Catering

outside catering or bar service request

If you are interested in a catering company that is not listed above, please complete the form below. Requests for an outside company must be submitted at least six months before the date. All outside catering or bar service companies must be approved before they can operate on-site, and an approval fee will apply.

Please note that not all companies may be approved due to staffing or WA State licensing issues. We strongly advise against signing any contracts until approval has been granted by The Gardens.

Read more detailed information on full-service catering and bar service.

Outside Company Approval Process

Please use the form on this page or you can find it here.
We make an initial, introductory phone call to the requested company to discuss requirements and venue policies.
The first questions we ask are if the company is familiar with managing rentals and if they are able to cook offsite. The Gardens does not provide an onsite kitchen. These questions are a really good judge of the level of service a caterer can provide.
If a company does not manage rentals or requires an onsite kitchen, they often will not be approved. Please note that certain scenarios will allow for a company to be approved.
If the company can answer yes to those two questions, we go on to discuss other required aspects of full-service catering, RCG logistics, and policies.
If the company is able to adhere to those policies, we discuss the required legal documents and insurance.
Additionally, the company is required to provide two venue references that they have catered to in the past year.
Not only are these documents an industry standard, they are required by WA State to legally operate for this type of event.
Only after the business license and county public health permit are submitted and verified, will we schedule an on-site visit with the company to complete the next step in the approval process.
Required documents are:
1. Business License
2. Food Establishment permit
3. Certificate of Insurance (COI) is required only after an on-site visit and tentative approval.
This visit not only helps reduce any unknowns for a company that has not worked at the Gardens previously, but it also gives us the opportunity to walk the caterer through the property, focusing on the key logistics of the catering prep space, access to water and power, load in/load out locations, garbage trailer, rentals, etc.
The COI must list Rock Creek Gardens as an additional insured party with a $1,000,000 (one-million) minimum. If providing bar service, Liquor Liability must also be indicated on the COI.
Once all documents have been received and the onsite visit has been completed, all parties are required to sign the Outside Vendor Agreement. The Agreement reiterates venue policies, procedures, and Catering responsibilities and is sent via DocuSign to the Caterer, the clients, and any other party involved.
Once the vendor agreement has been signed by all parties, the client is emailed an invoice for the outside catering and/or bar service fee.