Catering

PFW has an exclusive catering policy for all on-campus events using university funds that requires the utilization of Fresh Ideas catering services.

We encourage all events even if they do not use university funds to use Fresh Ideas Food Service catering.

To start putting together your catering event, fill out the PFW Catering Intake Form.

Phase 1 of the implementation of Exclusive Catering:

• All on-campus catering events using university funds must utilize Fresh Ideas catering services.
• The new procedure will not apply to events that are held off campus.
• The new procedure will not apply to events that are hosted on campus but considered “pot luck,” “brown bag,” or “self-catered.”
  • “Self-catered” shall be defined as an activity where the total catering cost is less than $150. While not required in these instances, groups are still encouraged to use Fresh Ideas as a food provider.
  • “Pot luck” shall be defined as food that is prepared at one’s home to be shared at a department (or unit) gathering.
  • “Brown bag” shall be defined as individuals bringing in food only for themselves to an event or program, regardless of whether it was store bought or prepared privately.
• Departments purchasing snacks and food supplies for offices, events, and programs should coordinate with Fresh Ideas to take advantage of wholesale purchasing opportunities.
• Student organizations are encouraged to work with Fresh Ideas for their event planning and needs as they work to provide student group pricing packages. This includes reviewing current purchases from retailers like Sam's Club and Costco for potential cost savings through Fresh Ideas' wholesale programs.
• Departments or organizations that receive in-kind donations or sponsor-provided food for their events will be exempted from utilizing Fresh Ideas.
• Beverages served at an event should be priced by Fresh Ideas with its Pouring Rights provider for bulk/wholesale discounts that are in line with existing contractual requirements.

For questions about this new procedure, or to begin coordinating your catering needs with Fresh Ideas, please contact:

• Questions regarding the procedure can be directed to:
  • Marcus Weemes, PFW’s executive director for housing and dining services [email protected]
• Questions regarding catering or placing a catering order can be directed to:
  • Todd McCrory, Fresh Ideas director of dining services [email protected] or 260-481-0440

Yes, of course we have a guide which is meant to be a starting point to help you understand your various options. Our catering staff will help you build a menu that fits within your budget during your planning meeting. Please contact Todd McCrory with Fresh Ideas to talk about your desired menu specifics.  

Note the guide is meant to give you ideas of the various types of options, the pricing is not the set pricing. We work with departments and organizations to customize your menu and offerings to fit within your budget.

PFW Catering Guide

Planning ahead is key to making sure your event is successful. The best time to book is as soon as the date and venue are reserved. It’s not uncommon to reach out to your Fresh Ideas caterer several months in advance to start discussing options and the creation of a menu. The catering team does require at least two weeks’ notice for each event. 

Certain special circumstances may require exceptions to this policy. All requests from PFW departments or student organizations to waive catering exclusivity with Fresh Ideas for an event must be submitted via the Catering Exception Form.

All exception requests will be reviewed by a committee consisting of:

• Vice Chancellor for Financial and Administrative Affairs
• Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management and the Student Experience
• Executive Director of Housing and Dining Services

Departments requiring exceptions should submit requests to this committee for review and approval. Requests for a catering exemption must be submitted a minimum of one month prior to the event.

Pepsi has the exclusive rights on cold beverages dispensed or sampled on Purdue Fort Wayne grounds. Fresh Ideas Food Service can provide bottles, cans, or prepackaged Pepsi products. If university funds are used to purchase beverages, they need to be Pepsi products. If a sponsor wants to donate beverages for an Purdue Fort Wayne event, they need to be Pepsi products.

You can also purchase cold beverages directly from Pepsi. If you do not have a Pepsi account, send a message [email protected] to set one up.

Exceptions
Pepsi has granted Purdue Fort Wayne the right to have some competitive products sold at the Mastodon Campus Store, on the second floor of Walb Union. Store-brand bottled or packaged water (e.g., the label reads Kroger or Walmart) purchased by Purdue Fort Wayne to distribute free of charge at meetings or events with groups of 250 or fewer is also permissible. However, Pepsi may be able to provide a good price on the water and it would be delivered. Contact the purchasing department for further information.

The university is working with Fresh Ideas to secure an alcohol license for special events that include alcoholic beverages, which will ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.

Please complete and submit the catering intake form so that Todd McCrory can begin to work on your event's success. A catering specialist will contact you within 48 hours.

Fresh Ideas makes every effort to accommodate dietary restrictions. Some of the most common requests are for vegetarian, gluten free, and dairy free options. While Fresh Ideas cannot guarantee an allergen-free kitchen, accommodations are made whenever possible.

Final guest counts must be submitted no later than one week before the event. This is to guarantee staffing and purchasing needs for the event.

If there is any remaining food that is safe for donation, Fresh Ideas works closely with the FRIENDS of the University Pantry, which has a successful track record of serving members of the campus and Fort Wayne community who are affected by food insecurity.

Invoices are generated and sent to the event contact person upon completion of your event.

No, Fresh Ideas Food staff cannot accept tips.

Planning ahead helps ensure that your event meets your needs. As you might expect, last-minute requests may have limited choices due to when food orders must be placed to have the inventory or quantitates that your event will require. Please work to plan ahead. 

Fresh Ideas will do its best to accommodate any last-minute orders, but may be unable to fulfill these requests based on existing commitments and staffing. Any order accepted within three business days from the event date is subject to a $100 late-order fee. 

The pricing for catering is multifaceted. It is influenced by the number of guests, menu complexity, staff required, and event duration. Fresh Ideas typically offers a base price per guest, which would include an entrée, sides, beverages, and services provided. Additional costs include appetizers, desserts, action stations, bar service, rentals, etc.

A variety of service levels are offered to help accommodate your budget needs. Examples include: 

• Food being prepared and a department/organization representative picking it up from our kitchen
• Food being prepared, delivered, and set up
• Full catering service that includes food being prepared, and staffing/service (buffet style or plated meal)

A catering specialist will work with you to build a custom menu best suited for the event.

As stated in the catering policy, Fresh Ideas will accommodate any order on campus over $150.

Fresh Ideas will accommodate off-premise catering for any event above $500.

Yes.

Yes.

Within two full business days prior to the event, groups will be charged the full price of the contracted order.

Within three full business days prior to the event, groups will be charged 50% of the food and beverage total.

Within four or more full business days, prior to the event, groups will only be charged for those expenses already incurred by Fresh Ideas, such as custom or non-menu items.