Can You Bring Your Own Caterer to an Event Space in Queens, NY?
If you have started comparing event spaces across Long Island City, this question probably came up on your first phone call. You already have a caterer in mind, maybe a family-favorite restaurant or someone who catered a friend's wedding, and you want to know if you can bring them along.
Bringing an outside restaurant caterer to an event space in Queens, NY is not allowed, so clients choose from a list of recommended vendors who already know the building. The venue includes a 1,000-square-foot kitchen in the base rental, and tables, chairs, and linens come through an exclusive rental partner. Liability insurance is required.
At The Foundry, we work with experienced catering partners who understand our venue and help create a smooth experience for each event. We get this question often, so here is how catering works and what you can expect when planning your event.
How Catering Works at The Foundry
Handing over this much control is not a small ask. Here is what our policy covers, what it means for kitchen access, and what you still need to arrange yourself.
Why We Do Not Allow Outside Restaurant Caterers
If you are asking whether you can hire an outside restaurant to cater your event, the answer is no. Instead, you select your caterer from our list of recommended vendors. A caterer can very easily make or break your event, so we want to be sure the team working your event knows our space.
Our recommended caterers have worked in this building before. They already know how our kitchen is laid out and how deliveries move through our dedicated caterer and kitchen entrance at 42-32 Ninth Street. Your catering team is not learning our space for the first time on your event date. You can read more about how catering works at The Foundry before you call us.
What Our Kitchen Offers Your Caterer
The Foundry includes a 1,000-square-foot kitchen on the ground level, near the guest entrance, with its own loading entrance on 9th Street and direct courtyard access. It includes a convection oven, a proofing oven, two residential tabletop refrigerators, a cavity freezer, multiple sinks, stainless steel prep tables, and mobile shelves. Kitchen use is included in your base rental rate.
What Else the Recommended Vendor List Covers
Catering is not the only piece we ask you to source through our network. Tables, chairs, linens, dishware, and glasses come through our exclusive rental partner, Broadway Party Rentals. If you are setting up in the courtyard, tent rentals go through Ace Party Tent Rental, and we help you with this. Whether you go through your caterer or on your own, you should reach out to the rental companies.
What's Already Included So You Don't Have to Rent It
Many couples and planners are surprised by how much seating is already here. The Foundry provides:
Eight black wooden benches
Four round lounge tables
A 6-foot black wood table
Two 5-foot steel bar tables
35 chairs
Six additional lounge tables
Four teak high tables with sixteen stools
A 6-foot steel table
A 7-foot bench
Depending on your layout, that can cut down what you need to bring in through Broadway Party Rentals.
Conclusion
We know the recommended vendor system asks you to give up some control, and we would rather you understand the tradeoff now than be surprised later. In return, you get a caterer who already knows our kitchen and a rental partner who already knows our floor plan.
To talk through which caterers on our list fit your event style and guest count, contact Angela Ortiz, our Venue Manager, at ao@thefoundry.info or call 718-786-7776. You can also fill out the form on our contact page, and The Foundry team will take it from there.
FAQs
Can I bring in my own caterer or hire a restaurant directly?
No. You select your caterer from The Foundry's list of recommended vendors.
Is there a working kitchen on site for my caterer to use?
Yes. The Foundry has a 1,000-square-foot kitchen on the ground level with a convection oven, proofing oven, two residential tabletop refrigerators, a cavity freezer, multiple sinks, stainless steel prep tables, and mobile shelves. Kitchen use is included in your base rental rate.
Do I also have to use a specific rental company for tables and chairs?
Tables, chairs, linens, dishware, and glasses are coordinated through our exclusive rental partner, Broadway Party Rentals. Courtyard tents go through Ace Party Tent Rental, and we help with this. Whether you go through your caterer or on your own, you should reach out to the rental companies.
What insurance do I need if I book The Foundry?
A certificate of general liability insurance is required for every event. If you are serving alcohol, liquor liability coverage must be included as well.