Catering questions, answered

Gimanelli's Catering serves Pleasanton and the surrounding Tri-Valley, subject to the event date, complete address, order size, and service requirements. We also receive requests for Dublin Catering, Livermore Catering, San Ramon Catering, and Sunol Catering. Share the exact venue, office, or residence so our team can confirm delivery access, timing, staffing, and any location-specific logistics.

We cater business breakfasts, office lunches, appetizer receptions, birthdays, showers, memorials, weddings, holiday parties, and formal dinners. Service can range from hot or chilled drop-off platters to a fully staffed event with setup, meal service, rentals, florals, tablescape styling, and breakdown of the contracted catering areas.

Most drop-off catering requires at least 72 hours of notice. Full-service events may sometimes be accepted with 10 days of lead time, although two to four weeks is safer when you need a preferred menu, weekend date, staff, rentals, or florals. June, November, and December are especially busy, and popular dates can close before the minimum deadline.

Yes. Applicable menu items are identified for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free needs. Include the exact quantity required for each dietary category when placing the order. For allergies, identify the specific allergen so the team can review appropriate choices and explain any limitations of the shared preparation environment.

With drop-off catering, prepared food arrives ready to serve and your group manages presentation, replenishment, and cleanup. With full service, an on-site team handles catering setup, buffet or table service, food replenishment, and breakdown. Depending on the package, you may also add serving equipment, dinnerware, linens, beverages, rentals, florals, and bartending staff.

Yes. Select your dishes and tray sizes, add them to the cart, and complete checkout with the event and delivery details. Request a custom proposal instead when you need quantity guidance, multiple service periods, several dietary variations, staffing, rentals, florals, or complicated access at a Pleasanton, Dublin, or Livermore venue.

Most a-la-carte drop-off orders require a $400 food minimum. Individually packaged meals follow a different structure and generally require 25 boxes per selected meal or menu. Additional requirements or charges may apply for staffing, rentals, multiple addresses, or unusual delivery logistics.

Most drop-off orders must be confirmed at least 72 hours before the requested delivery. That is the minimum lead time, not a guarantee that every date and arrival window will remain available. Ordering earlier is recommended for weekday corporate lunches, weekend celebrations, graduations, and holiday-season events.

Yes. You can mix selections from different menu categories to create one spread or support several meal periods. This is useful for training days, company retreats, open houses, and celebrations that move from appetizers into dinner. Dietary labels on applicable dishes can also help you assemble a more inclusive menu.

The displayed price covers the selected food and stated quantity. Delivery, staffing, rentals, service-related charges, and optional additions are calculated separately. Review the cart or proposal to confirm whether plates, utensils, serving pieces, chafing equipment, beverages, desserts, or other supplies are included.

A wedding proposal can include menu planning, catering setup, buffet, family-style, or plated meal service, professional staff, replenishment, and cleanup of the catering areas. Couples may also add appetizers, coffee and tea, cake service, bartenders, guest tables, chairs, linens, china, glassware, florals, and coordinated tablescape design.

Yes. Mobile tastings are complimentary for confirmed wedding clients and may also be purchased before signing a contract. If you later book the wedding with Gimanelli's Catering, the tasting charge can be removed from the final bill. Tastings are most useful once you have narrowed the menu to a focused selection.

Wedding catering generally ranges from about $55 to $120 per person, depending on the menu, service style, staffing, and level of presentation. Buffets commonly fall toward the lower end, while plated service and premium ingredients cost more. Rentals, appetizers, beverages, cake service, florals, bartenders, and complex venue logistics may increase the final investment.

Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free selections are available across many menus. Buffet items can be labeled, while plated receptions may require final meal counts and a visible identification method for each guest's selection. Provide specific allergy information early because food may be prepared in facilities that also handle common allergens.

Yes. We can work with the planner, venue manager, rental provider, florist, and other relevant vendors on access, staging, floor plans, service timing, and breakdown. Tri-Valley venues can have parking limits, gated entrances, elevators, noise restrictions, or firm departure times, so those details should be shared before the final proposal is approved.

Booking at least four to six weeks ahead is recommended, although popular weekends are often reserved several months earlier. A wedding may occasionally be accepted with as little as 10 days of notice, but availability is limited. June, November, and December are especially busy for catering, rentals, and floral design.

Orders over $3,000 require a 50% deposit. The signed catering agreement and required deposit secure the event under the terms of the proposal. The remaining balance is due 10 days before the wedding date, along with the final details needed for food, staffing, rentals, and service.

Yes. Bartenders and expert bartenders are available for hire. Gimanelli's Catering does not sell or provide alcoholic beverages, so the couple or venue must purchase and supply the alcohol. The proposal should clarify responsibility for ice, mixers, glassware, refrigeration, bar equipment, and venue-specific alcohol rules.

Full service includes catering setup, professional servers, buffet, family-style, or plated meal service, food replenishment, and breakdown and cleanup of the contracted catering areas. Available enhancements may include coffee and tea, passed appetizers, beverage stations, bartenders, tables, chairs, linens, florals, and complete tablescape styling.

The team considers attendance, service style, menu, room layout, access, and event timeline. A typical starting point is one server for every 25 buffet guests and one for every 15 to 20 plated-dinner guests. Events with 50 or more guests generally include a captain to supervise service and coordinate the timeline.

No. Gratuity is optional and is not automatically included. When a client leaves gratuity, it is shared among the cooks, drivers, servers, bartenders, customer-service staff, and rental staff who contribute to the event. Any service-related charge shown on the proposal is separate from voluntary gratuity.

Inclusions vary by package. Some options feature ceramic plates, traditional utensils, glassware, linens, and reusable serveware, while budget-conscious packages may use elegant disposable dinnerware. Review the selected package carefully; china, glassware, tables, chairs, and upgraded linens can be added when they are not already included.

Three to four weeks of lead time is recommended for the best selection of staff, menus, rentals, and delivery windows. Full-service orders may sometimes be accepted as late as 10 days before the event. Weekends and the months of June, November, and December tend to fill first.

Most full-service packages begin at 25 guests. For a smaller group, drop-off catering with an attendant may provide help with setup, monitoring, or cleanup without requiring a complete staffed package. The most practical option depends on the venue, meal format, and amount of support you want.

No. The food is prepared before arrival, so most full-service events do not require an on-site commercial kitchen. A protected staging area may still be needed for staff to organize food and equipment. Water, electricity, refrigeration, or another workspace can be helpful depending on the selected menu and service plan.

Full-service availability is evaluated using the exact address, event date, attendance, and service requirements. We regularly consider requests for Pleasanton Catering, Dublin Catering, Livermore Catering, San Ramon Catering, and Sunol Catering. Submit venue access, parking, loading, and timeline information so travel and staffing can be confirmed accurately.

A minimum of 25 boxes applies per selected meal. Classic and artisan boxed lunches may allow eligible sandwiches and wraps to be mixed within the order. Breakfast and dinner boxes generally require at least 25 of the same chosen box.

Meals arrive sealed and individually packaged with the appropriate utensils and a napkin. This format is designed for quick distribution at offices, conferences, training programs, outdoor events, and gatherings where guests eat at different times or need to take the meal with them.

Yes. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free meals can be labeled upon request. Provide the exact number needed in each category. For a severe allergy, identify the specific allergen so the team can review suitable options and explain any shared-kitchen limitations.

Cold boxes should generally be served within two hours when held at room temperature. Hot meals arrive in insulated carriers and should usually be served within one hour. Schedule delivery close to the meal period, or arrange proper refrigeration when cold boxes will be stored before distribution.

Most boxed-meal orders require at least 72 hours of notice. Large quantities, detailed labels, multiple dietary categories, or several delivery addresses may require five or more days. Earlier planning is recommended for executive meetings, multi-day training programs, and recurring corporate service.

Yes, provided each delivery address meets the $400 minimum order. Separate delivery charges may apply. For every Pleasanton, Dublin, Livermore, or San Ramon destination, provide the meal count, requested arrival time, receiving contact, building access instructions, and labeling needs.

Cold breakfast and lunch boxes start at approximately $18.75 per person. Hot lunch boxes begin around $30 per person, and hot dinner boxes begin around $40 per person. Premium selections, dietary modifications, beverages, desserts, delivery, and other additions can affect the final total.

Yes. Recurring workplace schedules may receive a dedicated coordinator and locked pricing. This option works well for regular team lunches, trainings, executive meetings, and rotating shifts. Menu rotation, dietary counts, delivery timing, and deadlines for changes can be established when the recurring program is created.

November and December availability becomes limited quickly. Reserving three to five weeks ahead is recommended, while popular weekday lunches and Thursday-through-Saturday parties may fill sooner. Events requiring staff, rentals, florals, or a specific service window should be confirmed as early as possible.

Yes. We offer staffed buffets, family-style meals, and plated dinners for corporate groups of approximately 25 to more than 400 guests. A holiday proposal may also include appetizers, beverages, bartenders, tables, chairs, linens, seasonal florals, and cleanup of the contracted catering areas.

Yes. Holiday entrees, sides, salads, breads, and desserts may be ordered a la carte for drop-off service. The food arrives prepared and ready to serve. Your group manages distribution and cleanup unless attendants, buffet equipment, or another service enhancement is included.

A limited number of events are accepted on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, and New Year's Eve, and holiday surcharges apply. The company is closed on Christmas Day and New Year's Day. These limited delivery and staffing windows are often reserved well in advance.

Yes. Holiday events may include guest tables, chairs, linens, china, glassware, serving equipment, centerpieces, floral arrangements, and coordinated tablescapes. Combining these services can simplify planning for a Pleasanton office party, Livermore celebration, or San Ramon private gathering.

Holiday orders cancelled at least 72 hours before the event are subject to a 50% cancellation fee. Confirmed orders cancelled with less than 72 hours of notice are subject to a 100% cancellation fee because food, staffing, rentals, and other resources may already have been committed.

Available options include bud-vase groupings, centerpieces, statement arrangements, floral meadows, arches, mantle installations, custom bloom bars, flower-crown bars, balloon arches, and complete tablescape design coordinated with linens, china, glassware, and other event details.

Yes. You can browse the published floral offerings or request a custom consultation and proposal. A tailored plan can show the intended color palette, style, representative flower varieties, recommended pieces, and pricing before the floral order is finalized.

Current starting prices include bud-vase clusters from $95 for three, lush centerpieces around $195 to $350 per table, statement arrangements from $350 to $600, the signature tabletop broken-arch set from $800, meadows from $400 to $600, floral installations from about $1,350 to $8,500, mantle installations from about $750 to $2,000, and custom bloom bars from $48 per guest.

Yes. Share preferred varieties, colors, inspiration images, and any flowers you do not want included. Exact stems cannot always be guaranteed because flower availability changes by season and wholesale supply. When substitutions are needed, the designer selects comparable flowers for color, form, texture, and overall effect.

Booking at least three to four weeks before the event is recommended. Floral orders may sometimes be accepted with as little as 10 days of notice, depending on the date, design scope, flower availability, installation requirements, and staffing. Large installations and specialty flowers should be reserved earlier.

Floral setup is included so the arrangements are placed in their intended locations before guests arrive. Breakdown and disposal can be added when you want the team to return for arches, meadows, mechanics, vessels, stems, and floral waste rather than leaving those items for the client or venue.

Yes. The fresh flowers may be kept upon request, and guests are welcome to take arrangements or individual stems home. Some vases, stands, mechanics, or installation structures may be rentals and must remain at the venue for collection. Those distinctions will be clarified before the event.

Rental options include chiavari and resin chairs, guest tables with standard linens, cocktail tables, buffet tables, glassware, china, flatware, chafing dishes, and selected floral or tablescape enhancements. The team can compare this inventory with what your home, office, or venue already provides.

Every rental order requires on-site attendants for setup, safe handling, breakdown, and preparation for collection. This protects the equipment and prevents clients or venue staff from being responsible for moving commercial tables, chairs, dinnerware, glassware, or serving pieces.

There is no strict minimum for the rental products themselves, but on-site staffing is mandatory. Because staffing affects the total cost, most clients combine rentals with a catering package, floral design, tablescape styling, or another full-service component.

Yes. Each guest table booked through Gimanelli's Catering includes one standard linen. Linens are available in a broad range of colors, making it easier to coordinate the rental plan with company branding, wedding colors, seasonal decor, or floral design.

Normal wear from appropriate event use is covered. Significant damage, breakage, loss, or items that are unavailable at collection are billed at replacement cost. This may include chairs, linens, glassware, china, flatware, serving equipment, or decorative rental pieces.

Delivery generally occurs on the event date about two to four hours before the scheduled start. The precise window depends on order size, venue access, elevators, loading restrictions, and whether catering, florals, or detailed tabletop styling must also be completed before guests arrive.

Pickup may occur later that evening or the following morning, depending on the event end time, venue rules, staffing, and access. Share firm exit deadlines, security procedures, elevator reservations, or overnight-storage restrictions before the order is finalized.

Yes. Your event is confirmed after the catering agreement is signed. Orders above $3,000 also require a 50% deposit to reserve the date.

Yes. Final menu selections and guest counts are due 10 days before the event. We may be unable to accommodate changes after that point.

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 Tracy and nearby communities. Our team delivers and provides full-service catering directly at offices, homes, wedding venues, and other event locations.