Should I Have Sit Down or Buffet Style For My Event

Whether you’re having an anniversary party for 20 or a wedding reception for 300, one of the decisions you’ll have to make is if the food will be sit down or buffet style. The food is something everyone at the event looks forward too and your decision can have a big impact on their overall enjoyment. Make sure you’ve made an informed decision as each has its pros and cons for certain situations.

The Sit Down Dinner

If you want something elegant and traditional, then sit down dinner provides that and more. All your guests are seated at tables and wait staff brings out the meal in courses. It usually begins with soup and salad, followed by the main course and ending with dessert.

While this may seem like a more expensive option, many times it costs less than buffet style because you’re able to better pinpoint the amount of food needed. Guests will usually have a choice of proteins such as steak, chicken or fish and a side. Family members have the opportunity to do speeches and toasts and everyone eats at nearly the same time.

You have to make sure there are plenty of servers to make sure people get their food quickly. It’s also more formal, so you’ll need to make sure there are fine linens, centerpieces, etc., which increases the overall cost. One thing you don’t need is fine China when you have a party package of elegant plastic silverware.

The Buffet

The buffet is far less formal and allows you to have a far greater number of food options for your guests. They’re also not limited to a set portion, so if Uncle Fred wants to load up his plate on mini-tacos, then that should be fine. Since you don’t know how much food your guests will eat, there is a concern that you won’t have enough or have too much. This is why it can be more expensive than sit down dinners because you may have a lot left over that isn’t used.

The other downfall is the line. With a sit down dinner, everyone eats are relatively the same time. In a buffet, the beginning of the line could be done eating before the end of the line is served. There’s also the issue of releasing tables. If you can keep the line moving with multiple stations, then it’s a painless process.

Take the hassle out of dishes by using one of our party ensembles. You get a complete dish set for a set number of guests. Contact us today and make your special event as easy and enjoyable as possible.