Event Planning 101: Your Food & Beverage Minimum, Made Simple

So, you're planning an event. You've found the perfect venue (hello, Casalina), the vibe is immaculate, and the menu looks incredible. But as you're reviewing the details, one phrase makes you pause: Food & Beverage (F&B) Minimum.

If you're scratching your head about what that means for your budget, you're not alone.

Let's clear it up, because once you see how it works, it's one of the best things on your contract.

Here's the Short Version: It's a Credit, Not a Fee

A lot of venues charge a big, non-refundable room rental fee just to unlock the door. You pay it, and it buys you... the room. That's it.

At Casalina, we do it differently. Instead of a rental fee, we ask for an F&B Minimum, a set amount you'll spend on food and drinks during your event. Hit that number and the venue fee disappears entirely.

Why We Run It This Way

When we lock in your date, the space is exclusively yours, with no shared rooms and no overlapping parties. To pull that off, we bring in a dedicated team built around your event: our culinary crew, private bartenders, and service staff working for your group and no one else.

The minimum is simply what makes that exclusivity possible. It's not a hurdle. It's what guarantees the whole place is yours for the day.

How It Works on the Final Bill

An F&B minimum is just a baseline. Here's how it plays out:

Scenario	Your Minimum	You Consumed	What You Owe
You went over	$2,500	$2,700	$2,700, you passed the minimum and simply paid for what you enjoyed.
You came in under	$2,500	$2,000	$2,500, the minimum still applies, since it covers your private space and dedicated team for the day.

One important note: your final bill is always F&B + tax + service charge. The minimum refers to the food and beverage spend, with tax and service charge applied on top.

So the takeaway is simple: plan ahead. The earlier we talk, the more of your minimum we can turn into something you actually enjoy.

The Best Part: You Choose Where the Money Goes

Because we don't hit you with a room fee, this is credit you get to use however you want.

The trick is to plan it in early. When we build your menu together, think of the minimum as your budget to play with, and we always have these ready to plan in advance:

• Mimosa station: enjoy 2 hours of unlimited bubbly

• Grazing board: our best charcuterie selection

• Hors d'oeuvres: passed bites at the beginning
  

Expecting a smaller group, or tracking a little under? Let's design around it from the start. A quick heads-up: these additions are planned in advance so our kitchen can do them justice, so the sooner we talk, the more we can do with your credit. 🥂

Small Group of 20 Guests?

Casalina is a private, fully staffed experience, so our events start at a $2,500 minimum (roughly $125 per guest for an intimate party of 20, and less per head as your group grows).

Keep in mind that even a group of 20 is reserving the entire patio room, a space that holds up to 150 guests, with your own dedicated culinary team and private service for the day. The whole patio is exclusively yours. It's a real investment in a real experience, and if that's the celebration you're planning, we'd love to host you.

A couple of good-to-knows:

• Your minimum depends on your date. F&B minimums vary by season (low vs. high) and day of the week, so for an accurate number, request a quote for your specific date and we'll get you exact pricing.
  

• Your final bill is F&B + tax + service charge. The minimum is the food and beverage spend; tax and service charge are added on top.
  

Add-ons are planned in advance. Extras like the mimosa station, grazing board, or hors d'oeuvres need to be selected at least two weeks before your event. We won't be able to add them last minute, so the earlier we plan, the more we can do.

Ready to Host?

Let's talk menus. Reach out to our events team and we'll build you an unforgettable, stress-free gathering at Casalina.

Please fill out this form to start your planning process: