General Information & Policies
The professional resources in culinary and service skills at Elena’s Kitchen & Catering assure you that all of our commitments will be carried out to the industry standards. In order to ensure you and your guests a well- organized function, we must ask that we both adhere to the following catering policies:
Payment and Deposit
For wedding, corporate or social events, a non-refundable deposit of of 20% or $400 (whichever is less) is required to hold the date for your event. Billing arrangements for all events must be made in accordance with catering policies. Payment in full is due, no later than 10 days prior to the event. If payment is not received by this time, contractual obligations are nullified and no refunds are due. Payment may be made by cash, check or charge card. A $35 fee will be added for any returned checks. Final guest count confirmation for your event is required 10 days prior to the event.
Cancellations
A 5 day advance phone notification of cancellation is required to cancel a confirmed order. If there are costs incurred as a result of your cancellation, you will be billed only of those costs and not the entire cost of the event. Residual amount can be applied for future catering and is limited to one year from the cancellation date. Please call us at (916) 750-5030 to cancel an order.
Menu Selection and Leftover Food
Menu selections are to be finalized no later than 10 days prior to your event date. It is our policy that any leftover food will be discarded after the event. We may leave or pack leftovers that are safe to consume, if the client requests beforehand. Leftover food will be released to designated persons, ONLY if a signed liability release form is on file 15 days prior to event with instructions for release. There are NO exceptions to this rule. We do not recommend serving leftovers after the event as we cannot anticipate how long leftover food has been held at unsafe temperatures. The client will assume full responsibility for any liability as a result from consuming leftover food after the event. We apologize in advance for any inconvenience, but it is due to the Sacramento County Health Department that we adhere to this policy strictly.
Portion Sizes
Our menu items are sold on a per guest basis, with generous portion sizes having been determined by our experienced catering staff.
Food Allergies
Elena’s Kitchen & Catering cannot guarantee full omission of all ingredients we use in our kitchen. Our catering kitchen is an open plan facility and allergens such as nuts and gluten are present, so there is always the possibility that food may come in contact with it. We will not assume any liability for adverse reactions to foods consumed, or items an individual may come in contact with, at any event catered by Elena’s Kitchen & Catering.
Outside Food and Beverage
The client is welcome to bring up to 2 Cultural foods of their own to the event. If the client chooses to do so they must notify the caterer 10 days prior to the event, sign a liability waiver, and plate their own food. Our catering staff is not licensed to serve alcoholic beverages.
Additional Service
Labor is based on 3 hours shift, per staff member. This accounts for set-up, serving & break down. The number of servers required depends on the size and nature of the function.
Sales Tax (Determined by country of the Event)
The Board of Equalization in the state of California requires sales tax to be applied to service charges, drinks, food, or events served by Elena’s Kitchen & Catering. Sales tax applies to all labor that is related to the event, rentals and operation/administration fee – Refer to regulation 1603 in the Board of Equalization. Tax-exempt organizations must provide documentation with order.
Pricing
Our menu and website prices may be subject to change due to the market price fluctuation, additional charges by your venue to caterer, as well as product availability. Substitutions and additions on any menu will reflect price changes on the final bill.
Liability
While our team will try their hardest to avoid any accidents during an event, by booking an event, the client understands that Elena’s Kitchen & Catering is not responsible for any accidental injury or damage caused by its staff or equipment. Elena’s Kitchen & Catering is not responsible for accidental injury of a person at a party, including, but not limited to: burns from hot food or equipment, injury from dropped items, injury from tripping and falling, a vehicle accident, food poisoning, fire, or natural disaster. During the event, no unauthorized person is permitted to be in the kitchen due to food safety and health regulations. A copy of our Certificate of Liability is available upon request.