Have Questions? We’ve got answers!
Here are many of the Frequently Asked Questions that we often receive. We hope this information will allow you to make choices about your Portland-area catered event with confidence!
What kinds of local foods are available?
We believe in sourcing foods sustainably and supporting local farmers. We enjoy fresh produce from Zenger Farmand Sun Love Farm, receiving weekly deliveries from their newest harvest when in season. We love to create inventive seasonal menus based on the variety of their best produce that arrives to us from their fresh bounty.
Art de Cuisine & Bar also grows much of our own fresh herbs and edible flowers. We are inspired to artfully design botanical aesthetics with the natural beauty of colorful flowers and plants available to us throughout varying seasons in the Pacific Northwest.
Can I DIY certain parts of my event, like hiring a friend to be the bartender?
No, sorry! When you hire Art de Cuisine & Bar, our job is to coordinate ALL food, beverage and service components of your event to ensure that everything runs smoothly in a cohesive and organized way. Due to liability reasons and professional integrity/consistency, Art de Cuisine will not serve outside/homemade food or work with servers outside of our own team. However, we're happy to work in tandem with other professionally licensed vendors such as bakeries.
Big events like weddings are hectic behind the scenes and require a finely oiled machine to appear effortless and elegant. No friends or family members should have the burden of last-minute stress thrust upon them when well-intentioned ideas do not work or are poorly planned. If you want to DIY party favors or take away treats, we’re all for it. But the critical functions of your actual wedding day should remain flawless and professional. Trust us, we’ve seen it all and we want you to be beyond delighted on your special day!
How do I book and pay for my event?
Once you decide to book your date, we require a 50% non-refundable deposit and contract. We can easily work together over email, text, phone and/or Zoom to dial in catering logistics as you continue with your planning process. With over 18 years in business, we are a wealth of knowledge on all components of event planning and are happy to answer questions and make suggestions as needed.
Your final guest count is due 1 week before your date. The remaining balance will be recalculated based on whatever your final count is. The final invoice will be due at that time.
How do I tally my guest count to make sure there is enough food for everyone?
All we need is your total guest count, including yourself (the host) and any vendors you may wish to provide meals for. (No need to include our catering staff.) There is no need to ask guests for choices of anything, there will be enough food for all guests to enjoy the complete menu.
What happens if there is food left over?
Art de Cuisine Catering gladly packages all your leftover foods to send home with you or whomever you may designate. Any foods not claimed are packed into individual meal kits that we personally hand deliver to our houseless neighbors within our Portland community.
How do you manage waste removal?
Many venues have updated their policies to state that they no longer manage waste removal on location, making caterers responsible for this task. Though we are vigilant about minimizing waste, packaging, composting all food materials and recycling all bottles/cans, event waste is inevitable. In the event that your chosen venue requires us to independently manage waste removal, a $150 fee will be charged for this service. This feel includes staff handling, loading and responsible disposal of waste to the appropriate trash, recycling and composting locations. Thank you for your understanding!
Do you travel?
Yes, we do! We love to travel to your gorgeous location to help bring your exquisite vision to life. A $2,000 travel & accommodation fee applies for events more than 100 miles outside of Portland, OR.
Can I pick up food directly from your kitchen?
No, sorry! Art de Cuisine Catering & Bar provides exclusively off-premise catering & beverages services and does not offer customer pick-up
