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Sign in to your account to start a new order or manage your existing orders, or get started by registering for an account
The Catering Department exists for only one reason - to serve you! We want to be certain your special event is a success - whether it is something simple, such as a coffee order or more complicated, such as dining service for a large conference. In order for us to do our very best job for you, it is important that we understand each other. Please familiarize yourself with the enclosed material before you place your order. We look forward to working with you.
Instructions, Conditions & Terms
PACES Dining Services operates only on the Potsdam College campus and holds exclusive contract for providing foodservice.
There is no permanent catering staff. We make staff arrangements after you have ordered your event. Since we use student workers almost exclusively, it takes at least three days for us to secure staff. Large events, or those during class periods, take longer.
Most of our food products are shipped in from Albany, Watertown or Syracuse. To be certain we have the proper quality and quantity for your event, we place our orders at least seven days in advance.
Our cooks and other kitchen staff (CSEA employees) are “borrowed” from other operations. To make proper arrangements - which often require a change in schedule - we need at least a week notice.
I’m sure it is easy to see why we ask you to plan a minimum of 10 days in advance for dinners and luncheons and at least three days in advance for all other events. We know that last minute situations will sometimes arise. Although we cannot guarantee service or product with less than a seven- day notice, we will make every effort to accommodate your needs. Rush orders almost always cost us more to produce. In these cases you may be billed for additional charges. Customers must call the catering department x2668 if orders are placed seven days or less before the event.
All about your event: who is expected, what is the purpose of the event, who is the sponsor. We have excellent records of previous events and can often look at what was successful in the past...as well as what might be done better in the future.
Where and when your event will be held.
What you would like to have. We can help you with menu selection.
Billing information: accounts, budgets, tax exempt status.
First, Secure a Location:
If your group is not directly affiliated with SUNY Potsdam:
You must contact Non Credit, Conferences and Special Programs, 315-267-2168.
If your group is directly affiliated with SUNY Potsdam:
Please contact the Dining Services office at x2668 to make arrangements for the use of either Thatcher Hall or Lehman Dining Center.
Please contact the appropriate building administrator to make arrangements for the use of other campus spaces. Please note that catering services cannot be provided at some campus locations.
Please contact Casey Nelson at x4809 for outdoor campus space.
At locations other than Thatcher Hall and Lehman Dining Center it is the customer’s responsibility to make room arrangements - including tables, chairs, room cleaning, rest room access, air conditioning, heat, audio-visual equipment, etc.
Our staff requires time to set up your event. Please plan at least a two-hour access period for the catering staff. If we cannot access the event site at the agreed upon time the event may be cancelled or delayed.
Since off-premise locations do not have fully equipped kitchens, additional charges may be required in order to cover our costs at locations other than Thatcher Hall, and Lehman Dining Center. Additionally, not all products and services can be provided at remote locations due to health and safety concerns.
If you have simple food service needs you can place your order using CaterTrax, by phone (x2668); campus mail (Catering Department/Thatcher Hall) or Fax (x2698). Our catering guide is posted on the web at www. Potsdam.edu (go to “Student Life” and then “dining” and then “Catering Services”). An order form can be completed on the web site and an an e-mail confirmation will be sent directly back to you.
More complex events, such as dinners or lunches are best ordered by speaking to someone in the catering department (x2668 or x3433). Office hours are 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Monday – Friday but you may leave a message anytime and someone will get back to you asap.
In either case you will need to have the following information: day, date, event start time, event end time, payment information including tax exempt number if required, and your menu selection.
In other words: what do you want? When & where do you want it? And, how will you pay for it?
Order Confirmation & Final Guarantees
Major events: Please order meals – breakfasts, Picnics, lunches & dinners – at least seven days in advance.
Minor events: breaks, beverage service, and simple receptions – require a three day notice but more time is appreciated.
Although we cannot guarantee service or product that is requested without notice as stated above, we will make every effort to accommodate your needs. Rush orders almost always cost us more to produce. In these cases you will be billed for additional charges.
An estimate is all that is needed at the time you arrange an event, but before we can begin the process of contracting labor and purchasing product we must have a guarantee from you.
An attendance guarantee must be given to the catering office no less than 72 hours prior to your event start time.
The initial guarantee may be adjusted 10% upwards or downwards until 24 hours before your event time. No adjustment can be made with less than a 24-hour notice. You will be billed for this final number regardless of lower attendance.
We know that despite the best plans, extra guests sometimes arrive. We will be prepared to serve up to 5% over your final guarantee number in the same style as the other guests. If your numbers go beyond this 5% “cushion” at an on-premise location, we will do our best to provide something, but we can give no guarantees. At an off-premise location, we will have neither product nor equipment to accommodate additional guests.
If an event is canceled, you are responsible for any expenses that have been already incurred by the catering department.
We are happy to provide special meals in order to accommodate dietary needs. Please request special meals at least 24 hours in advance.
New York State Tax Department requires us to collect sales tax unless you have a current sales tax exemption certificate on file with the catering department regardless of your tax-exempt status.
Events will be billed based on your instruction. If an event needs to be “re-billed” you will be charged an additional fee.
The minimum charge for all deliveries - regardless of time or location - is ten dollars.
For catering to remote locations; on weekends; during non-academic periods (breaks) and off-hours, delivery charges will be higher.
Please contact the catering office for a price quote.
Our prices are based on our staff working during a two-hour event period. Extended service periods may be charged an additional fee to cover the cost of additional labor.
Room arrangements directly related to the food service portion of the event are included in the price of that event. Additional arrangements may be charged a labor fee.
We hold a New York State on-premises license for the service of alcoholic beverages in Thatcher Hall and the Barrington Student Union.
All other locations require a permit from the New York State Alcoholic Beverage Commission that takes up to five weeks for processing. Contact the catering office x2668 for details and cost information.
All events must comply with campus, local and state regulations. Board of Health:
As licensed food service operators, the New York State Board of Health inspects us, and our activities are governed by their regulations.
Except in the cases where the customer has contracted for a specific quantity of product on a set/clean basis (such as cookies, donuts, etc.) all left over product is the property of PACES and will be handled in accordance with the guidelines set forth by the Board of Health.
Since the Board of Health requires that all food served by PACES be from “approved sources,” customers may not bring any food products into a licensed facility.
For all meal service, we are required to have a staging location that allows us to maintain sanitation standards and provides the equipment necessary for safe food handling. In general, full meals can only be provided in the following locations: Thatcher Hall, Lehman Dining Hall, Barrington Student Union MPR Room, and Knowles MPR room.
No potentially hazardous food products (as defined by the NYS Board of Health) may be left out of a temperature-controlled environment for more than two hours.
