Family and event orders: how to order for twenty people without chaos

An order for twenty people is not twenty individual orders. It has a different rhythm in the kitchen and a different timing in delivery, and a few small decisions save you an hour of chaos. This is how we run event orders at Goldy Restaurant, and what we learned from the ones that went smoothly as well as the ones that did not.

When to order

For more than ten people, order at least three hours ahead; for more than thirty, a full day ahead. A pre-order enters the kitchen schedule so the dishes come out together, and delivery is arranged in one vehicle.

The reason is capacity, not formality. A kitchen in normal service runs to a rhythm built around orders arriving one at a time; a large order dropped into the dinner rush either delays everyone else or comes out in pieces. Given notice, we build it into the day: prep is scaled up in the morning, an extra pair of hands is put on the shift, and a delivery slot is reserved rather than squeezed in. Tell us when you want the food on the table, not when you want it to leave us — those are different numbers, and we work backwards from yours.

How much to order

The commonest mistake is not ordering too little; it is ordering too much of the wrong thing. As a rough guide: one main portion per adult plus a quarter again if the gathering will be hungry, half a portion for young children, and sides counted as shared rather than per head. People serving themselves from trays take less than they would from a plate prepared for them, so a table for twenty does not need twenty full plates of everything. If you are unsure, tell us the numbers and the occasion and we will suggest quantities; it is not in our interest to sell you food that ends up in the bin.

What to choose

• Large dishes travel better than individual plates: trays of rice, meat and chicken hold heat longer.
• Sauces and salads on the side in bulk, not twenty individual tubs.
• Deliberate variety: a vegetarian dish, a non-spicy dish and a gluten-free option — all marked on each dish page.
• Two mains, not five: fewer dishes in bigger quantities arrive hotter and are easier to serve than a long list in small trays.
• Something that stands waiting: grilled and baked dishes hold up over an hour far better than anything fried or drowned in sauce.

Dietary needs and children

Write it in the order notes, once, for the whole order: allergies, a guest who does not eat spicy food, a vegetarian, a child's portion. We label those containers separately so nobody has to guess at the table, and prepare the allergy portion apart wherever we can. For a severe allergy, call us on 009004 rather than relying on a written note — we would rather have the conversation than depend on a line of text surviving a busy service.

How is the bill handled?

Ask for a tax invoice in the company’s or a person’s name in the order notes; it reaches your email as a PDF with the ZATCA code. Pay by card, transfer or on delivery as available on the checkout page.

If the group is splitting the cost, the simplest arrangement is one payer and one invoice: we cannot split a single order across several cards, but you get the invoice itemised and can divide it afterwards. If your workplace needs a quotation before approval, ask for one and we will send a quotation that matches the final invoice exactly.

Pickup or delivery?

For events in halls or offices we deliver and lay the dishes on the table if requested. For nearby homes, branch pickup is faster and has no minimum.

Collecting gives you control of the timing, which matters when a gathering runs late; delivery gives you your hands back at the hour you need them most. If you come yourself, bring somebody to help carry and a flat space in the boot — trays do not travel well on a back seat.

Serving and setting up

If you are serving yourself, keep the trays closed until people are genuinely ready to eat; the commonest way a good event order goes cold is being opened twenty minutes early for the photograph. Clear a table before we arrive, decide where the drinks go so they are not in the way of the food, and put the serving spoons out in advance — the difference between an orderly queue and a scramble.

Afterwards

Anything left over should be refrigerated within two hours — one hour on a hot day — and eaten the next day, not the day after. Reheat it once and thoroughly, never twice. Rice deserves particular care: cool it quickly, get it into the fridge straight away, and never leave a tray standing warm on the table all evening.