faq

Full-Service Catering

As soon as possible! We are often booked early in advance—especially during our busy season (late spring through early fall)—so the sooner the better. Request your date now!

Your date is officially reserved only when:

  1. You sign your contract
  2. We confirm the contract
  3. We receive your deposit
 

Due to high demand, we are unable to “pencil in” reservations. We apologize if this is an inconvenience.

Full-service means that our cooks and service staff will be on-site to assist with your event. In most cases, our staff will be on-site to prepare BBQ chicken and other select items as well. Depending on the particulars of your event, our service staff will also set up the buffet, serve customers from the buffet, and clear away dishes as necessary.

We’re proud to provide a variety of different catering packages to choose from, which you can view here.

However, if you’d like to create your own menu, please do! Contact us and we’ll talk about customizing a menu just for you.

Our cooking equipment is placed directly on the ground, preferably grass or gravel. Please note that grilling on grass surfaces will burn the ground and scar the earth, so the grass will probably need to be reseeded afterward.

If you prefer, we can grill on asphalt, concrete, or blacktop. However, we cannot place our grills directly on these surfaces, so we’ll need to bring in additional equipment, such as steel decking. After your event, we will clean these surfaces to the best of our ability.

When you fill out your catering events form, don’t forget to tell us what surface we’ll be grilling on!

Our staff typically arrives approximately 2 1/2 hours prior to your serving time. Once everyone has been served and we break down the buffet, it will take us one to two hours to clean up, pack up, and exit.

Buffet service typically lasts one hour, although an extended buffet service is available for an additional service charge. When the buffet has conclude, we will package up any leftovers for you to keep.

A non-refundable deposit (typically $100) is due when you sign your contract. Balance is due in full one week prior to your event.

Fundraising

Chiavetta’s will arrive to your location, set up our grills, and cook chicken. Our team will provide sides and other items, if ordered. Your team is responsible for assembling, serving, and selling the meals. Unfortunately, we do not rent tents, tables, or other equipment.

On most days, our minimum is 400 meals (BBQ chicken halves, two sides, and choice of bread). On select dates, we may offer lower minimums. If you’re planning a smaller event, consider selecting a package from our pick-up/drop-off catering menu.

  • Baked beans (additional charge may apply)
  • Coleslaw
  • Potato salad
  • Macaroni salad
  • Macaroni & tuna salad
  • Tossed salad

No worries! We’ve got you covered. We always bring extra chicken (listed on your contract as “protection” chicken), which you are only charged for if you ask us to cook it. Please note that “protection” is not offered on any of our salad packages.

Your total costs depend on what you choose to purchase from us. While some customers purchase the entire meal from us (chicken half, two sides, and roll and butter), others purchase just the chicken. For current market pricing of chicken, please call us at 716.549.1700.

The price you charge for your dinners is completely up to you. Every organization has different needs, out-of-pocket expenses, and goals. Right now, most fundraising entities charge between $13 and $15 per meal.

As soon as possible! We are often booked early in advance—especially on weekends during our busy season (late spring through early fall)—so the sooner the better.

Your date is officially reserved only when:

  1. You sign your contract
  2. We confirm the contract
  3. We receive your deposit (if required)

Due to high demand, we are unable to “pencil in” reservations. We apologize if this is an inconvenience.

You’ll need to provide your own tables, takeout containers, and serving utensils. You’ll also need to provide volunteers to sell, assemble, and distribute dinners. While we do not rent out tables, we can provide takeout containers and serving utensils for a nominal fee.

Space! To provide the best experience to you and your guests, we need enough space to:

  • Set up our grilling equipment (sizes vary based on event).
  • Position our truck in close proximity to our cooking area.
  • Be visible! All of our trucks are branded with the Chiavetta’s logo. Positioning the truck, and the cooking area, where drive-by traffic can see us may help to increase sales. 
 

Please don’t hesitate to contact us with questions about your set-up.

Our cooking equipment is placed directly on the ground, preferably grass or gravel. Please note that grilling on grass surfaces will burn the ground and scar the earth, so the grass will probably need to be reseeded afterward.

If you prefer, we can grill on asphalt, concrete, or blacktop. However, we cannot place our grills directly on these surfaces, so we’ll need to bring in additional equipment, such as steel decking. After your event, we will clean these surfaces to the best of our ability.

When you fill out your fundraising events form, don’t forget to tell us what surface we’ll be grilling on!

We recommend pre-sales because they help you gauge the size of your event; when every member of your group sells a certain amount of pre-sale tickets, it’s easier to keep track of all the tickets you sell.

We can’t print tickets for you, but we have created a sample template for you here.

Advertising is totally up to you, but we can help. To jumpstart your ad campaign, we’ll promote your fundraiser on our events calendar and Facebook page. Several weeks before your event, we’ll also send you posters with our logo for you to personalize with your own info. To help you get started, we’ve created a flyer template for you here.

Feel free to use our name and logo in any of your own advertising efforts. We’d also encourage you to place a sign in front of your event location at least two weeks prior to your event.

 

The deadline to make changes is typically one week prior to your event, but we will let you know the exact date as it becomes available. Please understand that ordering and production requirements make it very difficult to make last-minute changes.

Depending on the size of your event, your serving time will probably run 3 to 4 hours. We arrive on location approximately 2 1/2 hours prior to the start of your service, and it typically takes us about an hour to clean up after we’re done cooking.

Chiavetta’s has Health Department permits to operate in every county in Western New York. However, different counties have different requirements when it comes to individual organizations needing their own permits to serve food to the public. If you are unsure, we suggest you contact your local health department.

To learn more about the food handling rules and regulations in your county, click on a link below.

Erie County

Niagara County

Chautauqua County

Cattaraugus County

Monroe County

Orleans County

Genesee County

Wyoming County

Allegany County