Frequently Asked Questions

We do our best to lock in prices at the time of booking your event, however, there are times when we cannot do so. In these circumstances, we will pass the increase on to you.

While we know of seasonal food cost fluctuations, there are times when certain items might take a giant leap in the time between booking and your event. If a main ingredient cost goes up 20% or more in that time period, we will offer you the choice of an alternative or a modest price increase.

If you decide to extend your event time, we’ll need to charge overtime for our staff. We try to address this beforehand, however, you may decide you would like to keep the party going!

Gratuity is up to your discretion. PAC does not add on nor require a gratuity for our staff, however, it’s always appreciated.

We offer tastings for wedding clients. There is a charge for the tastings unless you meet the requirements for a complimentary tasting. Your tasting is based on your proposed event menu and typically including four hors d’oeuvres; one salad; two entrees and two sides.

Our team of Event Specialists have worked with nearly every event venue in the area. We will be happy to listen to your vision and needs, then recommend the venues that would be suited for you. Whether it’s a winery, private estate, museum or an event venue – we know them all well!

We prefer to manage your rentals or have your planner do so. Part of our service is to coordinate everything required for your event. This includes any additional rentals required that are not provided by the site you have chosen.

Our dedicated Rental Administrator will work directly with our team to ensure all rental items are ordered, accounted for and returned. During the course of planning and execution, we make the myriad of small adjustments as your guest count changes or items are added. In the long run, this will save you time, headaches and often money as well.

We’ve In business for over two decades in Wine Country and the San Francisco Bay Area. In that time we’ve worked with many providers. We’re happy to share our list of recommended vendors here.

We are not wedding planners. We can assist you with many of the details of your wedding, including timing, rentals and vendor recommendations.

Staff members are trained by our team of captains and our Staffing Coordinator. Written manuals and guidelines are provided to align our team to consistently deliver Park Avenue Quality.

Our lead chefs and captains have participated in a thorough training, as well as performed in an exemplary fashion before given the opportunity to lead.

All staff members are hired by our Staffing Department. We do not use agencies, even for fill-in. This ensures that the team working with you has been trained to and is committed to deliver Park Avenue Quality. Your event is our priority!

Our event captains are experts at managing our on-site team on your event day. The week before your event we’ll meet with your captain to ensure he/she knows all the details of your day. The captain coordinates our staff and works closely with wedding planner throughout your event, to ensure everything runs smoothly and successfully.

Gratuity is not expected, but always appreciated. Our policy is to share gratuities equally amongst all those who have worked your event. This includes servers, bartenders, chefs and dishwashers.

If you decide to show your appreciation, typically our clients will add 15-20% based on food total, or a set amount per employee. We will let you know how many will be working with you and suggest a total. Please feel free to ask us for recommendations.

Our events in general are very close to what is called “farm to table”. We source locally and seasonally, yet also reach out of the area when appropriate.

If your goal is a locavore dinner, our owner and Executive Chef Bruce Riezenman would be pleased to help you create the experience. Chef Riezenman has been working with our local farmers for many years and has insights into what is available and who is the best person to work with.

We are thrilled to work with you to create a Farm-to-Table experience. Be it a vineyard, winery, farm, or your “special place,” our team will deliver Park Avenue Quality.

Yes! Absolutely.

We’ve been working with many of our local artisans and farmers for decades. See exactly where our products are sourced from by visiting Our Artisan and Farming Partners page.

Park Avenue Catering donates 2% of our revenues to non-profits and the community through direct donations, products and services. We instruct non-profits in creating successful fundraising events. We purchase locally through growers and are loyal supporters of local business to meet the needs of our clients.

Green Certification includes many parts of our business. Below are a few highlights:

• We compost all our food waste, including meat and dairy.

• Our seafood is sustainable as defined by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch List.

• Our meats are all-natural with no antibiotics or hormones, ever.

• Our produce is seasonal, and local when possible.

• Our energy consumption is monitored and kept efficient.

• We use a double-carbon filtration system for our drinking water. This keeps over 20,000 plastic bottles out of the waste stream annually.