CHEFELLA'S AGREEMENT/CONTRACT

 

This catering/event planning agreement/contract was executed on the day your invoice was paid between the client/ company on the invoice known for the purposes of this Agreement as “Client,” and Chefella’s, LLC or Chefella’s Catering and Events located at 436 East Main Street- Suite D, Clayton NC, 27520 known for the purposes of this Agreement as Chefella’s Catering and Events “CCEP”. All invoices serve as a legal binding contract. By paying the invoice you are agreeing to enter into this contract with Chefella's, LLC and stating you have read and agree to all contractual terms, rules, guidelines and procedures outlined below as they are displayed and approve.

 

1.Services

 

1.1 Client and Chefella’s agree to all items outlined in the sent invoice. Your invoice serves as a legal binding contract. All sections in this contract apply to all invoices. By paying your invoice, you are stating you have read all items/ terms in this contract and understand and agree to all terms as displayed below.

 

1.2 Client agrees to provide the following: {any items the client/customer wants that are not outlined in the invoice. Chefella’s is responsible for only what is outlined in the invoice}. Any requested services, labor or setup that is added during set up of the event will be charged additionally via your credit card authorization form.

 

1.3 A 24-hour notice is required for all caterings/ events. Caterings and Event cancellations must take place no more than 2 days (48 hours) after booking for a full refund. After 2 days no refund will be issued. After this time period should you need to cancel, you may transfer your catering or event one time to a different date within 12 months of the original event date if available at no booking charge as long as given a 15-day notice form the event date (excludes quick bookings). Food and beverage cost may increase due to product availability, supply and demand. You will be billed for any additional food and beverage cost based on the new event date. For all caterings, a guest count must be given at the time of booking. The number given may increase (food only) up to 72 hours prior to the catering (additional cost will apply for the additional food). Payment must be received at the time of increase. Quick bookings (refer to section 2.2) are non-refundable if cancelled but may be transferred up to one time within 12 months of the event date (fee applies as one time free transfer does not apply). If not a quick booking and you choose to cancel your event after the free one-time free transfer, no refund at all will be issued. You will have to pay again for all rendered services. Catering pricing subject to change. Delivery charges will apply.

 

 1.4 NO CATERINGS/ EVENTS CAN BE CANCELLED AFTER 48 HOURS OF BOOKING FOR A REFUND. NO REFUNDS ISSUED AFTER 48 HOURS! TASTINGS ARE NON-REFUNDABLE! 

 

1.5 Full service includes: Catering, Rentals, Event Planning, Service Staff, Tablescape (linens, chargers, china, napkins, flatware, glassware and centerpieces).

 

1.6 All service contracts rendered by other vendors and venues must be submitted upon booking for an accurate quote and final invoice. If a venue contract is not submitted and the venue charges a catering fee, the fee will automatically be added to the clients invoice. All fees charged by the venue for catering and event planning services are the responsibility of the client and must be paid to Chefella's, LLC 30 days prior to the event. It is the client's responsibility to let Chefella's, LLC know if fees are associated for us to come to that specific venue. If fees are not paid, services rendered will be cancelled and no refunds nor deposits will be issued. If at any point the client did not make Chefella's aware of a venue fee, and it is brough to Chefella's attention at any later time, Chefella's has the right to charge the client the fee to pay to the venue. This may be invoiced after final payment has been received. 

 

1.7 The client is responsible to read all vendor and venue contracts and make sure to notify Chefella’s, LLC if communication between the vendors or venues is needed. Example: Your venue requires a catering walk through before your wedding and certain paperwork be submitted. It is your responsibility to provide us with a copy of your venue contract, so we know to set up the walk thru and send the proper documentation. A site visit charge will apply.

 

1.8 Depending on the venue policy you are responsible for any upcharges regarding cleaning, service staff, venue/vendor meals, facility fee, catering fee as well as any and all deposits.

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1.8A- Chefella's Staff must be included in vendor meals. Our staff is entitled to a 15 minute dinner meal break which will take place after dinner service has concluded at the discretion of the Front of the house service ,manager which attends each event.

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1.9 Photo/Video Release: I hereby grant permission to Chefella’s, LLC to use/ take photographs and/or video of myself, guest, vendors and any other items or people associated with my event in publications, print, advertising, website, news releases, online, social media and in other communications related to the mission of Chefella’s, LLC. I also give permission to opt in to receive email communications from Chefella’s for marketing (mail chimp or constant contact). I also release my professional photographs from my photographer to Chefella’s, LLC to use for all reasons stated above.

 

2.Deposit

 

2.1 Client is required to pay a deposit of 50% of the total event amount upon booking. If items are added before final payment an additional deposit will be required for the new items added with final payment owed 30 days prior to event. Monthly payment must be made on the first of each month. Monthly payments will be calculated according to invoice amount and how many months are left prior to your event. Chefella's, LLC will tell you your monthly payment plan amount. Refer to section 3.9 regarding monthly payments.

 

2.2 Quick Bookings: Bookings (caterings, meal planning or events) that take place 30 days or less prior to the event, delivery, or catering. Quick bookings are non-refundable at the time of booking should you cancel after booking. No free transfers are permitted for quick bookings! The transfer fee would be $150.00. Example: You call us on March 2nd and book with us a catering on March 22nd. Something happens and you call us on March 15th to cancel. No refund nor credit would be issued. You can transfer your rendered services to another date for a rebooking fee of $150.00. If cancelled within 7 days of the event, no rescheduling/ transfering of the event is permitted nor is the rebooking fee an option as items may have been ordered, food ordered, and supplies purchased.

 

3.Payment

 

3.1 For the services outlined in the invoice, the Client will pay Chefella’s, LLC. All final selections and revisions must be made within 30 days of the event excluding meal additions (refer to section 1.3). If modifications are made less than 30 days of the event, a convenience fee of 15% of what is added or removed will apply.

 

​3.2 Client may request additional services/ request after the 30 days prior to event deadline, with the knowledge that these services may be a different price than quoted and will be added to the total cost agreed upon by this contract, and must be agreed to in writing, either as an addendum to this Agreement, or in a separate document in addition to section 3.1. Client is responsible for paying additional services/request ordered after the deadline (30 days prior to the event) and must be paid in full upon the time of ordering/ adding items or making changes.

 

3.3 Chefella’s accepts card, ACH, checks and cash. There will be a $25.00 fee for returned checks. Checks should be made payable to Chefella’s Catering Events. Effective September 26, 2023, all payments made via credit card and ACH will be subject to a 3.75% merchant fee. This fee is paid directly to the merchant services provider. This fee will be included on your invoice. To avoid merchant fees, feel free to pay via check or cash. 

 

3.4 If any items or property of Chefella’s or vendors secured by Chefella's are damaged, broken, stolen, or missing, you agree that you must pay the full retail value of these items. If the item has been rented by Chefella’s, LLC from another supplier or vendor for your use, you will pay Chefella's, LLC the full retail amount of the item and any deposit amounts paid by Chefella's, LLC to the vendor/ supplier for the loss/ damage of the vendors/ suppliers item. This does include China and flatware rentals.

 

3.5 If the event, rental or catering is not paid prior to 30 days of the event, it will be cancelled with no money being credited, nor services being transferable. Total amount/ invoice owed must be received 30 days before the event. No price nor guest reductions will be issued.

 

3.6 We understand life happens and you may need to cancel or change your event date. In order to transfer to another date under our One Time Free Transfer Policy, you must give us a 15 day notice from your event. Events taking place less than 30 days of cancellation window time (Quick bookings) are not eligible for refunds or free transfers (refer to sections 1.3, 2.2 and 3.7).

 

3.7 Transfer Policy: Guest may transfer events, caterings and rentals up to one time at no charge (excludes quick bookings), if given a 15 day notice from the event date. Transfers must be redeemed within one year of the original event date. If you choose to cancel after the one time free transfer, no monies will be issued, no credits or deposits will be reimbursed and the services will not be performed. The client would have to rebook all services and pay again.

 

3.8 Food and beverage fee: The cost of goods and services vary depending on the time of year and how much time has passed between your original booking date and your new date. Food and beverage prices do increase for several reasons. If there is a price increase with our vendors, you will be responsible for the new pricing. Example: you have curry shrimp tarts as a menu item. When you booked they were $3.00 per person. Your new date is 10 months later. The price of shrimp has gone up and is now an extra few dollars per pound. This would cause the price of the tarts to now be perhaps $4.50 per person. You would be responsible for paying the difference.

 

3.9 Payments/ Payment Plans: A payment must be paid monthly for ALL Weddings, Caterings, Rentals, Service Staff, Special Events and Corporate Events as well as any other services rendered by Chefella's, LLC. Refer to section 2.1. If a payment is missed, a late fee of $50 a month will be applied.  PAYMENTS ARE DUE ON OR BEFORE THE FIRST OF EACH MONTH. AFTER THE FIRST, A $50 FEE WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE ADDED TO YOUR INVOICE. If the entire balance is not paid 30 days prior to the event, Chefella's, LLC will not perform ANY services and NO MONEY will be returned to the client. We understand people forget and accidents happen, therefore Chefella's, LLC reserves the right to issue a one-time courtesy wave of a late fee per client. This must be requested by the client in writing before the 7th of the month the late payment was issued in, and emailed to info.chefellas@gmail.com. 

 

3.10 Act of God: If an act of God, natural disaster, hurricane, tornado, worldwide virus, Worldwide/ State quarantine, epidemic, pandemic, avalanche, tsunami, bad weather or shut down occur, you will be covered under section 3.6 and 3.7 as long as 15 day notice is given from the event date. No monies or credits will be issued however a one-time free transfer of rendered services will be available if a notice of 15 days is given (excludes Quick bookings). If you choose to not have the event (cancel) and not transfer the rendered services (our transfer policy) to another date, no refunds will be issued.

 

3.11 Guest Count: The guest count given at the time of booking any catering or event may not be reduced once the deposit is paid. The count may always increase but may not be reduced after the deposit has been paid due to supply and demand as well as items being ordered. We recommend always booking at your lowest number and then increasing as you see fit. No reductions nor credits will be permitted for any reason.

 

3.12 Meal Planning- Meal planning customers must pay invoices in full at the time of booking or as the reoccurring invoices are sent out. If you are on automatic draft for meal planning, your card will be drafted the Friday before delivery. To skip meals for a week, you must give a 7-day notice. If no notice is given, you will be billed or drafted. Meals once ordered cannot be cancelled as they fall under quick bookings. All sections of this contract also apply to all meal planning customers.

 

3.13 Site Visits/ Venue Required Visit- Site visits are essential to ensure we quote you correctly for certain events. We recommend site visits for all large functions/ events, full-service events and weddings. If your venue requires a site visit, catering walk through, vendor walkthrough, final details meeting or any other consultations that requires our staff to attend, there will be a $100.00 fee each time to cover mileage and labor for the visit. This fee will not be applied to your booking as a credit. The fee is for this service only. 

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3.14 Credit Card Authorization Form- All clients that secure services from Chefella's including but not limited to:  rental items, event setup/ delivery or vendor items to a 3rd party company hired by Chefella's must fill out a credit card auth form. By signing the form, you authorize Chefella’s, LLC to debit your account for any additional services requested outside of your invoice, (includes request made the day of the event that are team is not privy to) damages to rental items, Chefella’s items and any task requested regarding setup and delivery that are not included in the invoice. There will be a 3.75% merchant service fee charged for billing your card paid directly to the merchant service provider. 

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3.15 A service fee of 5% -18% will be added to all invoices based on needs requested. This includes but is not limited to setup, decorating, tablescapes, planning, coordination, etc. This fee is for rendering of services and cost of business.

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Click Here for a full description of what this fee covers! 

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3.16 The above service fee applies to events as well. Refer to the above link for a full detailed description.

 

4.Guests

 

4.1 Client agrees to provide Chefella’s with the total number of guests no later than 30 days before Event. Client agrees to break down the guest list into adults and children, and include any food allergies or special dietary requests, if applicable. Guest count must be set and not changed 30 days before event for china, tables, chairs, linens, etc. (Excludes food modifications. Refer to section 1.3) If changed, additional charges may apply. The final guest count given must be paid for. (Ex: Final count 50 guest, but only 45 attend, you are still responsible for payment for all 50 guests). If you would like to add to your guest count, please let Chefella’s, LLC know. Guest being added after the 30-day mark will receive an additional $10 charge per guest that will be added on top of the original guest fee.

 

4.2 If you order less food than your guest count, you understand that Chefella’s is not responsible for providing enough food for your event. Please make sure to read all your contracts you may have with other vendors and venues as some do require a meal if they work for you. These meals must be included in your final guest count. No extra meals will be prepared unless paid for. Please refer to section 1.8 and 1.8A.

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4.3 Plated meals will result in a $10.00 per person upcharge to the catering package price.

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5.Catering Menu (Food and Beverage)

 

5.1 Chefella’s is not responsible for any guest allergic reactions, sickness due to consuming raw or uncooked food, shellfish allergies, peanut allergies or any other food related illnesses. Food may come in contact with any of the following listed above. If you have a guest with allergies, please let us know upon booking. By paying the invoice, you are stating that you understand Chefella’s, LLC is not liable for any actions, food or beverage related sicknesses, allergic reactions and safety therefore you are agreeing that you, the client, guest, vendors or anyone that consumes the food will NOT pursue any legal actions against Chefella’s, LLC nor the owner Gabriella Woodson- Terry, staff or affiliates for any reason whatsoever. You are also acknowledging that you will make us aware of any allergies your guest may have so that special preparations may be taken to ensure the safety of the guest. PLEASE NOTE: IF ALLERGIES ARE REPORTED, YOU MUST ADVISE YOUR GUEST TO BRING THEIR OWN MEAL FOR SAFETY REASONS.

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The nine most common food Allergens in the United States are the following: 

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• Soybeans

• Sesame

• Milk

• Eggs

• Fish

• Shellfish

• Tree nuts

• Peanuts

• Wheat

 

The Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education, and Research (FASTER) Act made sesame the ninth major food allergen in the United States, effective January 1, 2023. However, some products manufactured before 2023 may still contain sesame without labeling it. While these nine foods are the most common causes of food allergies, any food can cause a potentially life-threatening reaction called anaphylaxis. People with food allergies should strictly avoid the foods that trigger their reactions. People with severe food allergies must let us know. We are not responsible for allergic reaction as even though we will do everything in our power to avoid the items you may be allergic to, it is impossible to guarantee you will not come in contact with an allergen. Guest with sever allergies must provide their own food at events. We also encourage them to bring in their own eating ware as well to avoid possible contamination. 

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All food service establishments, including catering,  are regulated under the 2017 NC Food Code. 

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5.2 18% gratuity will be applied to all orders. This will automatically be applied to your invoice.

 

5.3 ALCOHOL

 

All alcohol must be served by one of our bartenders. For toast we recommend two options: 

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 A: Champagne Toast Table- All champagne flutes will be displayed on a table and poured by our  bartender and attendants. All guest will then proceed to the champagne table to grab a glass for the toast. 

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B: A champagne glass will be at each guest seat with our bartender and attendants pouring 10 minutes prior to the toast.

 

Client is responsible for obtaining a liquor permit if liquor is being served. WE ONLY SERVE BEER AND WINE, THEREFORE AN OUTSIDE CERTIFIED BAR COMPANY WOULD NEED TO BE HIRED BY THE CLIENT FOR THE LIQUOR DISTRIBUTION. We recommend applying 60 days prior to your event to ensure accessibility in time. If you choose to supply your own alcohol, a corkage fee will apply.

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6.Liability

 

6.1 Should a car accident, fatality, Act of God or natural disaster present and we are unable to deliver or execute your order, event or service (the items listed in your invoice), Chefella’s, LLC will do everything we can to work with the client to come up with a fair resolution for both parties since the issue is out of our hands as well. We will automatically transfer the funds paid to another date of the clients choosing. The client will not lose any money paid to CCEP as the full amount paid will be transferred to another available date of the client’s choosing.

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6.2 Should a catering item become damaged and inedible in transport due to a car accident or other causes out of our control, we will find the fastest solution where we are to resolve the issue. (EX: Car accident and all the Chicken is on the floor, we will call a local restaurant or establishment and get more to fulfill your order.) Please note modifications may be made as it may not be the same item you ordered due to the situation; however, we will do our best to resolve the situation.

 

6.3 Delivery windows are established in 30- minute intervals with every order, however emergencies can happen so we ask that clients always let us know the earliest time we can arrive for an event to prevent these issues. Should we encounter traffic or be late for any reason, we will contact the host of the event. 

 

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7.Arbitration

 

Should either party fail to provide or breach this Agreement in any way; the offending party will be liable for any damages/charges obtained during the legal process.

 

 

8.Jurisdiction

 

This Agreement falls under the jurisdiction of the state of North Carolina, and is therefore subject to all of North Carolina laws and regulations. By paying your invoice, you are stating you have read, understand and are agreeing to all terms outlined in the contract as well as your final invoice. You also understand this is a legal binding contract and breach may result in legal actions.

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Revised October 2023