The catering timeline: what to book, confirm and deliver, and when

A good catering timeline is mostly about deciding things in the right order. Hosts who struggle are rarely late; they are doing the day-of tasks in week one and the week-one tasks on the day. Here is the schedule I have settled on after years of feeding offices, weddings and backyard parties across north Dallas, written as a checklist you can follow from the first decision to the last plate.

The short answer: Plan as soon as the date and rough headcount exist, typically two to four weeks ahead for a party and further out for holidays. Settle the final headcount about a week before and place the order in our online store: chicken or pork, a half dozen or a dozen, delivery or pickup, paid online. Check the address and on-site contact the day before. On the day, have the serving area ready thirty minutes before the food arrives.

That is the skeleton. The sections below put flesh on it: what belongs in each stage, what can wait, and the handful of mistakes that make the last hour frantic.

Stage one: the day you know the date

The moment a date exists, write down three things: the date, a rough number and a time of day. You do not need a final headcount, a menu or even a firm address yet. At Maggie’s the prices are right on the menu, a half dozen for $30 and a dozen for $60, so the earlier you count, the earlier you have a real number to plan around.

Why so early? Two reasons. First, popular dates fill: Friday lunches, Saturday afternoons, and every weekend in the run-up to Thanksgiving and Christmas. Second, an early estimate turns a vague worry into a line in your budget, and on a busy date you can place the order in our online store for that day right away. My article on how far in advance to order catering gives lead times by event size, but if you remember one thing, remember that planning early costs nothing and waiting costs options.

What to write down: the date, the time you want the food to arrive, the rough headcount, the city, and whether it is lunch, dinner or a snack alongside other food. A line about the occasion helps too; an office training day and a quinceañera reception want different amounts even at the same headcount.

Stage two: two to three weeks out, choose the menu

With a budget in hand, settle the menu. With my kitchen this is a short decision: pork tamales in red salsa, chicken tamales in green salsa, and whether you will add your own rice, beans, chips and salsas alongside. The tamale menu shows the prices, and at $60 a dozen, or $5 a tamal, the arithmetic is quick: two per person for lunch, three for dinner, one or two if there is other food.

This is also the stage to ask about dietary needs. Our tamales use gluten-free corn masa and chicken breast, which covers a lot of guests. If you have a question about anyone else’s needs, call or text me at (469) 888-8398 before you order, while there is still time to plan around the answer.

Decide the service style, too. Buffet-style needs serving spoons, plates and any salsas you want to add, so put them on your own shopping list. Individual plates need at least a count per filling. Neither is hard, but both are easier to plan at week three than at hour three.

The full catering timeline at a glance

Here is the whole schedule in one table. The lead times are what I recommend for a typical party or office event in Richardson, Plano or the surrounding suburbs; holidays and events over a hundred guests should shift everything earlier by a week or two.

If your event is on our holiday tamales calendar, the weeks before Thanksgiving and Christmas fill first, so slide the whole table earlier and treat the first row as urgent.

Stage three: one week out, confirm the numbers

About a week before, settle the final headcount and place the order in our online store. This is the number that sets the dozens. A few habits make this stage painless:

1. Count in dozens. Forty guests at lunch is eighty tamales, which is seven dozen with four to spare. Round up, never down.
2. Keep a small buffer. I suggest a dozen extra for every twenty people of uncertainty on your RSVP list. Leftover tamales freeze well; a missing tamal does not.
3. Settle the split. Half chicken and half pork suits most crowds. Lean toward chicken for spice-shy or younger groups.
4. Name the on-site contact. One phone number the driver can call, belonging to someone who will actually be there and not in the middle of a toast.

If the number grows after you order, add a half dozen or a dozen with a second order. Next day orders must be received and confirmed by us before noon the previous day. Only confirmed orders will be delivered as requested. For any other change, call or text me at (469) 888-8398 as soon as you know.

Stage four: the day before, confirm the logistics

The day before is not about food. It is about the fifteen minutes between the food arriving and your guests eating. Check the address on your order, with the suite or building number, and make sure the person meeting the delivery knows the gate code, which door to use and where to park. If the event is in a business park in Frisco or an apartment clubhouse in Dallas, a driver who has never been there needs those details more than you would think. Our Frisco and Dallas catering pages have more about ordering in each area.

The delivery window itself deserves thought. For a lunch that starts at noon, aim for the food to arrive between 11:15 and 11:45 so the pans are on the table, opened and steaming when the first person walks in. For a dinner reception, arrival about thirty minutes before the buffet opens works the same way. My piece on scheduling a catering delivery window goes deeper, including what to do when the ceremony runs long.

Finally, check the serving area. You need a table with a clear surface, room for the pans, plates and napkins at the start of the line, and salsas and toppings at the end. If you plan to hold food for a second wave of guests, have a chafing dish or a large pot ready.

Stage five: delivery day, minute by minute

Here is how the last hour goes when it goes well. Thirty minutes before the window, the serving table is set and the drinks are out. When the food arrives, or when you are back from pickup, move it straight to the table. Check it against the order, keep the pork and the chicken apart and marked, and open the first pans. Within fifteen to twenty minutes, people are eating.

Two small things make a big difference. Put the tamales at the front of the line and the toppings at the end, so the line moves and nobody stands over the salsa deciding. And keep the pans covered between waves; a foil lid holds heat for a surprisingly long time. I wrote a short checklist for the moment the truck pulls up in what to do when catering arrives.

If anything is off, call the kitchen right away. We are a small family operation and I answer the phone during kitchen hours, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 9 AM to 2 PM. Our catering FAQ covers reheating, storage and the other questions that come up once the party is over.

Ready to put your event on the calendar?

Whether it is an office lunch for thirty next Friday or a graduation party for a hundred next month, the timeline works the same way. Choose chicken or pork, a half dozen or a dozen, delivery or pickup and the date in our online store, and pay online, and the rest of the schedule falls into place. Order online, and if you have questions, call or text (469) 888-8398.

Frequently asked questions

What is a typical catering timeline for a party?

Start planning as soon as you have a date, typically two to four weeks ahead for a party and earlier for holidays. Choose the pork and chicken split two to three weeks out, settle the final headcount and place the order about a week before, check the address and on-site contact the day before, and have the serving table ready thirty minutes before the food arrives. Larger events shift each step earlier.

When should I give my caterer the final headcount?

About a week before the event is comfortable for most caterers. With Maggie’s, the final headcount is simply the number of tamales you order in our online store, so settle it before you place the order. If it grows afterward, add a half dozen or a dozen with a second order. Next day orders must be received and confirmed by us before noon the previous day. Only confirmed orders will be delivered as requested.

How early should catering arrive before the event starts?

For hot, ready-to-serve food such as tamales, about thirty minutes before eating begins is ideal. That leaves time to set the pans out, check the order and open the line without the food sitting so long that it cools. For a noon lunch, aim for roughly 11:15 to 11:45. For a reception, count back thirty minutes from when the buffet opens.

What should I check the day before?

The delivery address on your order with suite or building number, the gate or door to use, parking, the delivery time, and the name and phone number of the person meeting the driver. Also count your own serving items, such as spoons, plates and any salsas you are adding. These details are what separate a smooth delivery from a driver circling the block.

How far ahead do I need to book holiday tamales?

Further ahead than any other event. The weeks before Thanksgiving and Christmas fill first at our kitchen, and the same is true for most tamale makers in north Texas. Place your order in our online store as soon as you know your date and headcount; you can choose a date ahead. If the count grows later, add dozens with a second order.

What if my event runs late and the food is already there?

Keep the pans covered with their foil lids and, if you have one, move them into a chafing dish or a large pot with a little water in the bottom over low heat. Tamales in their husks hold heat well and stay moist for an hour or more this way. Open the pans only when the line is about to start so the steam stays inside.