California Tortilla’s Tips for Catering and Decorating Your Holiday Party
- If the venue (…or living room) doesn’t provide a coat check, invest in a coat rack rental or ask around to see if someone has a wheeled wardrobe you can borrow. Keeping coats in one place not only clears seating space, but will also free up guests’ hands for food and other items. Because the only thing better than having a taco in one hand, is having a taco in both hands.
When it comes to decor, swap streamers and tinsel for group-size bowls of hand-smashed guac and fresh-chopped salsa for your event. Both options promise plenty of red and green, but only one is (technically) edible. Pro tip: try California Tortilla catering’s salsa and chip bowls!
- Planning a thank-you speech, champagne toast or interpretive dance? Make sure to share before guests begin eating so the sound of clinking utensils doesn’t bury your warm wishes. Take it from us; delicious food is distracting! We’ve been working on this list since Valentine’s Day.
- Keep a box of cleaning supplies under the food table to avoid a frantic hunt for paper towels when Karen inevitably knocks over her eggnog. Even better, kick it up a notch and leave detergent to-go pens on each table!
- If your guest list includes hardcore vegans, die-hard carnivores and everyone in between, skip the subs and invest in a make-your-own catering option like a fajita or taco bar. Each allows holiday event guests to choose from items like grilled veggies, Grade-A sirloin, white meat chicken breast, cheese, guacamole, and more, with very little planning on your end. Boom!
- While we’re all about sizzling fajitas, we’ve found that sizzling hair, sleeves, and evergreen branches don’t exactly inspire the same delight. Eliminate fire hazards before guests arrive by ensuring open flames are kept in glass holders and away from other flammable items.
- Place a gift basket by the desserts, and have guests enter to win it by dropping their business cards in an entry bowl. If it’s a corporate holiday event, you’ll easily gather updated contact information from your current and potential clientele, and if it’s a private party, you’ll easily guarantee at least one guest will be happy they came! Looking for inspiration? Consider creating a hot sauce gift basket using selections from our Wall of Flame.
- Consider this correlation: the more time Uncle Willie spends munching on chips and salsa, the less time he spends serenading your friends, coworkers and extended family with his off-key caroling. This year, make the responsible decision for your guests (and their eardrums) by enlisting the help of Cal Tort catering for your holiday party — because Willie’s vocal cords aren’t getting any younger, and Silent Night isn’t getting any shorter.