Travel time must be considered when transporting prepared food and asking staff to drive long distances to service an event.  We are located in Melbourne, FL, and can usually cover the area south to Vero Beach and north to Titusville.

  Yes, we have three sample menus included on this website; one is a heavy hors d'oeuvre buffet selection, and the other two are buffet dinner samples.  BUT, custom catering is our specialty!  99.9% of our hosts want to create a unique meal/event.  This takes a little time because there are SO-O-O-O MANY YUMMY CHOICES, and serving format variations possible.  We love to help our prospective clients design memorable occasions that will be as special as they are!

  This one always makes us chuckle!  Every event is so unique that there is very little "average" about it!!  In general, though, think about what a nice restaurant meal would cost, complete with the selection from "soup to nuts" you're considering for your party, and including a gratuity.  You're probably in the ballpark of the upscale, custom catering and personal service we'll offer you!  We can usually accommodate a modest budget, but if you're thinking grocery store, chain restaurant or fast-food prices, you may not be reasonably considering the cost of executing a custom-catered affair.

  Our website pictures of buffet tables will give you an idea; Creative Catering provides skirting, linens and decorations for the buffet tables, as well as service needed for the duration of the meal-time of your event.  We arrive at the event site earlier in the day to arrange and "dress" the food service tables, then return with the food and staff about one hour before the guests arrive for the occasion.  Buffets will be attended and the party area tidied up while the event is in progress.  For weddings, anniversaries, birthdays and other celebrations, we'll gladly pour your champagne for toasting and cut your cake for guests, at no additional charge.  We provide thorough clean-up of the food service and kitchen/staging areas, leaving nothing behind but the happy memories!

  Yes, floral arrangements, usually silk, are included when we plan the coordinating/complimenting of your color scheme into the buffet tables.  Our goal is to incorporate your plans and ideas to create a buffet dressed to compliment your event.  No two tables are ever the same, but take a look at some of our pictures on this website to get some ideas of our buffet presentations.

  Our top quality disposable plates are heavy-duty disposable plates, and are available in a variety of styles and colors.  Clear, white, black and ivory, and sizes ranging from 7-inch cocktails to 10 1/2-inch dinner plates are among your disposable choices.  And, yes, china is another option available; china runs a bit more, to include rental and cleanup necessary.  We'll be glad to discuss the particulars with you about these choices.

  Absolutely!  The majority of events work well in a buffet format, ranging from casual to very elegant upscale; also, buffets are usually more economical to host, because less staffing is required than for sit-down table service. But more formal at-table service is wonderfully executed when adequate floor space and kitchen equipment is available to do the job well!  We'll be happy to advise you with your plans, considering the particulars for your event and location logistics.

  Formal event dress is black pants and shoes, tuxedo shirt with logo-monogrammed cuff and black bowtie.  Casual event dress is black pant with a monogrammed white collared polo shirt.  Carvers wear monogrammed chef jackets.  For themed parties, staff may add a touch of a themed-flair to the uniform.

  The charges for the staff are included in your estimate; our staff is paid well so we can count on retaining the best, most reliable hospitality professionals in the area.  HOWEVER, if you would like to tip our smiling staff for going above and beyond the extra efforts to pamper you and your guests, gratuities are ALWAYS at your discretion and ALWAYS appreciated!!

  We can add bartender service to the staff for your party at an hourly rate of $25 per server, minimum of three hours per bartender.  We'll advise on your needs, based upon how many guests you're expecting, etc. Our bartenders will be available to serve the beverages provided by the client for your private party. (If needed, we can recommend several local full-service bar companies; they are licensed to sell liquor which they will provide.) **NOTE: Our bartenders NEVER put a tip jar out at your private party to solicit gratuities; if a tip is offered by an appreciate guest, our servers have our permission to discretely pocket a cash gratuity with thanks.

  Since we are not a restaurant, hotel or country club, we are not cooking daily for dining room meals.  We grocery shop, prepare and cook your food for your occasion, and so are not setup for a tasting at planning meetings.  We can advise you as to current trends and traditional favorites, so you and your guests will be delighted with the menu you select. And, we stand on 19-plus years of superior reputation~many new clients have been guests at a Creative Catering event, or have been referred to us by other happy clients, an assurance of our consistent quality and excellence.

  We understand that the guest count is tentative, especially in the early stages of planning a wedding, or any other event.  So we'll prepare an initial estimate based on your best approximation.  We'll ask you to give us your best final guess about ten days before your event, and we'll revise your contract accordingly.  (We work roughly in increments of 25 for buffets.) We want to assure plentiful portions for all of your guests so neither you nor Creative Catering will be embarrassed by running out, so you may actually have a few leftovers....

  You sure will!  Any food left on your buffet table will be packed in disposable pans/containers for you to take home and enjoy later!

  We don't bake cakes ourselves, but can refer you to wonderful bakeries in our area which are time-tested and known for delicious, beautiful, state-of-the-art confections!

  Italian entrees and appetizers are a bit of a Farina Family specialty, since Bill and Donna learned in Mom Farina's kitchen growing up!  We are known for "flavors" of many other ethnic favorites and themes, and can usually make up with "creativity" what is missing in "authenticity!"  Vegetarian/vegan foods are not usually a problem, but most hostesses will not want to offer these exclusively; rather, they usually will include a vegetarian selection with other menu items on the buffet.  Sorry, we do not have a kosher kitchen, but can avoid mixing dairy and meats per specifications by request.

  Your guests will assume Creative Catering is responsible for the quality, quantity, eye-appealing presentation, temperature and safe-handling of all of the food, if it is included in the meal we serve.  Therefore, our policy is to exclusively provide the food at our full-service events, with rare exceptions.  Please feel free to discuss your desires with us for consideration.

  Yes, if we're comfortable that: 1. the food items delivered will hold their quality and be delicious when you're ready to serve your guests.  (Some things require preparation, even cooking, on site, minutes before being placed on the table; certain hors d'oeuvres, in particular, will be soggy or mushy if fixed too far in advance of serving.) and 2. you don't need service for your particular set of circumstances.  We'll be happy to talk with you about your plans and advise you on the possibility of delivery-only service.   But...Our professional staff is our pride and your joy!  You will truly be able to enjoy being pampered for your special occasions when you leave all the work completely to the Creative Catering Team!

  Generally, no.  We sometimes make rental arrangements for corporate clients, but usually point our brides and others to area rental companies to contract those rental services directly, without the "middle-man."  The reasons?  There are many beautiful choices for you to consider, so you'll want to see what's offered first-hand; there will be damage/security deposits needed, and delivery and pickup schedules to arrange, too.  We'll serve you best by focusing on the meal-related details, and you won't be incurring the additional expense of handling fees and staff-hours to wait on rental item collection, etc.

  We suggest you make arrangements to place champagne flutes at guest places.  Your guests can visit the bar for their beverages of choice throughout the celebration; then when it's time for the toast, our staff will be happy to pour champagne in the pre-set glasses.  (Many guests will opt to toast with the drink they are enjoying, rather than with champagne.  We'll simply remove the unused champagne flutes from the tables.)

Phone: (321) 253-0905   FAX: (321) 253-3725

333 North Babcock Street
Melbourne, Florida   32935