In all cases, the procurement of food/catering services must be an approved expense, subject to the State of Georgia and Georgia Tech policies. Any food served or catered on Georgia Tech property (indoor or outdoor), where Institute or Foundation funds are being used to pay for the food or catering service, must be accomplished through a Georgia Tech approved, licensed catering service.

Georgia Tech Catering, the on-campus provider, serves as the approved primary catering service. In cases when alternatives are required to meet budget, service or timing needs, a number of pre-selected approved secondary catering services are available.
Please refer to the frequently asked questions and answers for more specific information on the administration of this policy.

In most cases where personal funds are being used to pay for food services within your work location, it is not considered a catered event and is not subject to the catering services policy stated above. For example, a group of colleagues in an office pool their money and order pizza for lunch.

However, Building Managers have the authority to prescribe the level of service and any special stipulations required in their building. Individuals or groups who utilize space in a building are responsible for following the direction of the Building Manager.

The primary catering provider is Georgia Tech Catering. This should be the department’s first choice when planning catering services.

Secondary catering services have been pre-selected through a Request for Proposal process and contracts with these providers have been established and are administered through Auxiliary Services in the office of the Student Center Director. Catering providers are limited in order to insure safe, high quality food is available to meet the needs of a wide variety of campus events.

Secondary catering service providers are held to the following standards:

• Rights and Responsibilities
  
  Georgia Tech retains the right to inspect and supervise the use of Georgia Tech facilities, retains the right to specify beverage brands, retains the responsibility to provide furniture necessary for events, makes available existing electrical receptacles and insures adequate lighting of facilities in which catered events are held.
• Facility Use Standards
  
  The building manager of each building where a catered event is held shall prescribe the level of service and any special stipulations required in that building. Caterer will be responsible for timely and appropriate set-up of the area. Caterer shall also be responsible for the immediate restoration of facilities used for catered events to the satisfaction of the building manager. Restoration shall include, but not be limited to, cleaning and sanitation of the area, furniture rearrangement, removal of equipment, trash removal and repair of any facility damage caused by the Caterer.
• Equipment
  
  Caterer will be responsible for all equipment and ancillary needs of functions. Prices must include all items necessary for a successful catered event including, but not limited to, attendants, table cloths, table skirts, dishware, silverware, hot boxes, cold boxes, ice, chafing dishes and other serving implements. Caterer will not have access to kitchen facilities and must plan and price events accordingly.
• Staffing
  
  Caterer shall insure adequate and expert management and supervision of its employees at each catered event. Employees shall have visible identification and be dressed in clean, standardized uniforms appropriate for the nature of the catered event. Employees shall perform services in a proper, professional, and dignified manner as appropriate in the context of an institution of higher education. Caterer shall insure the highest level of customer service from all of the catering staff.
  

Ordering


Payment

The Caterer will bill Georgia Tech clients in a timely fashion after each event with net 30 payment terms. Invoices shall contain complete and accurate details as to the charges for each event, the name of the Georgia Tech personnel who ordered the event, the location of the event, number of attendees and Purchase Order number (if applicable). The Caterer will accept sales tax exempt orders. Payment for catering services through Georgia Tech Accounts Payable will be authorized only for approved catering service providers.

The Caterer will include a Customer Service Evaluation Survey with each invoice submitted to a department. A department designee should complete a survey after each event and submit it to Procurement Services.

The following contacts should be used for reserving catering services:

Primary Catering Service
Georgia Tech Catering, (404) 894-2820 or 404-385-3609

Web Site: www.gatechdining.com/catering.html

Secondary Catering Services
Affairs to Remember, Inc. (404) 872-7859
Carole Parks (404) 872-1999
Dennis Dean - A Catering Company (404) 475-1002
Horn of Plenty Hospitality, LLC (404) 329-4576
Rafeedies Catering & Events, Inc. (404) 875-4406
St. Charles Deli (Technology Square store only) (404) 249-7733

In rare cases when the primary and secondary catering services cannot meet the needs of an event, a request for exception can be made to the Student Center Director by completing the Catering Services Exception Form and attaching the contract and menu. Exceptions must be requested at least 3 weeks prior to the date of the event. If the exception is granted, then the approved Exception Form and contract should be forwarded to Procurement Services for signature. The approved Exception Form must be attached to all approved invoices submitted to AP for payment.

As exceptions require significant administrative effort to enact, approval will only be granted in extraordinary cases.

In cases when a licensed food service provider or retailer has agreed to an in-kind donation of food for an event, the Catering Services Exception Form must be completed and delivered to the Student Center Director at least 3 weeks prior to an event. Donors may still be required to provide supplemental insurance and/or other documentation to insure proper assessment of risk and liability. In addition, events with donated food will still be required to maintain standards for events as may be established by each Building Manager.