Where do I start?
The first step is getting your date in The Silk Road calendar!
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The Silk Road Catering has the unique ability to provide several very qualified teams to serve and cater to multiple locations in a single day throughout Western Montana.
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As you know, Fridays and Saturdays are a hot commodity, and are frequently booked years in advance! So don't wait! Click Contact immediately to arrange a meeting and request to secure your date in our calendar!
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The Silk Road Catering provides you with our entire menu as "à la carte," meaning we don't have a standard price per person, or "packages." We carefully orchestrate menus and service plans based on how you envision your special event, and tailor our service to exactly what you need. Prices are wide varying from $35-$200+pp.
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The Silk Road's goal: To cultivate lasting memories around Exquisite Food and Exceptional Hospitality.
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What can I expect?!
Let's lay it all out, in detail, every step of the way to making a great catered event.
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Let's get started!
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The event creation process:
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You send your date and contact information to The Silk Road via our Contact Form including the following:
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Name, Contact info, Date, Guest count, Purpose of the event, Location; etc.
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The Silk Road determines if the date is available in the calendar and replies via email with either:
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Bummer, your date is full: let's find a new date!
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Yes, your date is available! TSR will pencil your date in the calendar and send a phone appointment request to meet with Sam Risho, the Catering Coordinator and co-owner of The Silk Road
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Next, you meet with your co-planners/fiancée/parents/business partners/etc., and determine the following *before* meeting with Sam:
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What do you see when you think about your party/wedding/reception? Cocktail party? Plated dinner? Buffet? Specialty Service Bar and Action Station? Something in between? Read our options for Style of Service and get an idea of what will work best for you and your guests. Sam will discuss with you all the options to help refine your vision.
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Food: this is the fun part! Look at our Catering Menu and get some ideas on what makes your mouth water and tummy rumble! Do you want hors d'oeuvres served on a silver platter? Buffet apps? Dessert bites? So much to choose from!
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Budget
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Be clear with your budget. Does your budget include food, service, rentals, beverages, linens, travel, etc? Who is paying for your event, and who gets the final "say" on the menu?
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Some clients decide on a "price per person"
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Others choose a specific dollar amount
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The majority of our clients choose the menu first, then see where that falls in their budget, and make modifications from there.
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Location Details
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Have an idea of some location details that would be valuable information for our catering team. Directions, parking, potable water onsite?, is there a kitchen onsite ?, Is electricity available? Easy access for large catering vehicles, loading/unloading/mobile kitchen placement, etc.
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Next, attend a phone meeting with Sam to gather all your event details. Approximately 30-45 minutes.
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It would be helpful for you to be available at a computer for the meeting so you can look at menu items together on our website.
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Our catering team will use your meeting notes and create for you a written document: the Catering Proposal (the details of what is included in our Catering Proposal are listed below)
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By email, you will receive the detailed Catering Proposal, with which you either:
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Request some modifications via email or phone
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Say YES!​ Let's book it, and sumbit an electronic deposit by ePayment!
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The Proposal email includes a link to easily make an electronic (an instant) payment for a 50% deposit to secure the date in the calendar.
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FYI, The Silk Road Catering calendar fills quickly! Many of our clients choose to submit a deposit before the meeting and before the menu has been chosen, just to ensure The Silk Road is committed to the event date. You may choose that option at any time.
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The Silk Road Catering Proposal
After your phone meeting with Sam, you will receive the first draft Catering Proposal by e-mail, which includes all the information you discussed with Sam. Please carefully review all included details.
The Proposal details your menu choices and costs for individual items, service style, rentals/disposables, labor, travel, and payment options line by line. The menu and proposal will also include what was discussed to be "Client Responsibility," clearly defining what The Silk Road will not provide, which oftentimes are your preferences for alcoholic beverages, plateware rentals, chairs, tents, decorations, etc.
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For local Missoula catered events, most foods can be prepared in our catering kitchen and don't need additional rentals for out-of-area events. Out-of-area events frequently require additional cooking equipment to ensure your meal is prepared fresh prior to service, and not sitting in a hot-box for hours. The cost of food is separate from the equipment rental fee, ensuring complete transparency in the food cost per person, separate from equipment pricing. The equipment rental fee covers fuel and maintenance.
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For cooking equipment, The Silk Road will use only our own equipment to ensure consistent quality, maintenance, and cooking capacity. This allows us to maintain full control over our operations and avoid any potential issues that might arise with unfamiliar, rented, or borrowed equipment.
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The Catering Proposal will also clearly state the Event Timing: arrival time, service time, ceremony time, or any other applicable timing specific to your event.
For weddings, The Silk Road carefully plans to arrive at your location one hour before the ceremony so as not to disturb the ceremony with the noise of unloading and setup.
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For all other events that do not have a "ceremony", The Silk Road plans to arrive at your location between 30-90 minutes prior to service time to give adequate time for unloading and setup.
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Remember this proposal is a first draft. We can change anything! All details, especially the guest count and menu, are completely available for modifications all the way until three weeks prior to the event. Our team is willing to work with you to type up as many modifications or drafts as nedded to get the right menu that works within your budget.
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When you are confident you wish The Silk Road to cater your event, simply submit the deposit via the ePayment link, or call or reply to the email stating that you are ready to make your deposit to secure the date in the calendar! And we're set!
Discounts
The Silk Road happily offers Non-profit Organizations a 5% discount upon request.
Credit or Debit Cards
The payment processing program allows you to choose to pay with Credit/Debit card payment with a 3.45% processing fee, or an electronic check (ACH) with zero processing fee.
Food & Beverage Minimums
F&B minimum $500
Saturdays May through October, minimum $2,000
Does not include labor, travel, gratuities, rentals, etc.
Travel
Minimum travel fee within Missoula City $15
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Outside Missoula city limits, the travel fee is $2 per mile, round trip, and includes 2 vehicles bringing staff and gear/food to your event location
Service Charge
The Silk Road adds an industry-standard gratuity based on a percentage of food and beverage.
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10% Pickup
15% Drop Off
20% Full Service
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Gratuity is shared between the service staff working at your catered event and also the food prep staff that work from The Silk Road Catering kitchen.
Additional gratuity is always welcome but never required.
Additional Optional Services
Water Service Fee $0.35 per person
Provide ice for glassware, pour and maintain water at seated tables.
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Family-Style Salad Service $0.50 per person
Served on family-style platters brought to each table where guests serve themselves.
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Family-Style Dinner Service $1.00 per person
Served on family-style platters brought to each table where guests serve themselves.
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Plated Salad Service $1.00 per person
Salad is individually plated and served to each guest at their table.
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Plated Dinner Service $2.00 per person
Salad is individually plated and served to each guest at their table.
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Cake Cutting Fee $0.50 per person
Includes table setup, cutting, serving, and clean up
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Champagne Toast $0.50 per person
Pour and distribute individual glasses of champagne
Garbage Removal $35
All bagged garbage removed when caterer leaves site.
The Business Part
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To secure the date in our calendar, The Silk Road requests a 50% deposit of the estimated total balance. The deposit commits The Silk Road to you, your date, and and all products and services offered. After the deposit is received, all modification requests from you will be acknowledged by The Silk Road by sending an updated invoice by email.
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The Balance payment is due 21 Days Prior to event (21DP or 3 weeks), along with exact menu and headcount.
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A decrease in the guest count after 21DP will not result in a reduction of price.
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An increase in the guest count after 21DP will incur an additional 8% fee per additional person of the per person food and rental costs, if The Silk Road is capable of accommodating the request.
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A full refund is offered for cancellation up until 60 days prior to the event minus $300 fee for consultation and planning.
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A cancellation refund between 60 days and 21DP will be subject to a cancellation fee of 10% of total event.
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After 21DP, a cancellation refund will not be offered.
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Should the need arise, rescheduling is available for a mutually agreeable date until 21DP.
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Client is responsible for replacement costs of damaged rentals.
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Client agrees to the Terms and Conditions when the deposit payment is received by The Silk Road, establishing an agreement of all services offered and terms listed.
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An additional 3.45% fee for payments with debit/credit card is automatically included in the balance due. We will happily remove the Credit/Debit Card processing fee upon request to pay with cash/check/EBT payments.
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Menu Prices: Due to product availability, quality, and unforeseen market price fluctuations, prices are subject to change without notice, up to 21 days prior to the event date. Within 21DP, prices are guaranteed. We will make every effort to provide the exact product ordered however, product availability and/or quality may affect this at times. You will be notified/consulted in advance by email of menu substitutions or price fluctuation.
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Late fees will be assessed at the Montana annual interest rate limit of 15%, accrued monthly.
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Let's Talk!
Do you love what The Silk Road has to offer? Great! Click Contact to message your event information to the catering team, and most importantly secure your date in our calendar ASAP!
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