COMMITMENT TO TOP QUALITY FOOD SERVICE & HOSPITALITY 

At Culinary Experiences, we are committed to serving the highest quality food and providing the highest quality service while being mindful of our environmental impact. Our mission is to support regional sustainable farmers, foragers, and food producers whom we trust, by utilizing and preparing their products at our dinner events, showcasing their high-quality ingredients and supporting them in their environmental missions. In addition to our commitment to support local farmers and producers in NE Florida, we are also committed to paying a livable wage to all of our Chefs and service staff for all of their hard work and dedication.  

SEASONAL INGREDIENT SOURCING 

We create our menus based on the season, and what our farmer-partners have available for us. This may result in menu changes depending on availability. We seek to source as locally as possible at all times, however if you have hankering for something that is out of season or unavailable regionally, and want it on your menu, we are happy to assist with sourcing those ingredients as organically and responsibly as possible. 

TASTINGS 

All guests are welcome to book a tasting of their menu or prospective menus. Because we create everything seasonally, we may not be able to replicate your exact menu, depending on the time of year, but will do our best to showcase our palette and style so you understand what kind of meals and service we provide. Tastings are booked as our schedule permits starting at $500 per couple, with each additional person at $125 plus groceries and gratuity. 

RENTALS 

Clients will provide their own rentals for their event. Culinary Experiences is happy to help coordinate these rentals, which could include: tent, tables, chairs, linens, plates, silverware, glassware, bar, and specialty kitchen items requested by the client for special dishes outside of Culinary Experiences mobile kitchen scope. Culinary Experiences can provide platters and serving forks for all buffets, passed appetizers and family style meal service for parties under 100 guests or distances under 100 miles from our home base in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL. Parties larger than 100 guests or over 100 miles from our home bases will have to rent all serving platters and serving ware.  

WALK-THROUGHS 

In order to have a perfect event that feels as effortless as possible, all events booked with us will include a walk-through/Kitchen-tour with our managing chef as well as you or your event planner, booked prior to your event as our joint schedules permit. All walk-throughs, correspondence, coordinating, planning and associated labor that go into bringing a full-service farm-to-table restaurant experience to the Client are included in our service fee. 

PAYMENT AND PAYMENT SCHEDULE 

Culinary Experiences LLC accepts many forms of payment including cash, cashiers’ checks, personal checks*, wire transfers, credit card and Venmo. We charge 4% on credit cards and Venmo due to the fees we incur. Final payments for groceries and gratuities are always due at the end of the event unless there are special arrangements made and agreed upon when event contracts are signed. 

Payments should be made payable to ‘Culinary Experiences LLC’ and sent to 2610 State Road A1A, Unit 109, Jacksonville, FL 32233. 

*Personal checks– Bounced checks will incur a $100 fee for staff time to rectify our accounts. Additionally, if bounced checks occur in accordance with our late payment policy (see below) late fees will also be charged to the client. 

LATE PAYMENT FEE 

If your final invoice or Grocery bill is not paid within 3 days of completion of service, a $50 late fee per day will be added to your total until the balance is paid in full. 

DEPOSIT/PAYMENT 

An agreement and full payment are required to secure a calendar date. This credit can be transferred to another date within one calendar year of the original booked date if the client reschedules [for any reason]. If the client fails to book another event within one calendar year, the client forfeits their payment. 

CANCELLATION OF EVENT 

We understand that sometimes cancellation is unavoidable. 

CANCELLATION OF A SMALL DINNER (2-20 GUESTS ONLY) 

• Up to 60 days prior to event for Full refund of amount paid (minus non-refundable 20% of total service paid + $250 Cancellation/admin fee) 

• Up to 30 days prior to event for Partial refund (50% of amount paid, minus non-refundable $250 Cancellation/Admin fee) 

• Cancellation of an event with less than 30 days is subject to forfeiture of your deposit/prepayment.  

ADJUSTMENTS TO PARTY SIZE (SMALL DINNERS ONLY 2-20 GUESTS) 

Please advise as early as possible. 

• Number of guests may be reduced up to 30 days prior to your event for a full refund 

• Per guest removed; within 14 days of your event, for partial refund (50%). 

• Guests may be added, within reason, up to 7 days prior to your event.  

• Per-guest fee for each added guest will be included in your final invoice (THIS APPLIES TO BOTH SMALL DINNERS, CORPORATE AND WEDDING EVENTS) 

• We reserve the right to charge full price for any guests added to your guest list and canceled within 7 days or less from your event. 

RESCHEDULING AND CANCELLATIONS BY THE CLIENT (WEDDINGS & CORPORATE ONLY) 

Do to extensive of planning and coordinating involved with larger events, all prepayments and deposits are forfeited if the Client cancels the event at any time. Culinary Experiences LLC will allow event rescheduling within 365 days of the original event date, within 90 days due notice of the booked event or at the discretion of Culinary Experiences LLC.  Culinary Experiences will apply the entire balance of your deposits or prepayments for administration towards another event that is mutually decided and agreed on. Re-booking is subject to mutual availability. All menu, labor and other costs are subject to change. 

MENU CHANGES/REVISIONS 

You, the Client, may make menu change requests up to 30 days prior to your scheduled event with the understanding that it may change the cost of ingredients or labor to create the new menu item, making your final invoice subject to change. 

IF THE CHEF BECOMES ILL – OR HAS AN EMERGENCY THAT CONFLICTS WITH YOUR CONFIRMED EVENT 

We will give you as much notice as possible. If you would like, we will attempt to make an alternate chef available for that date. You may choose to accept the alternate chef (if available) or to reschedule your event. If we notify you about such a conflict within 48 hours or less of your event, and you choose not to reschedule or use our alternate chef, we will refund you 100% minus Admin costs of $250. 

LEFTOVERS 

Culinary Experiences wants to create a memorable event where every guest feels well fed, so in order to accommodate each guest’s appetite, and to ensure our clients and guests get exactly what satisfies them, we thoughtfully over-estimate our quantities. Therefore, we often have some leftovers. Culinary Experiences are not liable for the food safety or handlings of leftovers after service – since leaving them for guests or clients renders us unable to control how they are reheated/stored/transported etc. With that in mind, if the Client provides vessels or containers for leftovers, our staff is happy to package them up during the strike and clean-up portion of your event and leave them in a designated place.  

TRAVEL 

In order to execute menus 100 miles away from our staff home base (Ponte Vedra Beach), we charge an additional $100 per diem per staff member/per day they are working away from home (we staff from whichever base is closer to the booked event) in order to compensate them for the extra traveling. We also charge for or ask the client to provide accommodations for all of the staff including a full working kitchen for the night after the event(s). This normally takes the form of an airbnb local to the booked event, confirmed with the Chef at the time of an agreement or contract signing. 

VENDOR MEALS 

We want everyone working at your event to feel well cared for and well fed. We are happy to provide a behind-the-scenes-buffet for up to 6 wedding vendors additional to your guest count; for any additional vendors we will charge 50% per person cost, per vendor. Please advise as early as possible on vendor meals so we can ensure more servings are prepared for the vendors in addition to the guests. 

CHILDREN 

Infants and lap toddlers (under 2) will not incur an extra charge at your event. Children ages 2-5 will cost $25 per head per child. Children older than 5 and eating the same as the adults will be included in the total guest count. 

SERVICE STAFF 

Our Service staff are independent contractors, not employees. Staff fees are billed and paid separately and adhere to agreed upon event timelines. If an event runs over and requires staff to stay longer than contractually agreed upon, the Client will be billed for additional hours at $50 per hour, per service staff member.  If the guest count increases by more than 10% within 15 days prior to the event, Culinary Experiences LLC will have the right to add more staff than originally estimated to accommodate additional staffing needs to keep things moving smoothly for your event. 

BAR AND BARTENDING 

Culinary Experiences LLC and their bartenders are skilled and inspired mixologists who are happy to assist you with your event bar planning as well as provide mobile bartending services. However, they are not Liquor-licensed, and, Per Florida Law, we are only allowed to serve spirits, not sell them to our clients; therefore, hosts provide all wine, beer and liquor for our TIPS certified bartenders and servers to pour, shake and serve – this includes everything from a stocked bar with custom cocktails, to wine service, to pouring and passing champagne to your guests. 

FINAL GUEST COUNT 

Culinary Experiences LLC requires a final guest count to be reported by the Client no later than fourteen days prior to the date of the event.  If a final guest count is not confirmed by the Client at that time, the maximum number of guests expected will be planned for and charged to the Client. 

CHANGE OF DATE/VENUE 

In the event of an event being rescheduled or changed, all monies prepaid will be applied to the new event date or location, minus a $500.00 administration fee, as long as it is within the 365 day booking year after the originally booked date, and the Culinary Experiences LLC are informed of the rescheduling 90 days before the original booked date. Booking a new date will be subject to Culinary Experiences and the Client’s mutual availability.  All new menus, labor and other costs are subject to changes with the new date.  

ADMINISTRATION AND SERVICE FEE  

This 5% fee is an industry standard fee that covers the cost of “bringing the restaurant to you.” This is already factored into the total per person cost. This includes culinary staff labor, administration costs, commercial kitchen costs (when necessary), the equipment that we provide to execute your event (cookware, appliances, etc.) as well as insurance costs and other ‘behind the scenes’ business operating expenses. Additionally, this covers our logistics to ensure yours is a smooth event, including a walk-through of your venue and any other site visits or vendor visits necessary. 

COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS 

We will ensure that all federal, state, and local laws related to food purchases and consumption are strictly enforced. 

STATE AND LOCAL TAXES 

All state and local taxes applicable to the event will be applied and included in the event total. 

GRATUITY 

Culinary Experiences LLC does not charge a gratuity for the Chef or staff. At the Client’s discretion, a gratuity may be provided at the end of your event directly to the Chef, Head server, and bartender. 

LATE FEE 

A late fee of $50 per day that the payment is late after the final payment contractual due date, or up to $300 per month, may be charged by Culinary Experiences LLC to the Client. 

FOOD SAFETY & ALLERGIES 

Some items may be served raw or undercooked or contain raw or undercooked ingredients. Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk for foodborne illness. All menu items are made fresh daily and some ingredients may not be listed. Please inform us of all allergies or intolerances of specific foods and we will gladly make the necessary adjustments to accommodate your group's needs. 

DAMAGE 

Culinary Experiences LLC assumes no responsibility for ANY damage or loss of any merchandise, alcohol, equipment, furniture, clothing or other valuables before, during or after the event. We will do everything possible to ensure that all of your supplies, appliances, rentals and equipment are cared for and maintained in good working order and without any damage. 

THIRD PARTY LIABILITY 

The Client assumes responsibility for any and all damages caused by any guest, invitee, or other person attending the scheduled event, including third parties who are hired to provide other services. 

UNLAWFUL ACTIVITIES 

The Client will comply with all federal, state, and local laws or orders, and will not do anything on the premises in violation of any laws, ordinances, rules or orders. If any unlawful activities occur and the event is canceled, Culinary Experiences LLC will not offer a refund. 

INSURANCE 

Culinary Experiences LLC maintains appropriate General Liability and Automobile insurance. 

CULINARY EXPERIENCES LLC LIABILITY 

Culinary Experiences LLC is only liable for actions based on damages caused by our company or by the negligent conduct of our employees. 

QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR POLICIES? 

Please contact us directly. We will consider making adjustments on a case-by-case basis.