Tips for Catering your Next Event

Read This Before You Call the Caterer

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Congratulations, you’ve planned your first big event (or maybe it’s your 5th, 20th, 100th…), and now you’re ready to book the caterer.    You place the call, knowing exactly what you want — fajitas!  Then the catering manager starts asking questions you weren’t prepared for and using words you don’t associate with food… isn’t chafing what your pants do when they’re too tight?   Not to worry, we’ve got you covered.  Read on, my catering-curious friend.

Step One: Choose Your Entree

The most important question the caterer will ask you is what entree you’d like to serve.  You’ve got that question under control, I’m sure.  If not, check out www.tedscafe.com/catering-banquet to research your options in detail.  In short, you’re looking at a choice between tacos, enchiladas, and our famous slow-marinated fajitas.  At this point, you’ll also hear about all the complimentary extras that Ted’s is known for: chips, salsa, cheese sauce, homemade guacamole, soft flour tortillas, atomic salsa, rice, beans, and (because our sopapillas don’t travel very well) sweet cinnamon chips for dessert.    We’ve even got drinks taken care of with complimentary tea and a bag of ice.

Step Two: Choose Your Location

Once the menu has been decided, it’s time to pick a location for your event.  Already have a venue booked?  That’s great! We can deliver your food directly to your venue at a specified time.  Be ready to discuss scheduling and any other delivery details the caterer will need to know.  Don’t have a location picked out yet?  We’ve got you covered! Ted’s has two banquet rooms in the Oklahoma City, OK area.  Each has its own unique style, layout, and amenities (projection screen, wifi, etc), ensuring that you’ll have exactly what you need for any occasion.  All banquet room rentals include water, tea, and lemonade for all guests.  If your event calls for a bar, the banquet rooms can serve beer and margaritas as a cash bar or the alcohol can be paid for by the event hosts.

Our banquet rooms can accommodate a variety of group sizes.  It’s important to know how many guests you expect to attend your event to ensure that the catering manager books the room that is the best fit for your needs.   Additionally, all of our banquet rooms are set up for a buffet meal.

Oklahoma City Area
  • Escondido Room: up to 100 people
  • Pueblo Room: up to 65 people

Step Three: Choose Your Type of Cater

If you decide to hold your event in one of our banquet rooms, you’ll get the full Ted’s experience.  That means we put out our colorful Mexican serape blankets to give the room a festive appearance. If you prefer something more formal, we also have traditional solid-colored linens.  All banquets come with a full-service buffet, including dedicated members of our team ensuring your meal is exactly the way you want it.  We use our ceramic dinner plates and silverware rolled in linens for all banquets to give it a more formal feel.  For those who want a delivered cater, there are a few more choices to be made.  We offer two types of off-site caters: casual or serviced.

Casual Cater

For the casual setup, the caterer delivers the food in thermal boxes to ensure a safe temperature is maintained during the delivery.  The food is served in aluminum pans “family style,” which allows guests to serve themselves.  Plates, napkins, plastic silverware, serving utensils, and cups are also provided. All pans and utensils are yours to keep or dispose of after the event.

Serviced Buffet

The serviced buffet setup is a little more formal.  The caterer still delivers the food in thermal boxes to maintain the food temperature, but that’s where the similarities end.  For this setup, the meal is served in large metal dishes with chafing burners to keep the food warm, bowls for condiments, and chips are served in large baskets.  Nicer Chinet paper plates, as well as the other previously mentioned paper goods, are provided by the caterer.  You will have at least one dedicated served to work the event.

Make That Call!

Now that you know exactly what kind of cater you want for your event, it’s time to reach out to the catering manager in your area.   If you still have a few questions, don’t worry!  Our knowledgeable catering managers would love to answer any additional questions you may have and provide you with a personalized event price quote.

Oklahoma City Area

Kristen Hallcroft
(405) 848-8337 x4
[email protected]

Tulsa Area

Debbie Hansen 
(918) 301-8337 x4
[email protected]

Lawton Area

Charles Grooms
(580) 699-8337 x4
[email protected]

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