally use about one server for every 25 guests, while plated dinners typically require one server for every 15 to 20 guests. Events with 50 or more guests commonly include a captain to supervise the service team and event timeline.

No. Gratuity is optional and is not automatically included. Any gratuity provided is distributed evenly among the team members who contribute to the event, including cooks, drivers, servers, bartenders, customer-service staff, and rental staff. Service-related charges shown on a proposal are separate from voluntary gratuity.

Inclusions vary by package. Some options include ceramic plates, traditional utensils, glassware, linens, and reusable serveware, while more budget-conscious packages may use elegant disposable plates, utensils, and cups. Review the package details carefully; upgraded china, glassware, linens, tables, and chairs may be added when not already included.

Reserving three to four weeks in advance is recommended for the best availability. Some full-service events may be accepted as late as 10 days before the date, depending on the menu, staffing, rentals, and complexity. Weekends and the months of June, November, and December are usually the first to fill.

Most full-service packages require at least 25 guests. For a smaller gathering, drop-off catering with an attendant may provide the setup, monitoring, or cleanup assistance you need without requiring a complete staffed package.

Yes. Food is prepared before arrival, so most full-service events do not require an on-site commercial kitchen. We may still need a suitable staging area where staff can organize food and equipment away from guests. Access to water, electricity, refrigeration, or another protected workspace may be helpful depending on the menu and service plan.

Full-service events are available in Pleasanton and surrounding communities, subject to the exact address, date, and event requirements. We also receive requests for Dublin Catering, Livermore Catering, San Ramon Catering, and Sunol Catering. Submit the complete location so travel, parking, loading access, staffing, and timing can be confirmed.

Boxed-meal orders require a minimum of 25 boxes per selected meal. Classic and artisan boxed lunches may allow eligible sandwiches and wraps to be mixed within the order. Breakfast and dinner boxes generally require at least 25 of the same selected box.

Every meal is sealed and individually packaged with the appropriate utensils and a napkin. The format is convenient for Pleasanton offices, conferences, training programs, school events, outdoor gatherings, and groups that need to distribute food quickly or eat at different times.

Yes. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free boxes can be labeled upon request. Provide the exact quantity needed for each category. For severe allergies, identify the specific allergen so the team can review suitable selections and explain any preparation limitations.

Cold boxed meals should generally be served within two hours when held at room temperature. Hot boxes arrive in insulated carriers and should generally be served within one hour. Schedule delivery near the meal period, or arrange appropriate refrigeration if cold meals will be stored before distribution.

Most boxed-meal orders require at least 72 hours of notice. Larger quantities, multiple addresses, detailed labeling, or numerous dietary variations may require five or more days. Earlier booking is recommended for corporate trainings, executive meetings, and recurring workplace programs.

Yes, provided each delivery address meets the $400 minimum order. Additional delivery charges may apply for multiple locations. Submit the meal count, requested arrival time, receiving contact, access instructions, and labeling requirements for each Pleasanton, Dublin, Livermore, or San Ramon destination.

Cold breakfast and lunch boxes start at approximately $18.75 per person. Hot lunch boxes begin around $30 per person, and hot dinner boxes begin around $40 per person. Final pricing depends on the selected menu, premium items, dietary modifications, beverages, desserts, and delivery details.

Yes. Weekly and monthly corporate schedules may receive a dedicated coordinator and locked pricing. Recurring service works well for regular team lunches, training sessions, executive meetings, and rotating shifts. Menu rotation, dietary quantities, delivery times, and order-change deadlines can be established when the program is created.

November and December dates fill quickly, so booking three to five weeks ahead is recommended for likely availability. Popular weekday lunch periods and Thursday-through-Saturday celebrations may fill earlier, especially when the event requires staff, rentals, florals, or a specific service time.

Yes. Pleasanton Catering Company can provide staffed buffets, family-style meals, and plated dinners for workplace groups of approximately 25 to more than 400 guests. Proposals may also include appetizers, beverages, bartenders, rentals, seasonal florals, and cleanup of the contracted catering areas.

Yes. Holiday entrees, sides, salads, breads, and desserts may be ordered a la carte for smaller gatherings. The food arrives ready to serve, while the client manages distribution and cleanup unless attendants, buffet equipment, or another service option is added.

A limited number of events are accepted on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, and New Year's Eve, and holiday surcharges apply. The company is closed on Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Limited holiday delivery and staffing windows should be reserved well in advance.

Yes. Holiday events may include tables, chairs, linens, china, glassware, buffet equipment, centerpieces, floral arrangements, and coordinated tablescapes. This can simplify planning for Pleasanton, Dublin, Livermore, and San Ramon company celebrations or private gatherings.

Holiday orders cancelled at least 72 hours before the event are subject to a 50% cancellation fee. Confirmed orders cancelled with less than 72 hours of notice are subject to a 100% cancellation fee because food, staffing, rentals, and other resources may already have been committed.

Options include bud-vase groupings, centerpieces, statement arrangements, floral meadows, arches, mantle installations, custom bloom bars, flower-crown bars, balloon arches, and complete tablescape design coordinated with linens, china, glassware, and other event details.

Yes. You may browse the published floral offerings or request a custom consultation and proposal. A custom plan can communicate the intended color palette, style, representative flowers, recommended pieces, and pricing before the floral order is finalized.

Current starting prices include bud-vase clusters from $95 for three, lush centerpieces around $195 to $350 per table, statement arrangements from $350 to $600, the signature tabletop broken-arch set from $800, meadows from $400 to $600, installations from about $1,350 to $8,500, mantle designs from about $750 to $2,000, and custom bloom bars from $48 per guest. Custom designs are priced by scope.

Yes. Share your preferred varieties, colors, inspiration images, and any flowers you do not want included. Exact stems cannot always be guaranteed because availability changes with season and wholesale supply. When substitutions are needed, comparable flowers are chosen for color, shape, texture, and overall visual effect.

Booking three to four weeks ahead is recommended for stronger sourcing and design flexibility. Some orders may be accepted with approximately 10 days of notice, depending on the event date, scale, installation requirements, staffing, and flower availability.

Setup is included so the arrangements are placed before guests arrive. Breakdown and disposal can be added when you want the team to return for arches, meadows, mantle pieces, rental vessels, floral mechanics, and waste after the event.

Yes. Fresh flowers may be kept upon request, and guests are welcome to take arrangements or individual stems. Some vessels, stands, structures, and installation mechanics may be rentals and must remain at the venue for collection, so those details will be clarified beforehand.

Available categories include Chiavari and resin chairs, guest tables with standard linens, cocktail and buffet tables, glassware, china, flatware, chafing dishes, and selected floral or tablescape additions. Inventory and quantities are subject to availability for the event date.

On-site attendants are required for setup, safe handling, breakdown, and preparation for pickup. This protects the equipment and prevents the client or venue from being responsible for moving and managing commercial tables, chairs, china, glassware, or serving pieces.

There is no strict minimum for the rental items themselves, but on-site staffing is required for every rental order. Because staffing affects the total cost, many clients combine rentals with catering, florals, or another full-service package.

Yes. Each guest table booked through us includes one standard linen. A broad range of colors is available, while specialty fabrics, additional layers, runners, or upgraded styles may involve separate pricing when available.

Normal wear from appropriate event use is covered. Significant damage, breakage, loss, or items unavailable for collection are billed at replacement cost. The client remains responsible for the rental inventory during the event.

Delivery generally takes place on the event date, approximately two to four hours before the event begins. Pickup may occur later that evening or the following morning, depending on the venue schedule, staff availability, access restrictions, and whether the property permits items to remain overnight.

Tell us about parking, loading zones, stairs, elevators, gates, security check-in, long walking distances, narrow entrances, and firm setup or departure deadlines. These details affect staffing and timing for Pleasanton, Dublin, Livermore, San Ramon, and Sunol venues and help prevent last-minute access problems.

Your date is reserved once the required catering agreement is signed and, for orders over $3,000, the 50% deposit is received.

Menu selections and attendance may be updated until 10 days before your event. Changes requested after the cutoff are not guaranteed.

Our commercial kitchen and primary operations are based in Pleasanton, California. We are a service-area catering company serving events throughout the Tri-Valley and greater Bay Area, delivering and staffing directly at offices, homes, wedding venues, and other event locations.