When it comes to appetizers and hors d’oeuvres catering, there is never “too much information.”

So we have a little more for you in this post…   

Small bites can be a lot of fun… offering your guests a variety of flavors, textures, temperatures and more.   But there are certain strategies to keep in mind when catering appetizers and hors d’oeuvres  – depending on the type of event you are planning. Let’s explore three different scenarios so that your event comes together perfectly.

The Simple Open House…  

In most cases the least amount of apps you will need for your catering order will be if you’re planning some sort of business/ open house event.   Let’s say you’re opening a new office and are inviting the local business community to come by and celebrate.  Chances are good these guests are not expecting dinner.  These events typically happen between meal time.  Your attendees are most likely going home to eat dinner after your event. 

Your job is to offer your guests a quality, but tiny,  amount and variety of small bites. Enough to get them through so they are not distracted by hunger. Enough to make them feel appreciated for coming.  For this type of event a couple of basic stationary apps are just fine.  Maybe even some simple desserts like cookies or brownies.  Think about options where a small plate and cocktail napkin is all you need.  Artisan Cheese, crudite or maybe some hot dips and one or two varieties of crostinis or shrimp cocktail for example.   Keep it light… your gesture is only to serve to hold them over before their own dinner.  You can keep the budget easy on this by simply scheduling  as a drop off catering service .

The Elevated Vibe Open House, Charity Fundraiser, Networking Event or Cocktail Party…

This next step up event is probably going to mean your guests will be around much longer and “make a night of it.”  Your business guests will let their significant other know… they will be heading to a business event, fundraiser, etc after work and not to count them in for dinner at home.   For a cocktail party your guests may step up their attire and make an evening of it as a couple or group of friends. 

You’ll want to plan to assume your guests will make your event their dinner.  You’re going to want to order accordingly.   This means… you aim for anywhere for eight plus servings per guest or more.    Of course there is a point where enough is enough.  You just have to remember… this will be their dinner if that is the expectation you set.  To put a cap on the amount of apps you order we imagine anything over fifteen servings per guest would be too much.   This is not an exact science.   Every crowd is different.  Certain apps are more filling than others. Some apps count for way more than one serving.  For example… a slider station or grazing table we like to count as three servings into your total number. 

While you can do this type of event as “drop-off catering” with some basic set-up and some sound advice… These larger events tend to be staffed catering contracts. 

Appetizers/ Cocktail Hour Leading up to Dinner…

Any event from parties to business events can be set up with a timeline of appetizers and then dinner to follow. Of course, this timeline is very common for wedding catering.

When ordering apps before dinner you should be ready to have fun with a few ways to play it.

First … you need to decide if you want to go light, medium or heavy.   We have talked about this a lot over the years.  One important thing to remember is the dinner coming after cocktail hour should help you decide where you land.  For example… if you have a very large buffet dinner on the way… going heavy on appetizers is not a good idea.  

After you decide on quantity, the next item on the list is if you want a combo of stationary and passed, hot and cold? You do what fits your vibe. Our thoughts…  It is more work for us when variety is ordered, but we are ok with that! A variety is usually more fun for your guests. We love to create beautiful displays as the centerpiece of cocktail hour while staff walks around with a variety of hot and cold hors d’oeuvres!