Catering questions, answered

Our commercial kitchen and central operations are located in Pleasanton, California. We are a mobile catering company rather than a walk-in restaurant or storefront in Mountain View. Our crews regularly deliver and staff events in Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Los Altos, Menlo Park, Stanford, and other Bay Area communities.

We cater office breakfasts, team lunches, conferences, product launches, private parties, milestone celebrations, memorials, holiday gatherings, weddings, and formal receptions. Choose simple food delivery, a staffed buffet, family-style service, or a plated meal based on the size and feel of your event.

Drop-off orders require at least 72 hours’ notice. Full-service events require a minimum of 10 days, although two to three weeks is a better planning window for most staffed gatherings. Weekends and the months of June, November, and December tend to reserve first.

Yes. We offer vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free options across many menus. Provide the number of guests needing each type of meal and identify specific allergies before the order is finalized. Dietary labels do not guarantee an allergen-free preparation environment.

With drop-off catering, we deliver hot or chilled food ready to serve, and your group manages the meal and cleanup. Full service adds professional staff, elevated chafing dishes and serveware, linens, setup, food replenishment, and breakdown of the contracted catering areas.

Yes. Select breakfast, lunch, appetizers, dinner, sides, desserts, and beverages online, choose the quantities you need, and complete checkout. Call or request a quote when you want help building the menu, estimating portions, or coordinating a more complicated delivery.

Most drop-off orders require at least $400 in food. The listed menu price covers the selected dishes and serving quantities; delivery, handling, staffing, rentals, and optional enhancements are calculated separately.

Online drop-off catering requires a minimum of 72 hours’ notice. The deadline does not guarantee that every arrival window will remain available, so earlier booking is recommended for weekday lunches, large Sunnyvale catering orders, and deliveries to campuses or secured office buildings.

Absolutely. Items from different menu sections may be combined in a single order. This is useful for all-day meetings, training programs, open houses, and receptions that move from one meal period to another.

Applicable menu items are marked vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, or nut-free. Ingredient and allergen information is displayed to help you compare dishes, but guests with serious allergies should provide the specific allergen for review before ordering.

Wedding service may include menu planning, culinary preparation, buffet or table service, professional staff, setup, replenishment, and catering-area cleanup. Couples can also add passed appetizers, cake, coffee and tea, bartenders, rentals, florals, and coordinated tablescape design.

Yes. Confirmed wedding clients receive a complimentary mobile tasting. A tasting may also be purchased before a contract is signed; when the wedding is later booked with us, that charge can be removed from the final invoice.

Wedding catering generally ranges from approximately $55 to $120 per guest. The final amount depends on the menu, buffet versus plated or family-style service, staffing, venue logistics, and additions such as appetizers, rentals, florals, cake, and beverage service.

Yes. We can plan vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free selections. Buffet dishes can be labeled, while plated dietary meals can be prepared according to the confirmed counts and seating details supplied before the event.

Yes. We coordinate catering logistics with the planner, venue manager, and relevant rental vendors. This may include confirming load-in, staging space, floor plans, serving time, reception milestones, and the required cleanup window.

We recommend reserving wedding catering at least four to six weeks ahead, with earlier booking for popular Saturdays and celebrations requiring substantial rentals or floral work. Limited weddings may be accepted with 10 days’ notice, but availability is not guaranteed.

Once the proposal is approved, we send a catering agreement for signature. Orders exceeding $3,000 also require a 50% deposit to secure the date. The remaining balance and final event details are due 10 days before the wedding.

Yes. Bartenders and expert bartenders are available. Winslow’s Catering does not provide the alcoholic beverages, so the client or venue must purchase and supply them. The proposal should clarify responsibility for ice, mixers, glassware, equipment, and venue requirements.

Our staff prepares the catering area, presents the food, serves or monitors the meal, replenishes dishes, assists guests, and breaks down the contracted service areas. Packages may use buffet, family-style, plated, stationed, or tray-passed service.

The number depends on the guest count, menu, floor plan, and service format. Buffets generally use about one server per 25 guests, while plated dinners commonly require one server for every 15 to 20 guests. Events with at least 50 guests typically include a captain.

No. Gratuity is optional and is not automatically included. When provided, it is shared among the staff members who contributed to the event, including cooks, drivers, servers, bartenders, customer-service staff, and rental personnel.

Inclusions vary by package. Some options use ceramic plates, reusable utensils, glassware, and linens, while more economical packages may include polished disposable place settings. Upgraded china, stemware, linens, tables, and chairs can be added when needed.

Three to four weeks’ notice is recommended for the strongest availability, although a full-service booking may sometimes be accepted with 10 days’ notice. Earlier planning is important for weekends, major holidays, large guest counts, or events needing rentals and florals.

Most full-service packages begin at 25 guests. For a smaller gathering, drop-off catering with an attendant may offer the right level of setup and monitoring without requiring a complete staffed-service package.

Yes. The food is prepared before arrival, so an on-site commercial kitchen is generally unnecessary. We may still need a protected staging area, along with practical access to water, power, refrigeration, elevators, or loading areas depending on the menu.

Yes, subject to the event date, exact address, guest count, and logistical requirements. We regularly consider Mountain View Catering, Sunnyvale Catering, Menlo Park Catering, and Stanford-area events. Provide the venue address so travel and access can be confirmed.

Boxed-meal orders require at least 25 meals. Eligible classic and artisan sandwiches or wraps may be mixed within an order, while certain hot breakfast, lunch, and dinner boxes require groups of the same selected combination.

Every meal is individually sealed and includes the appropriate utensils and a napkin. This format makes boxed meals easy to distribute during office meetings, training sessions, conferences, school programs, and events where guests will not eat at the same time.

Yes. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free boxes can be marked when requested in advance. Individual names or department labels may also be considered when a clear, organized list is provided before the production deadline.

Cold meals should generally be served within two hours when held at room temperature. Hot boxes arrive in insulated carriers and should normally be distributed within one hour. Refrigeration or staggered deliveries may be needed for later shifts.

At least 72 hours’ notice is required. Orders with several dietary versions, detailed labels, large quantities, or multiple delivery stops may require five or more days. Early ordering is wise for busy Mountain View and Sunnyvale office lunch periods.

Yes, as long as each delivery address meets the applicable $400 minimum. Separate delivery fees may apply. Supply the quantity, arrival time, access directions, and receiving contact for every location.

Cold breakfast and lunch boxes start around $18.75 per person. Hot lunch boxes begin at approximately $30 per person, and hot dinner boxes begin around $40 per person. Premium entrées, beverages, desserts, delivery, and handling may be additional.

Yes. Weekly or monthly programs may receive a dedicated coordinator and locked pricing. Recurring service works well for regular team lunches, executive meetings, Stanford-area programs, rotating shifts, and multi-day corporate events.

For November and December, reserving three to five weeks ahead is recommended. Larger staffed events, popular weekday office lunches, and Thursday-through-Saturday celebrations may fill earlier.

Yes. We can provide buffet, family-style, or plated holiday meals for groups ranging from approximately 25 to more than 400 guests. Staffing, beverage service, rentals, bartenders, florals, setup, and catering-area cleanup can be added.

Yes. Seasonal entrées, sides, salads, breads, and desserts can be ordered à la carte for delivery. Drop-off is a good fit when your group can handle serving and cleanup without a professional team remaining on site.

A limited number of events are accepted on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, and New Year’s Eve, with holiday surcharges. Winslow’s Catering is closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

Yes. Tables, chairs, linens, china, glassware, serving equipment, centerpieces, floral arrangements, and coordinated tablescapes can be incorporated into the event plan.

A confirmed holiday order cancelled at least 72 hours before the event is subject to a 50% cancellation fee. With less than 72 hours’ notice, the fee is 100% because food, staffing, and other resources may already be committed.

Our offerings include bud-vase clusters, centerpieces, statement arrangements, tabletop and ground meadows, floral arches, mantle installations, bloom bars, flower-crown activities, balloon installations, and complete tablescape styling.

Share inspiration photographs, venue images, preferred colors, favorite flowers, arrangement types, guest count, and budget. The design team can then recommend a direction that suits the room, event format, and tabletop plan.

Bud-vase trios begin around $95, centerpieces generally begin around $195 to $350, statement arrangements range from about $350 to $600, and tabletop meadow pieces begin near $400. Large arches, mantle florals, and custom installations are quoted individually.

Specific varieties are used whenever they are available and appropriate for the design. Because supply changes with season and market conditions, we may substitute a comparable bloom that preserves the requested color, texture, shape, and overall feeling.

Three to four weeks is the recommended planning window. Orders may occasionally be accepted with about 10 days’ notice, but large installations, specialty stems, weddings, and coordinated tablescapes should be booked earlier.

Floral placement and installation are included within the contracted scope. Breakdown and disposal can be added when you want our team to return after the event and remove arrangements, mechanics, and related floral materials.

Yes, when the flowers are placed in take-home vessels and the request is arranged in advance. Rental structures, mechanics, and selected containers must remain for collection unless the proposal specifically states that they may be kept.

Available inventory includes Chiavari chairs, resin chairs, guest tables, cocktail tables, buffet tables, standard linens, china, glassware, flatware, chafing dishes, beverage equipment, heaters, and selected tabletop pieces.

Attendants oversee installation, placement, safe handling, breakdown, and inventory preparation. This protects the equipment and venue while ensuring the rented pieces are managed by trained staff rather than left for the client to move.

No strict product minimum applies. However, staffing is mandatory with rental orders, so a very small standalone order may not be cost-effective. Most clients combine equipment with catering, service staff, or floral design.

Yes. Every rented guest table includes one standard linen. A range of colors is available, while specialty fabrics, overlays, runners, nonstandard sizes, and upgraded styles may carry an additional cost.

Normal wear from proper use is covered. Items that are significantly damaged, lost, misused, or unavailable for pickup may be charged at replacement cost.

Delivery is typically scheduled two to four hours before the event. Collection may occur later that night or the following morning, depending on the venue’s access rules, event ending time, staffing plan, and whether equipment can remain overnight.

Provide the venue address, guest count, floor plan, access window, event end time, loading instructions, stairs, elevators, parking limitations, and the equipment already supplied by the venue. These details determine labor, timing, and the remaining rental needs.

After the quote is approved, you’ll receive a contract to sign. Catering orders above $3,000 require a 50% deposit before the date is secured.

You may modify your menu and expected attendance up to 10 days in advance. After the cutoff, we may need to keep the confirmed quantities unchanged.

Our commercial kitchen and primary operations are based in Pleasanton, California. We are a service-area catering company serving events throughout the Bay Area, including Mountain View and nearby communities. Our team delivers and provides full-service catering directly at offices, homes, wedding venues, and other event locations.