UC Merced Lakeside Catering Policies
Planning Your Event
Lakeside Catering welcomes the opportunity to supply the University of California, Merced campus community with delicious menu options for all occasions. Our staff strives to provide all services necessary to accomplish successful events for our valued customers. The following policies and procedures apply to all catering services.
Business Hours: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Events starting before or after these times are subject to additional labor charges.
Saturday and Sunday events are subject to a $500 sales minimum. Please contact catering at catering@ucmerced.edu for more details.
Advanced Notice
We recommend placing your catering request as soon as possible. Every effort is made to accommodate our clients; however, advanced notice ensures our ability to properly plan for your event. Please adhere to the following guidelines:
• All events must be placed and confirmed five business days prior to the event date.
• Special events, events over 100 guests or those requiring custom menus require 10 business days of advance notice, with confirmation of event details and menus.
• If Lakeside Catering can accommodate an event within the five-day requirement, the order will be subject to a $25 or 25 percent expedited fee, whichever is greater.
Minimum Orders
Due to the demand for Lakeside Catering services, it is necessary to meet the indicated minimum for guaranteed deliveries. Delivered orders that do not meet the minimum requirements are subject to a $25 or 25 percent of total order service charge, whichever is greater.
Cancellations
Any order cancelled within five business days of event will incur a cancellation fee.
• Five business days prior to event date - 25 percent of total food and beverage revenue
• Three business days prior to event date – 50 percent of total food and beverage revenue
• Two business days prior to event date – 100 percent of total food and beverage revenue
Leftover Food and Outside Vendors
In compliance with environmental health and safety, state and local health regulations, perishable food may not be removed from an event. Events of any service choice (excluding Lakeside 2Go) can only be presented for a maximum of two hours. No outside food is allowed in an event catered by Lakeside Catering. Lakeside Catering reserves the right to decline an order due to multiple food sources. Lakeside Catering is the exclusive provider of food and beverage for the California, Crescent Arch, Alpine and Blue and Gold meeting rooms along with the private dining rooms in the Pavilion Dining Center and Yablokoff-Wallace Dining Center.
Guarantees
Clients are required to provide a firm guarantee upon which Lakeside Catering will base the quantity of food and appropriate service staff.
• A guaranteed guest count is required five business days in advance of an event.
• Reduction to the guarantee will not be accepted once the guarantee has been finalized.
• If a final guarantee is not submitted, the original estimate will be used for billing purposes.
• If guest count numbers significantly change on the required guarantee date there may be additional charges if Lakeside Catering can accommodate the request.
• With less than three days’ notice, a 25 percent surcharge will apply to the additional guests if Lakeside Catering can accommodate the increase.
Payment
Lakeside Catering accepts FAU and check payments. Other payment options are credit cards or cash.
For credit card or cash payments, payment will need to be processed at the cashier’s office located in the Leo and Dottie Kolligian Library.
FAU and check payments can be processed when placing your order on CaterTrax. If you need to pay by credit card or cash, please contact catering. Some orders will require a deposit. If your order requires a deposit, you will be contacted by our billing department with information regarding the request. Inter-campus recharge is available for other UC campuses. Please contact catering for assistance. For check payments, your check will need to be made out to "UC REGENTS" and must be provided by mail prior to your event or hand delivered the day of your event. If you need an invoice in order to get your check issued, please contact catering. An invoice is also available in your CaterTrax account.
Equipment – Tables and Chairs
Lakeside Catering does not supply tables or chairs for food service. Clients must supply appropriate tables for food service and guest seating at their site during the time stated on the order. Lakeside Catering will suggest the appropriate number of tables required for food service. Clients may contract with UC Merced Facilities Management, approved rental companies or provide tables from other spaces within their facilities. A $25 long-haul fee will be assessed for any delivery without loading, parking or elevator accessibility. For any large delivery setups, additional delivery assistants may be required as determined by Lakeside Catering at a flat rate of $15 per assistant with a two-hour minimum.
Custom Menus
Lakeside Catering offers a wide variety of options on our website, but if you have something specific in mind, our culinary team can customize a menu for you at your request. Please allow a minimum of two weeks for these requests. Please send your request to catering@ucmerced.edu.
Special Dietary Restrictions
Please let us know, when you place an order, of all dietary restrictions that your guests may have. We can make accommodations for any restriction, with the appropriate advance notice. If you are unsure about any dietary restrictions, please contact catering with any questions. Our staff is very familiar with all dietary restrictions and how we are able to make necessary adjustments to our menu offerings to ensure the health and safety of guests.
Alcohol
Lakeside Catering holds the proper licensing to serve alcohol at your event on campus. An alcohol permit is required for any type of alcohol service. You can find all requirements and forms on the UC Merced Risk Services website. Leftover alcohol from your event must be removed from the event and stored by Lakeside Catering. Please make arrangements to pick up your leftover alcohol from the Pavilion Dining Center within 48 hours of your event. Any alcohol left 48 hours after the event will be properly discarded. Please note: all open bottles will be discarded at the end of the event. Bar service is required, along with your alcohol permit, for all alcohol served on campus or at any UC Merced-sponsored event. Alcohol service will only be provided within the designated time on the approved alcohol permit. Lakeside Catering reserves the right to cancel a bar service if not provided with an approved alcohol permit at full cost.
Room Reservation and Deliveries
To book the Elizabeth Wallace Dining Room or the Pavilion private dining rooms, please send your request to the EMS room reservation system. When booking other locations on campus, please make sure your location is accessible to catering staff one hour prior to your event start time for delivery, set up and clean-up of event. The client is responsible for the safekeeping of all Lakeside Catering small wares and equipment. Any lost or damaged equipment will be charged at replacement value.
Service Staff Fees
Service staff are available upon request to be present for the entirety of your event. Lakeside Catering reserves the right to require service staff for certain types of events. Servers/stewards cost $15 per hour/per attendant with a two-hour minimum. If you require a chef to be in attendance, please submit this request when you place your order to insure availability. An on-site chef costs $50 per hour with a two-hour minimum.
Clean Up
Please indicate the most accurate times for our team to come back and clean up your event within three hours of your event start time. All orders placed with Lakeside 2Go are the responsibility of the event coordinator to remove all items from the event. Lakeside Catering does not offer refuse service. Please contact Facilities Management to place a request for any special refuse service for an event.
If you have a general question about Hospitality Services and how we may assist you, please contact us at hospitalityservice@ucmerced.edu or call our office at 209-228-4268. You may also contact our team members:
