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#1 Catering Service & Venue in Wichita Since 1979

[email protected]
316 - 636 - 1100

Tips for Celebrating Safely This Holiday Season

Advice from our Chef-Owners & Catering Experts:

As many people in the United States begin to plan for fall and winter holiday celebrations, CDC regularly offers new considerations and guidelines to help protect individuals and their families, friends, and communities from COVID-19. The CDC states “When planning to host a holiday celebration, you should assess current COVID-19 levels in your community to determine whether to postpone, cancel, or limit the number of attendees.” While holiday traveling and traditional gatherings may pose health risks, our Chef-Owners and Catering Experts have new ways and ideas for you to celebrate safely this holiday season.
 
1) Keep it Small, Safe & Local
If you will be hosting a holiday celebration, there are important considerations that you should consider. The best ways to minimize health risks are to limit guest count, especially those outside of your household. Encourage attendees to bring extra safety supplies like extra masks, hand sanitizer, and tissues. If hosting small gatherings is a must, the CDC recommends limiting activities to only people from your local area as much as possible.
 
2) Consider Hybrid Event & Meeting Solutions
Shall you decide against holiday gatherings, there are plenty of innovative ways to celebrate this holiday season. Your business or organization may have employees all working remotely, some in the office and some from home, or you may be operating as normal with a few extra safety measures in place. One solution many companies have been adopting is a hybrid model for their meetings, conferences, and future holiday events. With this solution, those who are able and comfortable can attend in person, and those who are not able can participate from their home! Another solution would be to break larger events into smaller, separate gatherings per department for example. An idea we love at the Olive Tree is sending a boxed meal or gift tray to those who are attending virtually. Our gift boxes, baskets, and trays are a customer favorite every year, and will be in especially high demand for 2020! Reserve yours today by filling out this form.
 
3) Gifting by Socially Distancing: Food For A Friend
Sending a warm, homemade meal to loved ones, employees, or clients this holiday season is the perfect way to show love & appreciation while socially distancing. It’s as simple as letting us know how many meals you’d like to order and for whom. Our team will get in touch with the person you are gifting, send your personalized message & warm regards, and build a meal perfect for them that can be scheduled for delivery or pick-up. Let our culinary experts know your request and we will take care of the rest.
 
4) Explore Innovative Culinary Options
Today, it is highly recommended to avoid self-serve stations or displays to limit communal interaction and multiple food handling. By offering plated service or providing individually packaged food and beverages, you limit the opportunity for contamination. If buffet or cafeteria style is insisted upon, we require that guests wear masks while going through the line and do so in a distanced manner. When it comes to smaller gatherings or Corporate Events, gifting your employees, friends, and clients with personalized meals is a creative and genuine way to show appreciation! A few creative options we’ve executed recently are:
  • Box lunches for meetings delivered on-site at offices
  • Pre-packaged holiday meals that include made-to-order cuisine, ready for pick-up or carryout
  • Buffets or stations that is served by Olive Tree staff at our incredibly spacious venue
This isn’t where our culinary options stop, though. We want to let you know the depths that our Olive Tree team is taking to help you execute safe in-person events moving forward.

How the Olive Tree is Prioritizing Health & Safety

At Olive Tree Events & Catering, the safety of our guests and staff is of the utmost importance. To ensure that we are operating safely with health in mind, we will continue to take all of the recommended safety precautions and guidelines and place focus on promoting environments that prioritize cleanliness and sanitation, engaging employees in daily health checks, and placing emphasis on prudent event operations.
 
Some actions we’ve taken include:
  • Enhanced sanitation practices in our offices, kitchens, and venue spaces
  • Facial coverings are required for all staff and guests when social distancing isn’t possible.
  • We’re utilizing our space to give guests customized and extra spacious seating arrangements. Tables are spaced to allow social distancing (6′ apart between groups of 15+, per the latest national, state, and local guidelines.)
  • We encourage flatware to be rolled in a linen napkin rather than placed on tables in traditional formal place-settings.
  • We encourage plated dinners rather than buffets. If clients insist on buffets, we require buffet attendants wearing masks to serve the buffet to guests cafeteria-style to minimize high-touch areas.
  • And so much more.

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[email protected]
316 – 636 – 1100

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