Catering
Welcome to Temple Culinary Services, where we bring flavor, variety, and convenience to your table. Our catering services offer gourmet cuisine, flexible options, and impeccable service, ensuring that every event is not just catered - it's completely personalized. Let us elevate your next gathering with our exceptional offerings, tailored to meet your unique needs.
Learn More About Cherry & White Catering
Meet the Chef
Chef Bobby Simmons brings a diverse culinary perspective shaped by both his heritage and professional experience. With Greek roots through his mother, he developed an early appreciation for Mediterranean flavors and traditions, while also drawing inspiration from Japanese, German, and American cuisines. His approach to cooking balances respect for classic techniques with a passion for creativity and innovation.
Before joining Temple Culinary Services with Aramark, Chef Bobby built his career throughout Philadelphia's hospitality scene, including positions with STARR Restaurants and VE Social Club, where he refined his skills across a variety of culinary settings. These experiences helped shape his adaptable cooking style and commitment to delivering memorable dining experiences.
Outside the kitchen, Chef Bobby enjoys exploring art and music as creative outlets and is a proud dog dad to his pit bull, Vada. Whether through food, art, or music, he embraces creativity in all aspects of life.
Catering Terms and Conditions
Thank you for considering Temple University's Cherry and White Catering Company! Our services include: Pick-up, delivery on-campus, delivery off-campus, staffed events on-campus or off-campus. The following will help you to familiarize yourself with the catering ordering process and polices of Cherry & White Catering Company. We look forward to delivering you an experience that will enrich and nourish your life/event.
We offer wide range of menu solutions to serve your various event needs. Our standard menus can be viewed HERE. You can also request any type of custom request menu or event via the website under the Custom Menu Request box.
Please consider the following when planning your event and placing your order:
- Special layout needs (proper spacing of food tables, sufficient social distancing seating and roaming space)
- Special diet considerations
- Floral, centerpiece and bar service needs
- Weather (Is an alternative rain site required?)
- VIP guests
- Space in order to service the event
- Access times for Catering in the event space
If you are seeking something specific that is not listed on our menu, we encourage you to contact us directly at 215.204.6789
See Temple University Catering Policies (coming soon).
When submitting an exception for an event, the exception submission must cover all food and beverage for the event. Due to liability, Cherry & White Catering Company cannot provide any items for the event with an exception.
Please let us know as early as possible if any of your guests require specialty diet items. Our talented culinary team will be more than happy to review the needs of the guests and accommodate when possible.
Note: For severe allergies with potentially anaphylactic reactions, we cannot guarantee full omission of the offending ingredient. This is due to the physical constraints of our own kitchen and that of our specialist suppliers where the ingredients may be present within the production environment.
Once you are ready to place an order, please visit our website HERE. Contact one of our event professionals at 215.204.6789 or submit a request via the website "Contact Us" link.
In general, we ask that you provide us with at least 20 days of advanced notice before submitting all events. This allows us to secure everything needed to produce your event and menu, from product to staffing needs. For all events, please let us know your intent to utilize our services as soon as possible so that we can add them to our calendars and assist with the overall event planning. We know that our customers sometimes don't find out about an event until the last minute. We will do our best to accommodate all requests, though please note that we might need to make substitutions or changes if certain items are not immediately available.
Our offices are open Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm.
In order to provide the highest quality of service, we kindly request that orders be placed with 20 days notice for all events. After we have finalized all of the details for your event, you will receive a tracking message to be reviewed and then approved by your financial authorizer. We ask that we have your final guarantee 7 days before your drop-off, full service event or staffed event, larger events may require a longer notice period. This confirmation will include the exact times, location, estimated attendance and menu choices for your event.
If an order is placed less than 20 days of notice before your event, we will try our best to accommodate your needs but please note that we cannot guarantee menu selection or any special requests. A 15% late charge may also apply to all orders placed within 20 business days, the late fee may also apply to guest count increases or menu changes within the 7 days. Late fees are auto generated when placing the order within the 20 days of your event.
Timeframe of Event Ordering:
- Place order: Minimum 20 days prior to event, by 3pm
- Final Counts, Changes, Cancellations without penalty: minimum 7 days prior to event, by 3pm
- Guest Count Increase ONLY, late fee applies: minimum 3 business days prior to event, by 3pm
*See Busy Campus Times and Holiday section
Please note there are times throughout the year that are deemed "busy times" on campus, in terms of catering. These times of year, as well as holidays, are outlined below and are just a guideline, other dates may be applicable.
During these times of year longer time of notice is needed when ordering, making changes and cancellations in order to avoid late fees and be able to provide the services requested in their entirety.
- 7 days will be needed for changes and cancellations
- 20 days will be needed for placing orders
Menu offerings and service types may be restricted based on the recommendations of your Sales Associate, all in order to provide the best service for your event.
The exception policy may be extended to your order, see Temple University Exception Policies.
- The week before the semester starts
- Study Days
- Commencement Week
- Homecoming
- Labor Day Weekend
- Memorial Day Weekend
- 4th of July
- Thanksgiving
- Christmas thru New Years
Events happening on weekends and late nights could have staffing fees apply in order to have
appropriate coverage for your event, as well as any additional delivery fees.
All final changes must be approved by our office at least 7 days of notice before your event. Should your guest count decrease within the 7 days, charges based on the original count could apply. A 15% charge of added-on items will be applied when a client chooses to increase counts on food and/or beverage within (3) business days of the event, time period could be extended based on size of the event. If the add-on request is made after the food and beverage has been setup and/or delivered, an additional $25.00 delivery fee could apply.
All cancellations must take place at least 7 days before your function, this time period could be extended based on the size of the event. If you cancel an event after this deadline, some of the expenses already incurred cannot be absorbed and will have to be billed. We will notify you of these charges prior to billing.
Deliveries to off-campus locations start at $50.00. Deliveries beyond these parameters, re-deliveries, add-on deliveries or those made on weekends or after hours, that require the catering team to set up additional equipment or that require clean up after your event may be subject to additional fees. Wise Owl orders are pickup services and can be picked up at scheduled times on the Retail level of Morgan Hall, a phone number will be provided upon confirmation of order. Please see below for a full-list of our additional delivery policies.
A $50.00 Setup Fee will be applied if the tables have not been arranged for food and beverage setup when we arrive for delivery.
A $50.00 Return Fee will be applied if the customer does not provide correct start and end times for events, thus sending Cherry & White Catering Company away to return at a time other than what is confirmed on customer orders. It is the expectation of Cherry and White Catering Company that customers are reviewing their orders and verifying the setup and breakdown times specified on their event paperwork.
A $75.00 Reset Fee will be applied if Cherry and White Catering sets up the food and beverage service at the location specified on the order paperwork, and is asked to move the service to another location after the setup has been completed.
For all delivery locations, we will need to know:
- Contact name & phone number
- Event start and end time
- Where to enter the building, i.e. through the front door, loading dock, etc.
- Are there stairs? Elevators?
- Is a keycard or additional security clearance needed?
We will recommend the staffing needs at the cost below based on the style, service level, location and timing of your event. If you would like additional bartenders, chefs and/or service attendants to serve at your event (i.e. butlering hors d'oeuvres, carving food items, passing drinks, etc.), we are more than happy to provide them at appropriate additional fees.
Recommended Staffing Needs, these are just an outline, your Sales Associate may suggest staffing based on menu, location, safety precautions in place and type of event:
-
- 1 staff per 30 guests on buffets
- 1 staff per 25 guests on china service
- 1 attendant per passed hors d'oeuvres
- 1 bartender per 100 guests, hosted
- 1 bartender per 50 guests, cash
Staffing rates are as follows:
Bartender
- $37.00 per hour
- 4-hour minimum
Chef Attendant *required for action stations and passed hors d'oeuvres
- $37.00 per hour
- 4-hour minimum
Service Attendant
- $30.00 per hour
- 4-hour minimum
Cherry & White Catering Company has access to a number of items and/or products that a customer may request based on the specifics of an event. When special requests in brands and/or product type is requested, beyond the scope of the standard menu offerings, the customer will be charged accordingly for specific requests, up to and including the full cost of the item and any applicable shipping and handling charges. Also, see Alcohol Policy.
Events come in all shapes and sizes, each with different goals and purposes. In order to provide the most appropriate services for your event, we offer a range of service levels, styles and options. The prices shown in our menus include buffet linens, buffet service ware and eco-friendly disposable. If you would prefer china services, upgraded disposables, guest table linens, or attendants we are happy to provide those at an additional fee. Please contact the sales office for pricing information.
When placing your order, please supply us with the appropriate university account code, as well as any required authorizations, to use for billing. It is the responsibility of the customer to provide the proper billing account (FOPAL) and authorizer email address upon ordering of food and beverage services. Payment may also be made by Visa, MasterCard, American Express or check. Orders that do not have payment attached prior to the event date are subject to cancelation.
For groups outside of the Temple University billing process, payment is due 3 business days prior to the event, this can be a check, Visa/MasterCard or American Express.
Due to health regulations, it is the policy of Cherry and White Catering Company that unused food portions from your event cannot be removed from the event site. Due to health concerns any perishable foods are not to be served to guests after (4) Hours. Any items purchased for pick up should be properly stored prior to the event and removed and disposed of by the host of the event. Drop off style services must be properly disposed of in the event space by the customer. It is the understanding of the customer for drop off and pickup services that liability is not extended on these services.
Meal tickets for Johnson & Hardwick dining location may be purchased through Cherry & White Catering. We act as a billing agent ONLY for meal tickets, any questions in regards to food and service must be directed to the Residential Dining Directors, contact information can be provided by your Sales Associate. Please note all meal tickets are final.
If the group is not affiliated with Temple University we must have a credit card on file until payment is received upon pickup of tickets.
Tickets can be picked up directly from the register at Johnson & Hardwick dining hall located at: 2029 N Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19122.
While we have included a lot of information about our business practices above, there are several other enhancements available to personalize your event. Please do not hesitate to ask us about other linens, florals, décor, equipment or services that might be of interest to you and your guests!