Catering questions, answered

Our commercial kitchen and primary operations are based in Pleasanton, California. We are a service-area caterer rather than a customer-facing storefront in San Francisco. Our team regularly delivers and provides staffed catering throughout San Francisco, Daly City, and nearby Bay Area communities, bringing the food, equipment, and selected services directly to offices, homes, and event venues.

We cater office breakfasts and lunches, conferences, private dinners, birthdays, showers, memorial gatherings, holiday parties, weddings, and formal receptions. Service can range from a straightforward drop-off order to a fully staffed buffet, family-style meal, or plated dinner. Small delivered orders and events with several hundred guests can both be considered.

Most drop-off orders require at least 72 hours’ notice, although popular dates and delivery windows may fill sooner. For staffed events, we recommend beginning three to four weeks ahead whenever possible. Weddings and events involving rentals, florals, or complex venue access should be planned even earlier, especially on weekends and during June, November, and December.

Yes. Our menus include vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free selections. Tell us the number of guests who need each type of meal and identify any specific allergies before the order is finalized. Dietary labels describe the selected dishes, but they do not mean the kitchen is completely free of shared allergens.

Drop-off catering is best when you want prepared food delivered hot or chilled and your group can manage the setup, buffet, and cleanup. Full service adds professional staff, elevated serving equipment, replenishment, guest service, and breakdown of the catering areas. An SF Catering event with a detailed timeline, formal service, or limited host involvement will usually benefit from full service.

Browse the breakfast, lunch, appetizer, dinner, side, dessert, and beverage sections, select the tray sizes you need, and complete checkout online. You may also submit a quote request when you want help comparing dishes, estimating quantities, coordinating several meal periods, or planning delivery to a San Francisco building with special access requirements.

The displayed prices cover the selected food and serving quantity. Delivery, staffing, rentals, handling, and optional additions are calculated separately. Most à-la-carte drop-off orders require at least $500 in food, while boxed-meal programs follow their own minimums.

Many small trays are designed for about 10 guests, while large trays generally serve about 30. The right quantity depends on the meal time, event length, number of selections, and whether the food is a complete meal or light refreshment. Groups usually take smaller portions of each dish when several entrées and sides are available.

Yes. You can mix breakfast, lunch, appetizer, dinner, dessert, and beverage selections in one order. This is useful for all-day meetings, office programs, open houses, and events with separate food-service periods. More complex schedules may be easier to organize through a custom proposal.

Use the dietary labels shown with applicable dishes, then include the exact quantities and restrictions in your order details. For a serious allergy, identify the specific allergen rather than relying only on a general dietary category. Our team can review available options, but cross-contact cannot be ruled out unless expressly confirmed.

Wedding service may include menu planning, food preparation, professional staff, buffet or table service, replenishment, catering-area cleanup, and coordination of the meal timeline. Couples may also add passed appetizers, beverage service, bartenders, cakes, coffee and tea, tables, chairs, linens, china, glassware, florals, and tablescape design.

Yes. Mobile tastings are complimentary for confirmed weddings. Couples may also purchase a tasting before signing a contract; when the wedding is subsequently booked with us, the tasting charge can be removed from the final bill. Tastings are most useful after you have narrowed the menu to a focused group of dishes.

Wedding packages generally range from approximately $55 to $120 per guest, depending on the menu, service style, staffing, and level of presentation. Buffets usually fall toward the lower end, while plated service, premium proteins, extensive rentals, florals, cakes, and additional courses increase the total investment.

We can plan vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free selections. Buffet items can be labeled, while plated dietary meals can be prepared according to the final counts and seating information provided. Please distinguish personal preferences from severe allergies and submit the details before the final planning deadline.

Yes. We can work with your planner, venue manager, and rental providers to confirm access, setup timing, serving time, staging areas, floor plans, cleanup deadlines, and the sequence of reception activities. One primary decision-maker should still be designated so final instructions remain clear.

We recommend booking at least four to six weeks ahead, although couples should reserve earlier for popular Saturdays, major venues, and weddings that include extensive rentals or floral design. A wedding may occasionally be accepted with as little as 10 days’ notice, but availability is not guaranteed. June, November, and December are especially busy.

After the proposal is approved, a signed catering agreement is required. Orders over $3,000 also require a 50% deposit to reserve the date. The remaining balance is due 10 days before the wedding, along with the final guest count and other confirmed event details.

Yes. Bartenders and expert bartenders may be added to applicable wedding packages. Winslow’s Catering does not sell or furnish the alcohol, so the couple or venue must purchase and supply it. Venue rules, service hours, insurance requirements, mixers, ice, glassware, and bar equipment should be clarified in the proposal.

Our team handles the catering setup, food presentation, buffet, family-style, or plated service, replenishment, and breakdown of the contracted catering areas. Depending on the package, you may also add passed appetizers, coffee and tea, beverage stations, bartenders, rentals, florals, and coordinated tablescapes.

Staffing depends on the guest count, service format, floor plan, venue access, and amount of guest interaction required. Buffets generally use about one server for every 25 guests, while plated dinners commonly require one server for every 15 to 20 guests. Events with 50 or more guests typically include a captain.

No. Gratuity is optional and is not automatically included. When a client provides gratuity, it is distributed among the team members who contributed to the event, including cooks, drivers, servers, bartenders, customer-service staff, and rental staff. Any required service-related charges shown on the proposal are separate.

It depends on the package. Many full-service options include ceramic plates, utensils, glassware, and linens, while value-focused packages may use elegant disposable place settings. Review the inclusions for the package you select; china, glassware, linens, tables, and chairs can be added when they are not already provided.

Booking three to four weeks ahead provides the best chance of securing the preferred menu, staff, and arrival window. Full-service events may sometimes be accepted up to 10 days before the date, subject to availability. Weekends and the months of June, November, and December tend to fill first.

Most full-service packages begin at 25 guests. For a smaller gathering, drop-off catering with an attendant may provide setup, monitoring, and cleanup support without requiring a complete staffed package. The right format depends on the venue and the amount of service you want.

Yes. The food is prepared before arrival, so a commercial kitchen at the venue is not normally required. We may still need a protected staging area for food, equipment, and service supplies. Water, electrical outlets, refrigeration, elevators, and loading access can affect the final plan.

Yes. Winslow’s Catering serves events throughout San Francisco, Daly City, and nearby Bay Area communities, subject to the date, address, and service requirements. Share the complete venue address so we can confirm travel, parking, building access, staffing, and the appropriate delivery schedule.

Boxed-meal orders require a minimum of 25 meals. Classic and artisan boxed lunches may allow eligible sandwiches and wraps to be mixed within the order. Breakfast, hot lunch, and dinner selections may require groups of the same meal combination, so review the specific menu requirements before checkout.

Each meal is individually sealed and packaged for easy distribution, with the appropriate utensils and a napkin. Boxes are well suited to offices, conferences, school programs, production crews, and outdoor events where guests need a complete meal without waiting in a buffet line.

Yes. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free meals can be labeled when requested in advance. Submit the exact quantity required for each category. Individual names or department labels may also be considered when an organized list is supplied before the production deadline.

Cold boxes should generally be served within two hours if they are being held at room temperature. Hot meals arrive in insulated carriers and should normally be distributed within one hour. When service will be staggered, provide the shift times so we can discuss refrigeration or separate deliveries.

A minimum of 72 hours’ notice is required. Large quantities, multiple dietary versions, detailed labeling, or several delivery locations may require at least five days. Booking earlier is recommended for weekday lunch periods, conferences, and orders entering secured office buildings.

Yes, provided each delivery address meets the applicable $500 minimum. Additional delivery charges may apply. For each stop, provide the full address, requested arrival time, meal count, access instructions, and the name and phone number of the receiving contact.

Cold breakfast and lunch boxes begin around $18.75 per person. Hot lunch boxes begin at approximately $30 per person, and hot dinner boxes begin around $40 per person. Premium selections, beverages, desserts, delivery, handling, and other additions may increase the final total.

Yes. Weekly and monthly corporate meal schedules may receive a dedicated coordinator and locked pricing. Recurring programs can support team lunches, executive meetings, training sessions, rotating shifts, and multi-day events. Menu rotation, quantities, dietary needs, and change deadlines can be established in advance.

Holiday dates and popular office-lunch times fill quickly. Booking three to five weeks ahead is recommended for likely availability, with earlier planning encouraged for larger staffed events, Thursday and Friday parties, rentals, and floral design.

Yes. We can provide staffed buffets, family-style meals, or plated dinners for workplace events ranging from approximately 25 to more than 400 guests. Staffing, setup, buffet equipment, rentals, beverage service, bartenders, florals, and cleanup can be incorporated into the proposal.

Yes. Seasonal entrées, sides, salads, breads, and desserts may be ordered à la carte for drop-off service. This is a practical choice for department lunches, family dinners, and informal gatherings where the host or office can oversee serving and cleanup.

A limited number of bookings are accepted on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, and New Year’s Eve, and a holiday surcharge applies. Winslow’s Catering is closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Holiday service windows should be reserved as early as possible.

Yes. Tables, chairs, linens, china, glassware, flatware, buffet equipment, seasonal centerpieces, florals, and coordinated holiday tablescapes may be added. Combining these services can simplify setup and create a more cohesive presentation for an office or private event.

Holiday orders cancelled at least 72 hours before the event are subject to a 50% cancellation fee. Confirmed orders cancelled with less than 72 hours’ notice are subject to a 100% cancellation fee because food, staffing, rentals, and production resources may already be committed.

Our floral offerings include bud-vase groupings, centerpieces, impact arrangements, meadows, arches, mantle installations, custom bloom bars, flower-crown bars, balloon arches, and complete tablescape styling. Floral design can be coordinated with linens, china, glassware, and the catering presentation.

Yes. The floral page presents available formats and examples, and a custom consultation can be requested for a more involved event. Inspiration images, venue photos, colors, preferred flowers, guest count, and budget help the designer recommend an appropriate scope.

Current starting ranges include bud-vase clusters from $95 for three, lush centerpieces around $195 to $350 per table, impact arrangements from $350 to $600, tabletop meadow pieces around $400 to $600, and the signature tabletop broken-arch set at approximately $800. Larger installations and mantle designs are quoted according to size and mechanics.

We honor requested flowers when they are seasonally available and suitable for the design. When a particular stem cannot be sourced, the designer may recommend a comparable substitution with a similar color, shape, texture, or visual role so the overall palette remains cohesive.

Three to four weeks’ notice is recommended, especially for weddings, large quantities, specialty flowers, and installations. Some floral orders may be accepted with as little as 10 days’ notice when the design, sourcing, and production schedule allow.

Floral setup is included within the contracted scope. Breakdown and disposal can also be added, which is helpful for venues with firm departure requirements or clients who do not want to transport arrangements and buckets after the event.

Yes, when requested and when the arrangements are designed in take-home vessels. The flowers may be kept after the event, and guests can take arrangements or stems home. Rental vessels and mechanics must remain for collection unless the proposal states otherwise.

Available rentals include Chiavari and resin chairs, guest tables, cocktail tables, buffet tables, linens, china, glassware, flatware, chafing dishes, beverage equipment, heaters, and selected décor. Floral and tablescape services can be coordinated with the rental plan.

On-site attendants are required for setup, safe handling, placement, breakdown, and inventory control. Staffing helps protect the venue and equipment while ensuring the rentals are arranged according to the approved floor plan and packed correctly after the event.

There is no strict rental-only minimum, but required on-site staffing affects the overall cost. For that reason, many clients combine rentals with a catering package rather than ordering only a small number of items.

Yes. Each guest table rented through us includes a standard linen, with a wide selection of colors available. Specialty fabrics, upgraded styles, unusual sizes, overlays, runners, or custom table treatments may carry additional charges.

Normal wear from appropriate event use is covered. Significant damage, misuse, missing pieces, or loss may be billed at replacement cost. The event contact and venue should help keep rental items in the approved areas until our team completes collection.

Delivery is commonly scheduled two to four hours before the event, with pickup later that night or the following morning depending on venue access. San Francisco loading zones, elevators, security check-in, parking, and strict move-in windows may require a different schedule.

Provide the address, guest count, floor plan, venue access window, event end time, loading instructions, stairs or elevators, parking limitations, and the inventory already supplied by the venue. These details allow us to estimate staffing, travel, setup time, and the rental pieces still required.

After approving your proposal, you'll receive a catering agreement for signature. Events totaling more than $3,000 require a 50% deposit.

Changes to your menu and estimated attendance are welcome until 10 days before service. Afterward, food quantities may already be committed.

Our commercial kitchen and primary operations are based in Pleasanton, California. We do not operate a customer-facing storefront in San Francisco. As a mobile, service-area catering company, we prepare food at our commercial kitchen and deliver or provide full service directly at Bay Area offices, homes, and venues.