Terms of Service
Effective Date: May 24, 2026
You are reading the rules of the road for Gourmet Catering Co. We believe in clear communication. No hidden fees. No surprise substitutions. When you use gourmetcateringsco.com to plan your corporate lunch or black-tie gala, you agree to these terms. Read them. We wrote them in plain English.
We run a high-volume catering operation. We do not have time for legal ambiguity. Neither do you.
Acceptance of Terms
Using this website means you accept these rules. If you disagree with how we handle our content or our booking process, you should close the tab. We built this site to help you plan menus, understand event logistics, and book our team. Browsing our seasonal menus or submitting an inquiry form binds you to these terms. We treat our website as an extension of our kitchen. It requires respect, order, and clear boundaries.
Intellectual Property and Menu Ownership
We spend months testing recipes. We source specific ingredients from local purveyors. We hire professional photographers to shoot our plated dinners and buffet setups. Every image, menu description, and blog post on this site belongs to Gourmet Catering Co.
You cannot scrape our site and pass our work off as your own. We have watched competitors copy our proprietary menu structures word for word. We pursue intellectual property theft aggressively. If you want to share our content, link back to the original page. Give credit where credit is due. Do not steal our photography to promote your own venue or service.
Site Content and Dietary Disclaimer
We publish guides on catering logistics, dietary accommodations, and event planning. This content reflects our operational experience. It does not constitute medical or legal advice. We list ingredients for our dishes. We take cross-contamination seriously. However, our commercial kitchen handles nuts, dairy, gluten, and shellfish daily.
We cannot guarantee a 100 percent allergen-free environment.
You must communicate severe allergies directly to our team during the booking phase. Do not rely solely on website descriptions for life-threatening dietary restrictions. A blog post about gluten-free appetizers is educational. It does not replace a direct conversation with our executive chef regarding your guest’s specific medical needs.
Pricing Accuracy and Market Fluctuations
We post sample menus and baseline pricing to help you budget. These numbers are not binding quotes. The cost of premium proteins, fresh produce, and specialized labor fluctuates weekly. A beef tenderloin carving station priced on our site last fall will cost a different amount today.
We finalize all pricing during the contract phase. You cannot hold us to a website typo or an outdated blog post regarding per-head costs. We correct errors when we find them. We honor the exact prices written in your signed, finalized contract.
User Conduct and Communication
We provide contact forms and inquiry portals to facilitate real business. Do not use our site to transmit spam, solicitations, or malicious software. We block IP addresses that abuse our forms. When you submit an inquiry, you must provide accurate information. Fake phone numbers and bogus email addresses waste our time.
We review every submission manually. If you submit a request for a 500-person gala, we expect you to be a legitimate planner or corporate representative. We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone who abuses our digital infrastructure.
Booking Inquiries and Contract Supremacy
Submitting a contact form does not secure your date. Requesting a tasting does not secure your date. A signed contract and a cleared deposit secure your date.
We turn away other clients once you book. Therefore, deposits are non-refundable. We clearly outline our cancellation timeline in your specific event contract. The terms in your signed contract always supersede the general information on this website. Our website provides starting points. Your contract provides the final word.
Limitation of Liability
We control the food. We control the service. We do not control the internet.
Gourmet Catering Co is not liable for damages arising from your use of this website or your inability to access it. If our server goes down and you miss a booking deadline, we will work with you. We will not pay damages for your delayed corporate luncheon. We ensure our site is as secure as possible. We cannot guarantee it will always be free of viruses or interruptions. You browse at your own risk.
Third-Party Links and Vendor Recommendations
We occasionally link to specific event rental companies, floral designers, or venue spaces. We only recommend vendors we have actually worked with on the floor. Sometimes we earn a small commission if you book through these links. This never affects your price.
We disclose these relationships clearly on the relevant pages. We do not control these external websites. We are not responsible for their privacy practices or service failures. If a rental company we linked to delivers the wrong chairs, your dispute is with them.
Governing Law and Dispute Resolution
We operate out of our local commercial kitchen. These terms are governed by the laws of our home state. Any legal disputes regarding this website will be handled in our local jurisdiction. We prefer to resolve issues over a phone call. Litigation is a last resort. If a disagreement arises regarding website usage or digital content, we expect you to contact us directly first.
Changes to These Terms
The catering industry shifts. Ingredient availability changes. Our policies adapt. We will update these terms when necessary. We will post the new version here. We will update the effective date at the top of the page. Your continued use of the site after changes means you accept the new rules. Check back if you are planning a new event. We do not send individual emails for minor terms updates.
Contact Information
Questions about these terms belong in our inbox. Reach out to [email protected]. A real person on our management team reads every message. We respond within 48 hours during the work week.
Weekends are for executing events. Do not expect a reply on a Saturday night.