Types of Food Service Contracts

Food service contracts are agreements between meal providers and their clients. These clients can be public entities, such as schools or private individuals. Some food service contracts are designed to assist the public during times of crisis. Other contracts provide catering for special events such as weddings or business conferences.

School food service contracts are agreements between meal providers and a public or private school. The food service provider may be a private non-profit organization or a public government entity, according to WVDE Office of Child Nutrition. The meal provider may also be a catering company or a food service management company. The contractor may prepare and serve the food or may act as a vendor only. In most public and private educational facilities Federal and state laws may also regulate school food service contracts.

Emergency food service contracts are agreements between the government and a mobile food service company to provide food in case of natural disasters and other emergencies. This type of contract may include regulations on what types of equipment are used for providing safe food service, according to U.S. Forest Service. The agreement may involve either the federal or local government. The government may contract with a non-profit organization, for-profit contractor, or another governmental agency. The contract may also contain provisions for the government to request additional meals when necessary.

A catering contract is an agreement between a client and a catering business to provide food service for a special event. The contract should include important event details, such as date, location, start time, and length of the event., according to the WeddingChannel, an online wedding resourse. The contract should also provide stipulations for the number of guests expected. Price breakdown for each adult and child guest may be a good idea to include. The agreement may specify a buffet-style or tray-passed event, which could affect pricing. The ratio of bartenders and servers per guest is also essential in a catering contract.

In a vended meals contract, the contractor does not directly manage any aspect of actually serving food. Instead, the contractor provides only prepackaged or pre-plated meals, according to the Illinois State Board of Education. These types of contracts are common in schools and colleges. The contract should include important details such as meal schedule and number of meals provided.