Catering & Foodservice

The New School does not provide in-house catering. If you would like to serve food or beverage at your event, you will need to hire a caterer or place an order for delivery. Alcohol may only be served in non-academic spaces and must be served by TIPS-approved bartenders who are provided through a caterer or staffing agency.

For all events regardless of the type of foodservice, your event coordinator must be present to meet your vendors or receive any deliveries. Please also be aware that:

• Open flames are not permitted on campus. Consider foods that do not need to be hot for your event, or have it delivered hot and ready closer to the start of your reception.
• On-site coffee brewers or other appliances with large electricity needs are prohibited.
• Food and drink may not be placed on top of pianos. Pianos may not be used as food prep surfaces.

Continue reading for detailed information.

Types of Foodservice

Catering

A formal catered function where an external vendor comes on-site to prepare, plate, and serve during your event.

You must arrange the below prior to your event:

1. The caterer must provide a Certificate of Insurance (COI) in advance demonstrating Worker's Compensation Insurance.
2. If serving alcohol, your caterer or external staffing agency providing bartenders must also provide a COI demonstrating liquor liability insurance in addition to Worker's Comp (see Alcohol Service below).
3. Additional time may need to be built into your room reservation in 25Live to allow for the caterer to setup and break-down after the event.
4. Depending on your caterer's needs, you may also need to reserve a servery for food prep and storage. Equipment generally needs to be turned on by the Facilities team.
5. A walk-through should be scheduled with the on-site caterer, any external staffing agencies, Paul Gottlieb (Director Fire and Safety), and the building’s superintendent who are familiar with the university’s spaces and their limitations.
   

Delivery

A more casual event where food is ordered and delivered to the premises, but no external vendor comes on-site to setup the catering or help with service (e.g. Grubhub, Uber Eats).

Please be aware of the below:

1. Alcoholic beverages may not be served unless you hire a bartender through a staffing agency. The agency must provide a COI demonstrating liquor liability and Worker's Comp Insurance (see Alcohol Service below).
2. You will be responsible for setting out your delivered food and beverage. Source any items you will need for service ahead of time such as platters, beverage tubs, utensils, plates, napkins, etc.
3. Reserve a servery if you need to keep anything cool before your event starts.
4. Ice makers are available in XXX.

Vendor Selection

The university has institutional relationships with several food, beverage, and catering vendors. These preferred vendors recognize the university's tax-exempt status and may offer additional pricing or service considerations. To see vendors with which there are negotiated rates, consult My New Source. From there, navigate to the America To Go page. You can place orders directly via the site. Rates listed reflect any negotiated preferred pricing.

You are welcome to use a caterer/vendor who is not listed as a preferred vendor. Please note that transactions are still subject to university guidelines on procurement and expenses.

Alcohol Service

The university has an established Policy on Alcoholic Beverages and Illegal Drugs, which is meant to ensure legal use of alcoholic beverages and responsible conduct by individuals. The Policy outlines restrictions and requirements around when, where, and how alcohol is served at campus events:

• It is illegal in the State of New York for any person under the age of 21 years to possess or consume any alcoholic beverage.
• Advance approval is required to serve alcohol at an event where students will be present, regardless of the age of the students. Please fill out the "Approval for Alcohol Use at Student Events Form", and submit to Gilles Stromberg, Assistant Director of Student Leadership and Involvement, for review.
• See the Policy on Alcoholic Beverages and Illegal Drugs for additional requirements for events where students will be present.
• Alcohol is prohibited in all spaces being used for academic activity including, but not limited to, classrooms, studios, offices, lounges, and computer labs. This policy applies to faculty, staff, and students.
• Alcohol may only be served at events by a caterer or external staffing agency. Bartenders must be TIPS-approved and refuse to serve anyone who is visibly intoxicated.
• The vendor must provide a COI demonstrating liquor liability in addition to Worker's Comp Insurance.
• Alcohol may not be left unattended.
• All alcohol must be removed from the venue at the conclusion of the event.

After Your Event

All food and beverage for an event must be removed from the room at the conclusion of the event. It is the event coordinator's responsibility to ensure that all items are removed from serveries after the event, and that the room is returned to its original condition.

Leftover Food

Contact Pepi and Angie with Frugalicious Mamas, who help connect students with leftover food, art supplies, and other resources. Ping them on Instagram or at (718)521-9215. They can come at the end of your event to pick up the food, or you can send it off to a central location and share a photo with them that they'll share on social media!

Payment & Invoices

TBD

Return to Event Logistics.