Frequently Asked Questions

 

Our catering department has a combined 70 years of experience in the events industry.
Learn more about how we use this experience to make your event less stressful and more enjoyable for you.

What sets Mayan Café apart from other caterers?

  • We approach catering from an event planner’s perspective. This means we ask about all aspects of the event beyond just food service.
  • We do not use temp agency staff. All our staff is vetted, guaranteed to have service industry experience and committed to our company.
  • We coordinate logistics directly with the venue on your behalf (ie. space layout, arrival time, rental delivery). This saves you time and allows you to focus on other, more exciting parts of the event.
  • Our team stays until the very end of the event.
  • For weddings, we bring appetizers to the bridal party during post ceremony photos. (No one should be hungry during a wedding!)
  • We actually care about your event. Our entire goal is for you to enjoy the planning process and most importantly, your event. We do so many extra things without charging for them so that you can do just that- ENJOY THE EVENT!

How does Mayan Café ensure food quality at offsite events?

  • We approach catered food from a restaurant perspective. Flavor, presentation and cooking techniques are curated by a 4-star chef.
  • We don’t compromise food quality for convenience. We adjust how we cook and execute food service based on the individual parameters of each event.
  • We have spent over a hundred hours behind the scenes discussing how to best cook salmon, empanadas and other time sensitive dishes.

How can I be sure my guests will all like your food?

  • We offer a tasting for all weddings and large events. Wedding planners consistently say we give more food at tastings than they have ever seen with other caterers.
  • We assess our full catering menu annually and make adjustments based on food quality, appeal to our clients and consistency of preparation. We add new dishes to keep repeat clients interested and take off dishes that weren’t top sellers.
  • We source much of our ingredients from local farms. Even though these ingredients are more expensive by 3-4x, our prices are in line with other caterers in the marketplace.

What kind of communication can I expect from the Mayan Café team?

  • We will respond to your initial inquiry within 24 business hours.
  • Once you inquire about an event with us, we will schedule a phone call to learn more about the vision, timeline and budget for your event so we can create a curated menu that best suits all your event needs.
  • We attend all walk-throughs for weddings and large events. Our venue contacts tell us no other caterer does this.

When do you need to know my final guest count?

  • For a wedding/rehearsal dinner/large corporate event, we like to know your guest count 3 weeks in advance of the event date. This gives us time to adjust any rentals or other subcontracted services and ensure you have all items needed for the event.
  • For a smaller corporate event, we ask for your guest count 7 days before the event. This allows us ample time to prep all food and staff accordingly.

When is my payment due? Should I expect any other bills after my event is over? How do I secure my event date?

  • We only require a 25% deposit 30 days before the event. This helps your cash flow personally to pay other vendors who require deposits earlier.
  • The final balance is due the week of the event.
  • For services that we subcontract, you have no liability for post-event fees like damaged rental items or bar overages.
  • Once you have decided to hire Mayan Café for your event, we will send you a contract that details what we are providing for you. We require a signed contract and a credit card to keep on file to hold the date. We will schedule a phone call at this time to go over the contract together to ensure an enjoyable working relationship between you and our catering team.

My guests have dietary restrictions; can Mayan Cafe accommodate that?

  • We ask up front about guests with food sensitivities and do everything in our power to ensure these folks have delicious, safe food.

Do I need to rent buffet equipment? What about plates and silverware?

  • We provide all serving ware for no extra cost – chafers, serving trays, bowls, utensils, buffet décor and signage. We purchase new inventory annually to keep our aesthetic fresh.
  • We provide free disposable plates, napkins, silverware and cups. If you want real china, flatware and glassware, we can coordinate these rentals for you.
  • When we subcontract services for your event (ie. bartender, rentals, florals) the planning process is streamlined. You have fewer people to communicate with and one check to pay in the end.

Do you all provide bar service?

  • We do not have our own liquor catering license. However, we work with several trusted beverage partners to ensure high quality bar service. We will curate a cocktail, wine and beer list that pairs with your menu and highlights your favorite drinks.
  • We do require that all alcohol is provided by the licensed and insured bartending service. We have seen that when clients provide their own alcohol, it unnecessarily adds stress to their planning process. Additionally, if anything runs out during the event, we are not able to remedy the situation. Our #1 goal is that the event goes smoothly and the host enjoys everything as much as all guests do.

Will there be food for other vendors?

  • We provide food for up to 5 vendors working your event for no additional cost. (ie. photographer, musician, event planner, venue contact). Additional meals are provided at a discounted cost.

What happens to the leftover food?

  • We guarantee the event hosts will take home boxes of leftover food.
  • We also feed all of our staff working the event. Any food leftover beyond that is donated to Feed Louisville, a local organization that provides meals and housing for houseless individuals.

Testimonials

  • I heard rave reviews about the exceptional service and delicious food. My client said the guests loved the gray sauce. What a lovely place setting. Thank you for your help getting this together. You are my first and only call when another group comes through

    Mar 2024, Plated dinner with tequila pairings at Stitzel Weller Distillery

  • I just wanted to let you know that you had lots of compliments on your lunch yesterday. I have never had our board comment on the food at our meetings. Yesterday, several told me how delicious it was, so please pass along to your kitchen! And thank you for the limas; they were SO good!

    Feb 2024 Box Lunch Catering

  • We received so many compliments on the food. People were blown away by how tasty everything was, especially the lima beans! Not only was the food delicious but you and the staff were a dream to work with. You all were professional from the start, consistent in keeping things on track and gracious and hospitable in everything. The entire team that evening was wonderful. It made me feel like everything was way under control. I could tell they had our backs to make sure everything went smoothly and they were willing to go above and beyond to make it a special day.

    Feb 2024 Wedding at The Parklands

  • I just wanted to let you know that, not only was the food delicious, but I so appreciate the great care you all took in preparing the boxes for those of us with food allergies. My box was wonderful! The employee who made the delivery even came up to me to double-check that guacamole hadn’t accidentally been included, since I’m allergic to tomatoes. It hadn’t and everything in the box was completely within my dietary restrictions and it was labeled well to indicate that. I was just so impressed at the extra care that employee took.

    Feb 2024 Lunch at Waterfront Botanical Gardens

  • Mayan Cafe made the process super easy! They had so much familiarity with the Botanical Gardens and did most of our rentals. I was amazing by just how much they did for us.

    Oct 2023 Wedding at the Waterfront Botanical Gardens

  • Easy and appreciated the team working with Angels Envy to manage all the logistics.

    Nov 2023 corporate event/buffet dinner at Angel's Envy

  • Mayan Cafe serves delicious food with exceptional service. We have had multiple positive experiences using them as our caterer. Planning was easy to do and options were great!

    Dec 2023 Holiday party at the Frazier

  • Your team was fantastic in coordinating multiple vendors seamlessly and made the planning process a breeze for us. You were very thorough and asked helpful questions that we hadn't considered.

    Nov 2023 Wedding at Whitehall