Catering Services

Gourmet Dining LLC is the exclusive catering services provider for the Montclair campus. The following exemptions are available to Montclair campus departments:

• Events taking place in campus buildings are not exempt: Cole Hall, Feliciano College of Business Building, Red Hawk Diner, Sprague Library, Student Center, University Hall and all residence halls. All other campus buildings are exempt.
• If total cost for catering food and drink is under $500.
• Student Organizations Only – Registered student organizations and honor societies hosting fundraisers and events featuring particular cultural/religious food expertise.

To request approval to serve “outside food” at a meeting or event on-campus, under one of the exceptions listed above, be sure to read the Catering Waiver Policy and follow the Catering Waiver Guidelines at least two weeks in advance of the event (four (4) weeks in advance for food truck requests). Apply For a Catering Waiver.

Food sickness occurs when something we eat gets us sick and that illness is directly tied back to what we ate. It can especially occur when food is not handled, cooked, or stored properly. Therefore it’s important for anyone handling food follow some basic rules.

A copy of your completed food waiver form will be emailed to you – including the food safety tips below. Please make sure to keep a copy of the food safety guidelines with you at your event.

Wash Your Hands

• Before you eat or prepare a meal, make sure to wash your hands with soap and warm water.
• Wear food safe disposable gloves when handling raw meats or when handling ready to eat food such as bread or cake.
• Change gloves between cooked and raw foods to prevent contaminating cooked foods.

Sanitize and Reduce Germs

• A good way to sanitize and reduce germs is to use a solution of 1 oz of bleach (unscented) to 1 quart of cool water in a clean bucket or container. This solution may also be used to wipe up spills and sanitize utensils.
• Change the solution if it gets dirty with food particles.

Double-Check Expiration Dates

• Avoid using foods that have outlived their expiration date. Check the dates on all your food purchases. If it smells bad…it usually is bad. When in doubt, throw it out!

Wash Fruits and Vegetables

• Wash all fruit and vegetables to remove any seen or unseen particles/insects.
• The same holds true for salads. When preparing a salad, it’s important that you wash the greens and any other fruits or vegetables that will be going into that salad mix. Even pre-washed salad greens need washing! These items should be washed once you open the package.
• Keep greens, cut fruits and vegetables cold – as they can also be a source of illness if not handled properly.

Use Two Cutting Boards

• It’s always wise to keep at least two cutting boards in the kitchen. Use separate boards when prepping different ingredients like raw meats, poultry, sea-food, salad greens, veggies, fruit or breads.
• Cross-contaminated cutting boards create a prime environment for germs to thrive. Wash the board between different types of meat!
• Do not use the same utensils to handle meats, poultry and seafood!

Defrost Foods in the Fridge

• When defrosting food to cook later…defrost it in the refrigerator.
• Do not keep raw foods on the counter top or in the sink.
• Frozen foods are to be defrosted slowly in cool environments.

Keep Foods that Are Suppose to be Cold…Cold!

• Use ice packs or ice cubes to maintain a proper temperature for prepared foods.
• Transport all foods quickly in the proper containers. Insulated coolers with ice packs or ice work great. Never leave food sitting in the car!

Keep Foods that Are Suppose to Be Served Hot…Hot!

• Room temperature is not the right temperature. Gas/electric warmers or continuously heated water which creates steam are the proper methods to keeping pans of prepared foods hot.
• Transport all foods quickly in the proper containers. Did you know you can still use an insulted cooler to keep foods hot when transporting? Just leave out the ice! Never leave food sitting in the car!
• Cook poultry and ground meats to an internal temperature of 165°F.