Catering Frequently Asked Questions

Your price includes: High quality plastic disposable plates, forks, and knives, unless you wish to rent china. Also includes thick, dinner-quality paper napkins, all beverage cups, etc.

Price includes delivery of and set up of all food items and any equipment needed to keep them at safe serving temperatures for two hours. (Chafing Dishes, Ice, etc.) Price also includes pick-up of our belongings (trays, etc) at a time pre-set by you.

Price does NOT include gratuity, as we do not believe any gratuity should be mandatory!

For a sit-down dinner the servers act as your waiter and bring plates of food to your guests. If the meal is buffet style, then the servers will serve the guests, refill the serving dishes, clear plates and clean up. Our servers will also be happy to assist you by setting tables, cutting cake and even washing your dishes. Our servers may help you by pouring wine, or champagne toast but should not be considered bartenders. Of course you may naturally want servers, but they are required at our discretion when a group is so large (typically more than 30) that all the food can not be set out at once without having to refill dishes (especially hot chafing dishes).

What happens to the leftovers?

If we are at an event that lasts over four hours we ask that our staff gets a chance to eat, since this is overage that we had planned on, otherwise they are yours, since you have paid for them. (but you don’t HAVE to take them if that is not convenient!!!)

Will your staff box them up for me?

Yes, but please remember to provide some containers or order some from our website with your catering. They do not come automatically with the catering, but are inexpensive…

Well I’d have to say two things: 

1. The first difficult issue is finding options for our vegetarian friends, and making sure that all the other guests don’t eat that food before the vegetarians do!
2. The second biggest concern for you as the planner is to know how many people are actually coming to your event, and how many to order for. Sometimes this is difficult, and although are portions are generous, we always recommend ordering enough for people who may or may not show up…

All caterings, whether drop off or full service, will be charged a delivery charge which includes return trip for retrieval of our items. 

Please make sure all of our items are present, as they are being loaned to you for your event and we will have no choice but to charge you for any non-returned items, or extraordinary waiting times that sometimes occur when an event or meeting runs late. 

Here is the pricing structure for our delivery charges:

San Marcos, as well as Western and Central Escondido: $20.00

CSUSM- $25 (due to higher costs of doing business on campus, parking permits, etc.)

Vista, outlying Escondido, La Costa, Rancho Bernardo, Eastern Carlsbad, Eastern Oceanside $25

Coastal Carlsbad, Oceanside, Encinitas, Carmel Mountain, Poway, Valley Center, Del Mar $30

San Diego, Coronado, Fallbrook, Temecula, Ramona, etc $45+ depending on distance

Other areas, please call for pricing.

Yes, a service charge is included in our catering proposals to help cover the planning, coordination, and operational costs that go into producing your event beyond the food itself. This includes administrative support, event planning, insurance, equipment, transportation, meetings, diagrams, certificates of insurance, and other behind-the-scenes services.

Our service charge is not a gratuity and is not distributed to event staff as a tip. Instead, it allows us to include many aspects of the planning process without charging separate fees for every meeting, tasting, document, or coordination request.

Any applicable delivery or additional event-specific charges will be clearly outlined in your proposal, so you’ll know what to expect before booking.

The standard cancellation time for a catered event typically ranges from 30 days to 72 hours before the event, with varying penalties depending on how close the cancellation is to the event date.

Cancellation Policies Overview

30 Days Notice — Red Tail Catering allows cancellations without penalty if done 30 days prior.

25% Fee — Cancellations made between 7 to 30 days before the event  incur a 25% fee.

100% Fee — Cancellations within 72 hours of the event may result in a 100% fee.

Deposit Refunds — If the caterer cancels, deposits are usually refunded within 10 days.