FAQs

We are proud to provide single-day or multi-day private chef & event catering services in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area, as well as in Napa Valley and Sonoma Wine Country, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.

In addition, we offer multi-day traveling chef & destination vacation chef services in over 40+ countries around the world. From time to time, we will operate seasonal domiciles in other countries, based on client demand.

Yes, we have a minimum total event charge of $1295. This is inclusive of all ingredients & staffing labor but exclusive of sales tax, travel/mileage charges, rentals, or gratuities.

Higher minimums may occur during peak spring & summer vacation seasons, holidays, etc.

The total cost of your booking will depend on many factors. Some of these details include the specific menu you select, the style of service you wish, staffing needs, the number of hours on-site, rentals requested, your geographic location, setup & breakdown times, and a bunch of other details we will handle for you! 

No two events are ever the same, and AWG Private Chefs prides itself on offering 100% full customizability with every single event we do! We are happy to provide you with a no-obligation fully transparent proposal in writing for any type of booking. With AWG Private Chefs there are never any unexplained or hidden "service fees" with us. We always provide full transparency on our pricing proposals.
 
Just share with us your vision of your event, and leave the rest to us!

AWG Private Chefs does not sell, furnish, or deliver alcoholic beverages of any kind. 

We are more than happy to provide you with a shopping list with suggested quantities for you to purchase and have on hand prior to our arrival at the event, for our service staff to serve under your direction.

We always suggest planning as far in advance as possible. We tend to book up full 21-45 days in advance, except during the peak seasons, and major holiday weeks, where we can book up sometimes as much as 2 to 4 years in advance.

Due to the highly custom-tailored nature of our services, and to offer only the highest level of superior customer service, your service team personnel will only be assigned to your booking for the entire day of service. Should you wish additional time to dine between courses, or perhaps the guest of honor is running late, you'll never have to feel rushed or worried that your service team needs to leave your job to get to their next assignment.
 
If you have a last-minute need (for bookings happening within the next 14 days), please contact our concierge services team directly at 1-925-372-3202 for expedited assistance and rapid availability verification.

In today's world, this is very common and never an issue for us. Being a great host that considers the needs of all of their guests is vitally important to your successful event.

Our Certified Master Chefs will work with you during your preliminary menu consultation and design phase to prepare a fully custom-tailored menu where all guests can be included, and their dietary needs are met where possible. Simply provide us with as much detail about you & your guests' dietary needs during your menu design phase to ensure that all of these details are addressed and incorporated into your menus easily.

Due to minimum booking contract value requirements, most clients find that it's much more cost-effective to have a minimum of at least 4 to 6 or more guests.

Absolutely! Our vacation rental & traveling chefs can very easily accommodate you & your guests at most any vacation rentals, VRBOs, Vacasa, or Airbnb rentals. Simply email us a link to your vacation rental or AirBnB prior to signing your contract documents.

Please note that all non-client owned vacation rentals will be required to have AWG Private Chefs provide china, silverware, and glassware for your booking at a small charge per guest. In our 20+ years of experience, we've found that less than 5% of "fully stocked" vacation rentals actually have enough servingware to support multi-guest dining.

AWG Private Chefs is fully licensed & insured and can work directly with your vacation rental owner to handle all of that paperwork for you, stress-free! If the host/owner of your vacation rental requires to be named as additional insured, an insurance policy fee may be assessed to provide this coverage.

AWG Private Chefs does provide services for events of almost any size. We do our best work with events of up to 50 people or so.

For very small events (under 8 people), minimum contract values apply. Ask your concierge team member for more details.

While we are happy to cater your rehearsal dinner or day after lunch, brunch, or dinner festivities for a smaller group, we do not offer catering services for day-of weddings. These events often have very large headcounts, and we strive to focus exclusively on smaller more intimate events of 50 people or less.

Absolutely! Our corporate events planning team can handle all the details of your corporate event to ensure every detail is handled for you. From casual dinners & offsite meetings to full-scale sales launch parties & C-Level executive dining galas, we've got you covered. For further details visit our Corporate Event Catering page for further details

In addition to federally recognized training and certification, AWG Private Chefs has enacted additional health & safety protocols for COVID-19 that meet or exceed state standards. You can view our entire COVID-19 compliance policies & procedures by visiting our COVID-19 page for up-to-date information. Should you have any additional questions, please contact our concierge hotline at 925 372 3202 for assistance.

Yes! Our chefs, service staff, mixologists, and sommeliers can certainly travel with you to alternate locations. We can also arrive ahead of you, and meet you at your desired destination with food and drinks ready to serve upon your arrival.

Travel arrangements are handled by our in-house travel team and all travel-related expenses are directly reimbursed to AWG Private Chefs with no additional markup to you.

No problem! Once you've secured your event with a non-refundable date reservation payment & contract, you will have the freedom to adjust your menu and services as desired, up until 10 (ten) business days prior to your event. Simply contact our dedicated concierge team to inform us of any changes you may have as early as possible.

Absolutely! AWG Private Chefs can certainly provide casual-style event catering, from taco parties, backyard BBQs, to poolside cocktail parties. No event is too casual for us! Simply let us know your desires, and let us turn them into a reality for you with our signature "Easy, Effortless Entertaining" service!

Yes we can! AWG Private Chefs has a full line of event & party rentals for any type of event. Including items such as glassware, barware, china, flatware, linens, floral arrangements, buffet décor, tables, chairs, tents, bars, cooking equipment, and more. In addition to our own inventory, we've partnered with several event rental companies to ensure that every detail is handled for you. Additional fees, delivery charges & staffing may be needed. Please contact your event concierge for a detailed quote on these items & services.

Absolutely! AWG Private Chefs proudly has two Certified Master Chefs at the helm of our culinary department. This prestigious title is held by less than 225 chefs worldwide, our chef's exclusive level of education on global cuisine, allows us to prepare virtually any style of cuisine or menu item that you wish! Simply let us know what your desires are.

AWG Private Chefs proudly sources our ingredients as micro-locally as possible. Our unwavering commitment to using only the finest quality, locally sourced, organic, sustainable, GMO-free, fair trade, and fair wage ingredients has earned us worldwide recognition in our industry.

Not a problem. AWG Private Chefs offers a full range of tabletop rentals, linen rentals, and decor for any size event! From glassware, china, flatware, serving platters, buffet decor & more! Simply share with us what it is that you may be missing, and our event concierge can provide details & pricing.

Unlike a traditional caterer, in which you are required to pick from a limited static set of menus, and that's what you are stuck with, we pride ourselves on offering only 100% custom-tailored menus.
 
This means that no two menus or items we prepare will ever be the same for any two clients. Thereby, giving you total granular control over what ingredients go into your menu! We are happy to accommodate any dietary restrictions, food allergies, or style of cuisine to ensure your 100% satisfaction! That's the AWG Private Chefs difference!

Due to strict public health code regulations, and the potential for foodborne illness due to improper handling prior to our arrival, all ingredients must be purchased by AWG Private Chefs and kept in our supervised control until they are served. Not only does this ensure proper food safety, but also better quality and freshness of your dining experience. We apologize, but there will be absolutely no exceptions to this policy under any circumstance.

Please refer to the cancellation policy of your contract for details on the terms and conditions cancellation fees, or rescheduling options.

AWG Private Chefs is a full-service private dining, event concierge, and private event planning company. We are happy to arrange for corporate & private event planning, floral design, day of event coordination, venue rental coordination, chauffeur & limousine services, airport meet & greet, bartending & mixology, certified sommelier service, valet parking, private security, private butler & nanny services, and many more. Ask your event concierge for details.

Every member of AWG Private Chefs staff has the necessary food handlers, ServSafe, Professional Food Manager, NEHA, or ANSI food safety certifications to comply with or exceed California and/or federal food safety required standards. 

We carry full professional general liability insurance and full worker's compensation insurance as required by local, state, and US federal law.

Should you require a certificate of insurance for your venue, or proof of insurance for your event, kindly contact your event concierge a minimum of 14 business days prior to your event to request these certificates. There is a minimum $249 non-refundable service charge for the issuance of event certificates of insurance for your event date. Should your event be canceled or the date changed, a new minimum $249 service charge will be incurred.

Please note that AWG Private Chefs does not furnish host liquor liability coverage or any other type of general liability event policies that extend coverage to our clients.

We are happy to help acquire a single-day event insurance policy that covers the host, the venue, etc for a nominal fee.

In general, we tend to book up full 6-24 months in advance of major holiday weeks such as Valentine's Day, Christmas, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Thanksgiving, and New Year's Eve and Day.

However please do check with our concierge team for the most up-to-date availability.

We generally will arrive 90-150 minutes prior to your desired event start time. This prep time allows your service team to begin the preparation of your menu, set tables & decor, and familiarize themselves with your event location.

Absolutely! This is a complimentary part of our service. We will leave your kitchen surfaces clean & sanitized, dishes, flatware rinsed & loaded into your dishwasher. Items requiring handwashing will result in a minimum $100 extra charge.

Note: We are not permitted to wash client-provided stemware or crystal. These items will only be rinsed with clear water and set aside.

As soon as you know you wish to extend your event past your contract end time, simply let your service team lead know. Additional overtime billing rates will apply and will be due and payable prior to our staff leaving your location. We are unable to offer deferred or next-day billing of these charges.

All headcount changes must be provided to AWG Private Chefs no later than 5 pm Pacific Time, 10 (ten) calendar days prior to your event. While we cannot offer a refund for last-minute headcount decreases, your chef team will prepare the menu as contracted. We will be happy to leave any excess portions not served to a guest, in your fridge for you to enjoy later.

AWG Private Chefs accepts payments via ACH Bank Transfer, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or American Express (AMEX). Online secure credit card processing is handled by Stripe. We do not accept other methods of payment such as checks, cash, money orders, etc. for events.

Overseas or international clients with payments originating from outside the United States must send wire transfers to be pre-arranged with our accounting department. Please allow up to 10 additional business days for receipt of these funds and funds clearance.

No. Gratuities are never included in your contract.

You will have the option to choose to add gratuities during the initial contract signing phase. If you wish to add gratuities after you've signed your contract, please contact our client concierge hotline at 925 372 3202 for assistance. Cash may also be handed to your service team during their time on-site, we also accept Venmo for gratuities only.
 
If you are a corporate client, and your accounting department requires gratuities to be pre-defined in your contract, kindly contact our event concierge for assistance & modification of your contract documents.

Gratuity amounts generally can be offered equal to what you would normally extend in a fine dining establishment where you are served by a team of service staff, based upon your satisfaction with our service, and can be any amount of your choosing.

The industry average for private chef gratuities is 18-25% of your total event contract.

Absolutely! AWG Private Chefs offers gift certificates in any dollar amount you wish. Simply contact our concierge to purchase a gift certificate.

Absolutely, we offer a full range of menus for any time of the day or night you wish! From simple continental breakfasts & buffet lunches to exclusive C-Level private dining experiences, and anything in between! Simply ask our concierge for details!

Absolutely! Not only are we partnered with several exclusive corporate off-site venues, and we also have a portfolio of luxury estates we work with to hold your corporate off-site. Our chefs can be available to you & your team 24 hours a day, to prepare & serve any type of food & beverage menu items you desire at any location you wish. For more information, visit our Corporate Offsite Retreat Catering page

Depending on the type of event that you are having, we normally will utilize the stove, oven, sink, pots and pans, bowls, plates, flatware, cooking utensils, etc. If you are lacking any of these items or prefer we not use them, please let us know at least 10 days in advance of your event.

Yes. We presently provide drop-off aviation catering at most of the airports in the San Francisco Bay Area. Alternatively, we do have chefs that can travel with you on your aircraft, and prepare meals for you while onboard. Contact our concierge department for details.

Presently we are catering for private aviation at KCCR Buchanan Field Concord, KAPC Napa County, KOAK Oakland International, and KLVK Livermore Executive Airports.

Our secure client portal can be accessed by CLICKING HERE to login.

Yes! AWG Private Chefs proudly employs some of the corporate & private event industries' top experts in event planning. With our planning services, your event planner will be your single point of contact and will manage every aspect and detail of your event for you so that you can sit back, relax, and enjoy.

Ask your concierge for pricing details and the availability of our event planners or coordinators today.