What's Inside the Catering Proposal?

After your phone meeting with Sam, you will receive the first draft Catering Proposal by e-mail. This document will reflect everything you discussed, so please review it carefully. Below are the key parts you’ll see in your proposal. Everything is designed to be clear, flexible, and easy to adjust.

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The proposal includes:

 

Event Overview

A snapshot of the details we’re working from:

• Event name, date, time, and location

• Estimated guest count

• Service style (buffet, plated, stations, etc.)

• Occasion (e.g., wedding, corporate event, birthday)

 

Timeline: Event Timing & Setup

• Your proposal will outline the specific timing for your event, including:

• Catering team arrival

• Food-service

• Ceremony (if applicable)

• Any other important timing notes discussed

• For weddings, The Silk Road typically arrives one hour before the ceremony to quietly unload and begin setup without disrupting the event.

• For non-ceremony events, our team usually arrives 30 to 90 minutes before service, depending on the setup needs.

 

Catering Menu

A detailed listing of the food being served:

• Course-by-course breakdown of your custom menu

• Special notes for dietary needs (e.g., vegetarian, gluten-free, vegan)

• Clear labeling of any dishes with nuts or common allergens

 

Itemized Food & Beverage

Transparent pricing for:

• All menu items (per guest or per serving)

• Beverage service options (iced water, tea, etc.)

• Add-ons or substitutions (if applicable)

 

Rentals & Disposables

Details on any needed or included serviceware:

• What we provide vs. what the client handles

• Rentals like chafing dishes, service utensils, or display items

• Compostables or disposables, if included

 

Additional Optional Services

Additional services you may choose to include in a detailed list here: Rentals & Services

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Staffing

A breakdown of service team roles and hours:

• Number of servers, chefs, managers

• Estimated hours per staff member

• Transparent hourly rates

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Gratuity on Food & Beverage Items

The Silk Road adds an industry-standard gratuity based on a percentage of food and beverage.​

• 10% Pickup

• 15% Drop Off

• 20% Full Service

​Gratuity is shared between the staff working at your catered event and also the food prep staff that work from The Silk Road Catering kitchen.

 

Additional gratuity is always welcome, but never required.

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Payment

Payments are accepted by Debit, Credit, Bank Transfer, Apple Pay, PayPal, or Venmo, Cash, Check

• ePayment secures your date instantly, and are preferred by The Silk Road!

  • ​Debit, Credit, Bank Transfer, Apple Pay, PayPal, or Venmo

  • 3.45% Payment processing fee is automatically included on every proposal. ​​​

  • Choose Bank Transfer and we’ll happily remove the 3.45% payment processing fee!! The Proposal will show this fee is DELETED, as a visual confirmation that you chose to pay with Bank Transfer. 

• Paper Check

  • Send a paper check to our Home Office​

The Silk Road Catering

302 S 4th St. W

Missoula, MT  59801​

• CASH, of course! The original offline payment method. If cash is your preference, just let us know—we’ll gladly arrange a time to meet and complete the exchange, OG-style.
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Planning, Admin & Continuing Support Fee

This flat fee covers:​

• Personal planning consultations, custom menu creation, rental coordination,
  timeline mapping, and vendor collaboration — all tailored to your specific event. To support the time and attention we dedicate to each client, a flat Planning, Admin & Continuing Support Fee will be applied to your event in a tiered structure:

  • $150 = Small event (under 40 guests)

  • $250 = 40–80 guests

  • $350+ = Large or complex events.

• Fee includes one menu revision and ongoing communication. Additional revisions or extra planning time may incur a $50/hour planning add-on.

 

Discounts (if applicable)

Details about any applied discounts:

• Nonprofit rates, typcially 5%

• Referral credits

• Seasonal offers (when applicable)

 

Final Balance Due

Most events need to have all guest counts and menus finalized three weeks prior to the event date. Smaller, more local events in Missoula may only require details to be finalized two weeks prior to the event date, which will be determined by the Catering Manager when sending the proposal. 

These deadlines allow for our operation to plan and schedule staffing and allow for adequate food ordering time. 

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Client Responsibility

This section outlines what you or your venue are expected to provide or coordinate for your event. These are items that fall outside of our catering scope, but directly affect service and guest experience.

This may include, but is not limited to:

• Tent or covering for guests and/or food

• Buffet & dining tables, chairs, table linens and linen napkins, decorations, etc.

• Water glasses, water carafes/pitchers

• Appetizer plates, forks, napkins

• Soup Bowls, spoons, napkins

• Chargers, Salad plates, forks

• Dinner plates, forks, knives, steak knives

• Desserts Provided by Client: ??

• Dessert plates, forks, napkins

• All non-alcoholic beverages, dispensers, glassware

• All alcoholic beverages, cups/glassware, service

 

Client may return any rentals left onsite 1-2 days following event.

We’re always happy to clarify what’s covered by us vs what needs your attention — this section helps avoid surprises.

 

Terms & Conditions

Booking, Payments & Policies

• To secure your date on The Silk Road calendar, a 50% deposit of the estimated total is required. This deposit confirms our commitment to your event date, along with all agreed-upon products and services.

• Once your deposit is received:

• You’ll receive an updated invoice whenever modifications are requested and approved.

• The balance of your payment is due 21 days prior to the event (“21DP”), along with your final guest count and finalized menu.

Guest Count Changes

• After 21DP, reductions in guest count will not result in a price adjustment.

• Increases after 21DP are subject to approval and, if accommodated, will incur an 8% fee per additional guest (applied to food and rental costs only).
   

Cancellations & Rescheduling

• Full refunds (minus a $300 planning & consultation fee) are available for cancellations made 60 days or more before the event.

• Cancellations made between 60 days and 21DP are subject to a 10% cancellation fee based on the total event estimate.

• No refunds will be issued for cancellations made after 21DP.

• If you need to reschedule, we’re happy to work with you to find a mutually agreeable alternate date, as long as changes are requested before 21DP.
   

Additional Policies

• Damaged Rentals: Clients are responsible for the replacement cost of any damaged or missing rentals.

• Payment Terms: Payment via credit/debit card includes a 3.45% processing fee, automatically applied to the final balance. This fee may be waived if paying by cash, check, or Bank transfer—just let us know!

• Menu Pricing: Menu prices may be subject to change due to product availability, quality, or market fluctuations. Prices are guaranteed once finalized at 21DP. Any substitutions or changes will be communicated to you in advance.

• Late Payments: Late balances are subject to a 15% annual interest rate, assessed monthly, per Montana state guidelines.
   

Terms & Agreement

• By submitting your deposit, you confirm agreement to all terms and conditions outlined above. This serves as a binding agreement between you and The Silk Road Catering for the services described.​

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Food & Beverage Minimums

F&B minimum $500

Saturdays May through October, minimum $2,000

Does not include labor, travel, gratuities, rentals, etc.

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​Local vs. Out-of-Area Events

For Missoula-based events, most food is prepared in our commercial catering kitchen and typically does not require additional equipment.

 

Out-of-area events frequently require additional cooking equipment to ensure your meal is prepared fresh prior to service, and not sitting in a hot-box for hours.  The cost of food is separate from the equipment rental fee, ensuring complete transparency in the food cost per person, separate from equipment pricing. The equipment rental fee covers fuel to operate. 

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We exclusively use our own cooking equipment to guarantee food quality, safety, and consistency—no third-party rentals or borrowed setups. This allows us to maintain full control over our operations and avoid any potential issues that might arise with unfamiliar, rented, or borrowed equipment. 

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​Need to Make Changes? No Problem.

This is just the first draft—we expect revisions!
Everything from the guest count to the menu selections can be modified up to three weeks prior to your event.

We’re happy to collaborate with you through multiple rounds of edits to get things just right—both in terms of the vision and the budget.

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Ready to Book?

Once you’re confident in moving forward, you can:

• Submit your 50% deposit via the secure ePayment link in your proposal
  OR

• Simply reply to your proposal email or book another call to let us know you're ready—we’ll guide you from there.

And that’s it—your event date is officially secured on The Silk Road calendar!

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