Sample caterer contract?

[Tom King]

Anybody got a sample caterer contract we could post on the library for download?  Some newbies have asked me about what a caterer contract should look like for the lunch and dinner part of the tournament - what should be in there and what shouldn't.

Anybody?

Tom

[Nina Renaud]

This one is not atypical for a course catering agreement. It's not great, either (so I've delete the name and details to protect the guilty). That said, it does spell out the policies. So, for example, the tournament manager knows the sales tax plus an 18% charge for tips are on top of the agreed-upon charges. And it shows a clause about having to buy all food & beverage from the club - which is virtually universal.
That standard clause makes it essential to ask if the site ever waives it, and under what conditions, before you solicit donations from, or agree to in-kind sponsorships by, restaurants/food purveyors, beverage distributors, etc. This can range from a relatively simple negotiation (say, a sponsor can offer soft drinks at "their hole" if you're paying for an open beverage cart with beer, or you can bring in breakfast sandwiches if you're spending at least $X per player on your luncheon banquet), to a restriction on brands (a club that sells Pepsi products may not permit you to bring in donated Coca-Cola products), to an extra charge, to - well, ain't gonna happen until hell freezes over. If you do get it waived, best to get the agreement re-written, but at least cross out that clause, have any conditions listed, and have the mark-ups initialed by the catering manager.
What's somewhat atypical is that this agreement doesn't address or list options for alcohol at the post-tournament banquet. Most of my clients serve wine and beer at their banquets, buying a fixed number of bottles, plus paying charges for the bartenders. (This makes it resemble an "open bar" without actually being one, which is more about caution than cost containment. I can't remember a group running out, but consumption does tend to slow down as the group sees the number of bottles dwindling.)
Also, I'd recommend attaching the club's menu with your food choices and their prices marked, adding a note that it's part of the agreement, and having the catering manager initial the note and the menu (you, too). That's assuming you order off the standard menu/package, which is not necessarily your best option at a resort or even a club with a real restaurant or members' dining room that has "chef's specials". If you can be flexible, you can often get a better deal in terms of quality food for the same cost.

[Tom King]

Good points. Thanks for the post and the agreement. I'd love to work this into a sample we can put on the library page to download. What specific things would you change to this agreement other than the things above.

Tom

[Tom King]

The caution about having an open bar is well taken. A friend once got several weeks of unwanted attention when the local mayor got soused at his charity golf event and gave a rambling and highly embarrassing speech at the tournament dinner in front of a gaggle of reporters. The mayor wrecked his political career and the charity was linked to the mayor in a dozen news stories stretching over several weeks.

If you don't want to fish drunken oil execs (and their golf carts) out of the water hazards, you'd better control the booze.  I learned the hard way when a Fox advertising sales crew decided at the last minute we needed some beer and got some cases donated by an advertiser and loaded down the drink coolers all over the course with bottles of Bud. The 70 year old Baptist deacons (and major financial contributors to the charity) were not amused............and then there was the old amphibious golf cart thing.  Thank God, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms never got wind of the thing.

 

Tom