CAN WE BRING IN OUR OWN CHAMPAGNE (OR WINE, OR LIQUOR BOTTLES ETC.)?

No. TABC regulations prohibit us from allowing ANY outside liquor. If we find that liquor has been brought in, we must ask that it be removed and shut down all bars until said liquor has been removed. Please make sure this rule is understood by your guests, especially the bridal party. They are a great help in keeping an eye out for any ‘loose cannon' guests that have brought it in! 

CAN WE REQUEST A SPECIAL WINE TO HAVE AVAILABLE FOR OUR GUESTS?

Yes. This is available through a ‘hosted' option. You tell us how many bottles of Brand XYZ wine you would like to purchase for your function. We will serve that wine free of charge to your guests and you will pay full price for all bottles that are opened and a service fee will be charged for any bottles that are unopend.  At the end of the function, you may only take the opened bottles of wine with you, so you need to be certain of your numbers. This is a TABC rule and our hands are tied on this one.  Pricing for this is totally dependent upon your choices… It is a good idea to set a minium for your special wine and then roll over into our house wine which we charge by the glass vs. by the bottle.

HOW DOES THE CHAMPAGNE TOAST WORK?

There are many different ways to do this. In our opinion, enough Champagne for the wedding party and close family is usually enough: 3-4 bottles, tops. We find that most people toast with whatever drink is in their hands at the time. If you would like to provide Champagne for all of your guests, that is fine too. One bottle of Champagne will yield about 8 glasses. We will need for you to purchase the variety of glass you would like and have those ready for us at the bar. If they are plastic we will put them together for you. We will need a small (4-6 foot) table off to the side with a simple table cloth. About 15-20 minutes before the toast, we need a ‘heads-up' so that we can start putting the cups together and pouring the Champagne. We will set them out on the given table and then ask the DJ to make an announcement something like this: “Ladies and gentleman, the toast will be in about 5 minutes, please help yourself to a glass of champagne at the bar” or something to that effect. 

IF WE ‘PRE-PURCHASE' ANY ALCOHOL LIKE X NUMBER OF BEER OR A PRE-MIXED, SPECIALTY DRINK, MAY WE TAKE THAT WITH US?

No. Per TABC regulations, only wine or Champagne may be taken with you at the end of the evening. 

IF WE PURCHASE 2 KEGS BUT ONLY TAP INTO ONE, DO WE GET OUR MONEY BACK?

No. Unfortunately we are not able to return kegs. And no, you can't take it with you! 

GLASS OR PLASTIC?

We provide all plastic cups. If you would like real glasses, you can provide them or for a charge, we can provide them for you. Please ask us for more details as there are staffing issues that need to be addressed.

WILL YOU SERVE MINORS?

NO! We understand that this is a ‘private' event, but all liquor laws still apply. If a parent would like to purchase alcohol for their child, that is allowed by the law. If we see that someone, other than a parent is serving minors, we have the option to suspend service until the situation is remedied. 

WILL YOU CARD MY GUESTS?

Yes. We have the right to card any person trying to purchase alcohol. If they don't have a valid picture ID, we will not serve them. This goes for bridesmaids etc… (we know it's hard to keep up with ID's in those dresses, but they need to find a way!) 

WHAT IF MY FUNCTION IS NOT ON YOUR 'LIST' OF APPROVED PLACES?

The TABC (Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission) does limit the locations where we can bring in our alcohol. We are NOT allowed to bring OUR alcohol onto residential property or into a facility that already has any type of license to sell alcohol except when their license gives designated 'areas'. For example, we are not allowed anywhere in the Ortiz center, but we are legally allowed in certain rooms at the American Bank Center. Some places, like the Aquarium, Lexington etc., require that all vendors that come on to their property be on their 'approved catering' list. This ensures that everyone is properly licensed and insured. We are allowed on most 'public' property. The easiest way to check is for you to send me the address and 'name' of the property where the function will be held. If I don't know, I can check with TABC and get back to you.

WHAT IS A FACILITY FEE?

Most places charge vendors a Facility Fee ranging anywhere from 10 – 25% of total sales.  Unfortunately, with this business, we don’t know the total sales until the end of the night once we have run our totals.  We suggest that you budget some extra money to cover this at the end of the evening.  This is standard practice at most event facilities.  Like any extra fee that is placed upon a business, that is passed along to the customer.  Think of sales tax that the state charges any retailer…that is passed along to the customer.  If there is a ever a question about this fee, please feel free to ask.