Catering Tips and Tricks - Disposables or Rentals?

Deciding whether to use plastic disposables or the real thing is a more involved decision that one would think at first glance. The base costs involved are not really that different. When using high end disposables, you can expect to pay $2.00 - $5.00 per person depending on your choices. You can get great disposables at Smart and Final or any restaurant supply company. If you decide to use china and glass rentals you can expect to pay between $3.00 and $8.00. Of course the china and crystal or glass will be much nicer and more elegant. We have complied a listing of some of LA’s top party rental companies to make life easy for you.

If you plan on entertaining often, you can also purchase all of your own china, glassware and flatware. We recommend either a restaurant supply or a discount store like Ikea. This is a great way to go if you have the room to store it.

The other thing to consider is clean up and storage if you chose to rent or purchase serving pieces. As professional caterers we know that staffing must be increased by 1 person for every hundred guests to handle repacking rentals. These “scullery” workers have a tough job scraping and packing all the rentals after the party is over.

Some important points to remember are:

• Make sure you have about 20% extra in case of breakage, extra guests or just people using a clean plate for seconds, especially if your party will be buffet style.
• If you are using rentals, make sure you have staff to pack them after the party.
• Don’t order the rentals until your menu is set. If you are doing a sit down meal you want to insure you have the right plate for every course. Washing plates between courses is a nightmare for all involved.