How Far Ahead Should You Book a Caterer in Reno?

The honest answer depends on what you’re feeding. A standing office lunch can start this week. A summer Saturday at Lake Tahoe is a different animal. Here is how the calendar actually behaves, from a kitchen that has been working it since 1995.

Weddings: months, not weeks

Summer and early-fall Saturdays are the tightest dates in Northern Nevada, and the mountain venues book their own calendars early, which pulls catering dates with them. Once you have a venue and a date, lock the caterer next. At Paisan’s a 25% deposit holds the date and the final guest count isn’t due until ten days out, so booking early doesn’t mean guessing your headcount early. The wedding board is published with per-plate prices, so you can budget before you ever call.

Holiday parties: the calendar compresses

Company parties cluster into the same three or four December weekends, and the season starts asking in October. If your office celebrates on a Friday in mid-December, treat it like a small wedding: date first, food second, everything else after. A January party books like any other month, and your team may thank you for skipping the December squeeze.

Office lunches: days, sometimes hours

Trays and box lunches are built for short notice. Hot-meal catering carries a 10-person minimum and likes a little runway, but a Tuesday call for a Thursday lunch is normal business here. Standing weekly orders are the house specialty, as the printed menu has said for years: “Business Lunches & Breakfast are Our Specialty!”

Celebrations of life: whenever you need us

Memorial receptions don’t get planning runways, and a caterer who has served families since 1995 knows it. Short notice is understood; the celebration-of-life page explains how those days come together quickly and quietly.

What holding a date actually costs

One more honest note: the deli closes on weekends precisely because the catering calendar owns them. In the family’s own words, “The big reason we are not open on weekends is because of all the catering we do on Saturday and Sunday.” If you want a weekend, ask early.

Prices reflect the printed menus as of July 2026 and can change; the quote you receive is the number that counts. More guides: Sandwich Tray Math: How Many Trays Feed a Crowd? · Winter Event Catering Over the Sierra Passes, Honestly · Gluten-Free Guests at a Catered Event: How Paisan's Handles It · Real China or Deluxe Disposable? The $4 Question.