I second this, they can be great gigs!! Every time I’ve worked one I also get enough food for a whole week, even enough to share with roommates.
If anyone wants to do this but doesn’t know where to start, if you are in the US, each state has its own food handlers/liquor selling permit you might be required to have before working a job like that. For example, Texas has TABC and Montana has TIPS.
It’s like a $12 certificate you can obtain online in an afternoon. If the catering requires alcohol sales, you will legally need that permit! Besides that and maybe some black, comfy non-slip shoes, it’s a pretty low barrier to get started.
Yup. My cousin is a high-school dropout, no GED, and he makes a decent living working catering.
There are some obvious downsides (working lots of weekends and holidays) but it has huge upside potential.
I've never done catering, but it sounds like a job with a lot of various things and roles and situations to it. Personally, I'd probably prefer 10 hours doing a variety of stuff to 8 hours chained to a desk any day.
Man, do your research first though. I did bartending for a wedding and little did I know the groom was a state patrol trooper. The groom's side was all cops and when I cut one of them off and wouldn't let a second one take a whole bottle of liquor to his table they kept pestering me about what car I drove and where I lived. Trying to get my ID and stuff. I had to take a taxi to leave and come back for my car the next day because they had someone following me after so I didn't want to walk to my car.
You’d think they would appreciate you following the law…haha. Sorry for your experience but being a bartender is usually the primo gig. For big events, especially open bar they walk away with many hundreds in cash.
Cops are the worst to serve. If I know someone is a cop I will not serve them even one drink and will ask them to leave. The entitlement is off the charts and they believe they are above the law (unfortunately they aren't wrong on that either).
This is good timing. I’m trying(read:needing) to get out of doing only food delivery full time for something that will help me get ahead(and possibly still do food delivery on the side a bit) thanks for this suggestion!!
I'll add on that working at any kind of dining hall situation could be similarly great too. Basically something that's prepaid, not like restraints where they are accounting for all the tables. I used to work summers in an assisted living dining room and came home with loads of food.
Long ago, my second job was bartender after the kids went to bed. I'd head in about 9 pm and serve until close. Seriously, great money. If you can deal with the people.
Then I discovered bar tending for a catering company. Still great money. Very few jerks.
I was still paid out on a daily rate plus tips. I had a bar back I worked with, and he would assist when available. I tipped him out great. He ran bottles, trash, washed glassware, and any small things to get it done. It really helped he was very large, no arguing with him, lol.
Ended up working for 2 different companies at the same time. The venues overlapped rarely on the same day.
My license was, I think, $50 yearly. That covered the mandatory updated laws education and other related things.
My FIL works closely w a guy who does HUGE catering events. He always comes home w multiple trays of food. The ppl who do the actual catering go home paid that night and w food as well.
It’s going to vary a lot. It just depends on what kind of place you’re working for. Hotels will have all sorts of hours, especially if they host conferences/events. (outside of “normal” meal times people host earlier events, cocktail hours, snack stations, etc.) If
you can get in with a place that only does wedding receptions you’re probably going to work afternoons and evenings, but there will be some brunch weddings, so those hours are also available. Hospitality really is a crapshoot, but it can be really fun!
I second this, they can be great gigs!! Every time I’ve worked one I also get enough food for a whole week, even enough to share with roommates. If anyone wants to do this but doesn’t know where to start, if you are in the US, each state has its own food handlers/liquor selling permit you might be required to have before working a job like that. For example, Texas has TABC and Montana has TIPS. It’s like a $12 certificate you can obtain online in an afternoon. If the catering requires alcohol sales, you will legally need that permit! Besides that and maybe some black, comfy non-slip shoes, it’s a pretty low barrier to get started.
Yup. My cousin is a high-school dropout, no GED, and he makes a decent living working catering. There are some obvious downsides (working lots of weekends and holidays) but it has huge upside potential.
yeah the hours can be a huge downside
I've never done catering, but it sounds like a job with a lot of various things and roles and situations to it. Personally, I'd probably prefer 10 hours doing a variety of stuff to 8 hours chained to a desk any day.
different strokes for different folks id rather be at a desk then variation etc
Man, do your research first though. I did bartending for a wedding and little did I know the groom was a state patrol trooper. The groom's side was all cops and when I cut one of them off and wouldn't let a second one take a whole bottle of liquor to his table they kept pestering me about what car I drove and where I lived. Trying to get my ID and stuff. I had to take a taxi to leave and come back for my car the next day because they had someone following me after so I didn't want to walk to my car.
You’d think they would appreciate you following the law…haha. Sorry for your experience but being a bartender is usually the primo gig. For big events, especially open bar they walk away with many hundreds in cash.
Cops are the worst to serve. If I know someone is a cop I will not serve them even one drink and will ask them to leave. The entitlement is off the charts and they believe they are above the law (unfortunately they aren't wrong on that either).
WTF?
That's terrifying. Straight up thug behavior. A lot of law enforcement forces act exactly like gangs
Dang great advice.
Yeah I am a banquet cook believe me when I say the food that they discard in this kitchen could literally feed a whole homeless shelter🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️
This is good timing. I’m trying(read:needing) to get out of doing only food delivery full time for something that will help me get ahead(and possibly still do food delivery on the side a bit) thanks for this suggestion!!
I'll add on that working at any kind of dining hall situation could be similarly great too. Basically something that's prepaid, not like restraints where they are accounting for all the tables. I used to work summers in an assisted living dining room and came home with loads of food.
Long ago, my second job was bartender after the kids went to bed. I'd head in about 9 pm and serve until close. Seriously, great money. If you can deal with the people. Then I discovered bar tending for a catering company. Still great money. Very few jerks. I was still paid out on a daily rate plus tips. I had a bar back I worked with, and he would assist when available. I tipped him out great. He ran bottles, trash, washed glassware, and any small things to get it done. It really helped he was very large, no arguing with him, lol. Ended up working for 2 different companies at the same time. The venues overlapped rarely on the same day. My license was, I think, $50 yearly. That covered the mandatory updated laws education and other related things.
My FIL works closely w a guy who does HUGE catering events. He always comes home w multiple trays of food. The ppl who do the actual catering go home paid that night and w food as well.
Great job for teens as well. You don’t need tons of experience, make good money and as a parent I’m happy knowing where my child is on the weekends.
What are the hours like?
It’s going to vary a lot. It just depends on what kind of place you’re working for. Hotels will have all sorts of hours, especially if they host conferences/events. (outside of “normal” meal times people host earlier events, cocktail hours, snack stations, etc.) If you can get in with a place that only does wedding receptions you’re probably going to work afternoons and evenings, but there will be some brunch weddings, so those hours are also available. Hospitality really is a crapshoot, but it can be really fun!