Catering questions, answered

Winslow's Catering Livermore serves events throughout Livermore and nearby Tri-Valley communities, subject to the date, exact address, order size, and service requirements. We also consider requests for Pleasanton Catering, Dublin Catering, and San Ramon Catering. Send the complete venue, office, or residential address so we can confirm travel, parking, loading access, staffing, and timing.

You can book catering for office breakfasts, company lunches, client receptions, birthdays, showers, memorials, holiday parties, weddings, and formal dinners. Service can range from delivered hot or chilled platters to a staffed buffet, family-style meal, or plated event with rentals, florals, beverage service, and breakdown of the contracted catering areas.

Most drop-off catering requires at least 72 hours of notice. A staffed event may sometimes be accepted with 10 days of lead time, but reserving two to four weeks ahead gives you better access to preferred menus, delivery windows, staff, rentals, and floral design. Weekends and the months of June, November, and December often fill first.

Many menus include vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free choices. Provide the number of meals needed in each dietary category when ordering. For an allergy, identify the specific allergen rather than using only a general note, so the team can review suitable selections and explain any limitations of the shared preparation environment.

Full-service catering is the better choice when you want an on-site team to manage setup, presentation, food replenishment, guest service, and breakdown. Drop-off catering works well when prepared food is all you need and your group can oversee serving and cleanup. Attendant-assisted service may offer a practical middle ground for smaller Livermore events.

Yes. Breakfast, lunch, appetizer, dinner, side, dessert, and beverage selections may be combined in one order. This is useful for all-day meetings, open houses, celebrations with cocktail hour, or groups that want several entree and side choices. For complicated service schedules or quantity guidance, request a custom proposal instead of checking out without assistance.

Most a-la-carte drop-off orders require a $400 food minimum. Boxed meals follow a separate structure and generally require at least 25 boxes per selected meal or menu. Staffing, rentals, florals, delivery, and other services do not replace an applicable food minimum unless the proposal specifically states otherwise.

Most drop-off catering orders require a minimum of 72 hours of notice. That deadline does not guarantee that every delivery window or menu item will remain available. Book earlier for weekday lunch rushes, weekends, large orders, or events during June, November, and December.

Many menu trays are offered in a small size intended for approximately 10 guests and a large size intended for approximately 30 guests. The right quantity also depends on whether the food is a full meal, how many dishes are offered, the event duration, and whether guests will return for seconds. Request help when you want a tailored quantity recommendation.

Online menu prices cover the selected food and stated quantity. Delivery, staffing, rentals, florals, service-related charges, and optional additions are calculated separately. A 4% handling fee may apply, and an optional 3.45% credit-card processing fee may apply when paying by card. Review the cart or proposal before approval.

Wedding service can include menu planning, buffet, family-style, or plated dining, professional staff, catering setup, food replenishment, and cleanup of the contracted service areas. Couples may also add appetizers, coffee and tea, bartenders, cakes, tables, chairs, linens, china, glassware, florals, and tablescape styling through one proposal.

Yes. Mobile tastings are complimentary for confirmed wedding bookings and may also be purchased before a contract is signed. If you later book the wedding, the tasting charge can be removed from the final bill. A tasting is most useful after you have narrowed the menu to a focused selection rather than trying every available dish.

Wedding catering packages generally range from about $55 to $120 per guest, depending on the menu, service style, staffing, and presentation level. Buffets often fall toward the lower end, while plated service and premium ingredients cost more. Appetizers, beverages, cakes, bartenders, rentals, florals, and complex venue logistics can increase the final investment.

Applicable buffet dishes can be labeled for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free needs. Plated events may require final meal counts and a clear way to identify each guest's selection. Share specific allergy information early, including the number of affected guests, because food may be prepared in facilities that also handle common allergens.

Yes. The team can coordinate loading access, staging space, service timing, floor plans, rental responsibilities, and breakdown deadlines with your planner, venue manager, and relevant vendors. Livermore, Pleasanton, Dublin, and San Ramon venues may have distinct parking, security, elevator, noise, or departure requirements that should be included in the final event plan.

Booking at least four to six weeks ahead is recommended, although popular weekends are often reserved several months earlier. A wedding may occasionally be accepted with as little as 10 days of notice, but selection and staffing will be limited. June, November, and December are especially busy for catering, rentals, and florals.

Orders totaling more than $3,000 require a 50% deposit. The signed catering agreement and required deposit secure the event under the terms of the approved proposal. The remaining balance is due 10 days before the wedding, along with the final details needed for food, staffing, rentals, and service.

Yes. Bartenders and expert bartenders are available for hire, but Winslow's Catering does not sell or provide alcoholic beverages. The couple or venue must purchase and supply the alcohol. The proposal should clarify responsibility for mixers, ice, glassware, refrigeration, bar equipment, and any venue-specific alcohol rules.

The full-service team prepares the catering area, organizes the food and equipment, presents the buffet or table service, replenishes dishes, assists guests, and breaks down the contracted catering areas afterward. Depending on the package, service may be buffet-style, family-style, plated, stationed, or passed, with optional beverages, rentals, florals, and bartending.

Staffing depends on guest count, menu, service style, room layout, access, and timing. A typical starting point is one server for every 25 buffet guests and one server for every 15 to 20 plated-dinner guests. Events with 50 or more guests generally include a captain to supervise service and coordinate the event timeline.

No. Gratuity is optional and is not automatically included. When a client chooses to leave gratuity, it is distributed among the cooks, drivers, servers, bartenders, customer-service staff, and rental staff who contribute to the event. Any service-related charge shown on the proposal is separate from voluntary gratuity.

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

Three to four weeks of lead time is recommended for the best choice of menus, staff, rentals, and service windows. Full-service orders may sometimes be accepted as late as 10 days before the event. Weekends and the months of June, November, and December tend to reach capacity first.

Most full-service packages begin at 25 guests. For a smaller group, drop-off catering with an attendant may provide support with setup, food monitoring, replenishment, or cleanup without requiring a complete full-service package. The best option depends on the venue, meal format, and level of assistance you want.

No. Food is prepared before arrival, so most full-service events do not require an on-site commercial kitchen. A protected staging area may still be needed for staff to organize food, equipment, and service pieces. Access to water, power, refrigeration, or another workspace can be helpful depending on the menu and event plan.

Yes, subject to the exact event address, date, attendance, and service requirements. Winslow's Catering Livermore also considers Pleasanton Catering, Dublin Catering, and San Ramon Catering requests. Submit parking, loading, access, and schedule details so travel time, delivery logistics, and staffing can be confirmed accurately.

A minimum of 25 boxes applies 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, unless a proposal specifically approves another arrangement.

Each meal arrives sealed and individually packaged with the appropriate utensils and a napkin. The format is designed for quick distribution at Livermore offices, training programs, conferences, school functions, outdoor gatherings, and events where guests need to eat at different times or take the meal with them.

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 a serious allergy, identify the specific allergen so the team can review suitable options and explain any limitations of the preparation environment.

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 close to 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. Large quantities, multiple addresses, detailed labeling, or numerous dietary variations may require five or more days. Earlier planning is recommended for multi-day trainings, executive meetings, campus programs, and recurring corporate service.

Yes, provided each delivery address meets the $400 minimum order. Separate delivery charges may apply. For every Livermore, Pleasanton, Dublin, or San Ramon location, provide the meal count, requested arrival time, receiving contact, building-access instructions, and labeling requirements.

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. Premium selections, dietary modifications, beverages, desserts, delivery, and other additions may affect the final total.

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

November and December dates become limited quickly. Reserving three to five weeks ahead is recommended for likely availability, while popular weekday lunches and Thursday-through-Saturday celebrations may fill sooner. Events requiring staff, rentals, florals, or a specific service window should be confirmed as early as possible.

Yes. Staffed buffets, family-style meals, and plated dinners are available for workplace groups of approximately 25 to more than 400 guests. A proposal may also include appetizers, beverages, bartenders, tables, chairs, linens, seasonal florals, and cleanup of the contracted catering areas.

Yes. Holiday entrees, sides, salads, breads, and desserts may be ordered a la carte for drop-off service. The food arrives prepared and ready to serve. Your group manages distribution and cleanup unless attendants, chafing equipment, or another service enhancement is included.

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. These limited delivery and staffing windows are often reserved well in advance.

Yes. Holiday events may include guest tables, chairs, linens, china, glassware, serving equipment, centerpieces, floral arrangements, and coordinated tablescapes. Combining the services can simplify planning for a Livermore office party, Pleasanton gathering, Dublin event, or San Ramon celebration.

A confirmed holiday order cancelled at least 72 hours before the event is subject to a 50% cancellation fee. A cancellation made with less than 72 hours of notice is subject to a 100% cancellation fee because food, staffing, rentals, and other resources may already have been committed.

Available options include centerpieces, bud-vase clusters, impact arrangements, floral meadows, arches, mantel installations, custom bloom bars, flower-crown bars, balloon arches, and complete tablescape design coordinated with linens, china, and other selected rentals.

You can review the published floral offerings and galleries as a starting point. For a more tailored approach, submit the event date, venue, colors, style, arrangement types, and approximate budget. The team can then prepare a custom quote that reflects the scale and visual priorities of your Livermore event.

Current examples include three-piece bud-vase clusters from $95, lush centerpieces around $195 to $350 per table, impact arrangements around $350 to $600, a tabletop broken-arch set at $800, meadows around $400 to $600 each, installations around $1,350 to $8,500, mantel designs around $750 to $2,000, and custom bloom bars priced per guest. Complex concepts receive custom pricing.

Yes. Specific flower requests are honored when the stems are available and appropriate for the design. When a requested variety is unavailable or out of season, the designer may recommend a like-for-like substitute with a similar color, shape, texture, or overall visual effect.

Booking three to four weeks ahead is recommended for the best flower selection and design planning. Some floral orders may be accepted with as little as 10 days of notice, but availability, quantities, requested varieties, vessels, installations, and staffing may be limited.

Setup is included for the floral services specified in the proposal. Breakdown, disposal, or retrieval of rental vessels and structures can be added, allowing the host and venue to avoid handling buckets, mechanics, stands, and leftover stems after the celebration.

Yes. Fresh flowers may be kept upon request, and guests are welcome to take arrangements or individual stems. Some vases, stands, frames, and installation mechanics may be rentals that must remain at the venue for collection, so those responsibilities will be identified in advance.

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

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, and serving pieces.

There is no strict minimum for the rental products themselves, but on-site staffing is required for every rental order. Because labor affects the total cost, many clients receive better value by combining rentals with catering, florals, or another staffed event package.

Yes. Each guest table booked through the company includes one standard linen. A broad range of colors may be available. Specialty fabrics, layered linens, runners, or upgraded styles may involve separate pricing when offered.

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 while it is present at the event location.

Rental delivery generally occurs on the event date, approximately two to four hours before the event begins. Pickup may take place later that evening or the following morning, depending on venue access, staffing, the event end time, and whether the property permits equipment to remain overnight.

Share parking and loading rules, stairs, elevators, gates, security check-in, long walking distances, narrow entrances, floor plans, setup windows, and firm departure deadlines. These details can affect staffing, timing, and fees for Livermore Catering, Pleasanton Catering, Dublin Catering, and San Ramon Catering events.

Yes. Once you approve your quote we send a catering agreement to sign. Orders over $3,000 also require a 50% deposit to reserve the date.

Yes — guest counts and menu changes are welcome up to 10 days before your event. After that we may not be able to adjust quantities.

Our commercial kitchen and primary operations are based in Pleasanton, California. We are a service-area catering company serving events throughout the Bay Area, including Winslows Livermore and nearby communities. Our team delivers and provides full-service catering directly at offices, homes, wedding venues, and other event locations.