Catering & Event Policies

General 

1. Members and guests must comply with the Club’s Rules and Policies, including Conduct and Dress Code, as may be amended by the Board of Directors from time to time. Disregard for the Dress Code Policy may result in the refusal of admission.
2. Guests attending a private function are not entitled to use other Club facilities unless authorized in advance by management.
3. The placement of promotional materials or signage in the Club, but outside the Room(s) reserved, must be approved by the Club.
4. The use of confetti, glitter, petals, or rice of any nature is not permitted. A clean up fee will be charged when deemed necessary by the Club for extraordinary garbage removal or cleaning.
5. The Club provides white linens and napkins for all tables. If the Host arranges for outside vendors to provide linens, decorations, or any other vendor-supplied items, the Club must be notified prior to the event. A predetermined time will be allotted vendor deliveries and pick up.
6. Decorations may not be hung with tape, wire, nails, or screws. Candles must be housed in appropriate holders. Not tapered candles or candelabras are permitted.
7. Food and Beverage charges are subject to an 18% service charge (“gratuities”) and 13% HST. Other charges (ie. unspent minimum room charges, equipment rental, place cards, ceremony charges, printing, SOCAN/ReSound fees, etc.) are subject to 13% HST.
8. A 15% Facility Fee will be applied to all member sponsored events, when the sponsoring member is not in attendance and/or the invoice is not billed to the sponsoring member’s account. The fee is added to total charges billed, before taxes.
9. Payments made by credit card (Visa and Mastercard) are subject to a 2.4% processing fee. The Club does not currently accept American Express as a method of payment.

Food and Beverage

10. All prices are subject to change without notice. Prices will be honoured for up to six (6) months prior to any event.
11. Menu and wine choices must be confirmed a minimum of ten business days (2 weeks) prior to the The Club will make every effort to guarantee confirmed selections. For those who have dietary constraints or food allergies, the Club is pleased to offer alternative meals. All special requests must be made ten business days (2 weeks) prior to the event. In the case of allergies, the Club must be informed of the nature of the allergies to be able to take the necessary precautions when preparing the food. Upon request, we will be happy to provide ingredient information for the selected menu.
12. A guaranteed number of persons attending must be confirmed at least 3 full business days in advance of the scheduled event. If a guaranteed number has not been received, the billing will be made out for the number of persons for which the function was originally booked or the actual number of persons in attendance, whichever is greater.  If the number in attendance is greater than the guarantee, the Club will do its best to provide a similar meal for the additional guests. Decreases in guaranteed numbers received within 3 full business days, will be billed as the number originally guaranteed.
13. When offering more than one entrée, the highest priced entrée will be charged for all entrée selections. No more than 2 entrées may be offered at an event.  The number of each entrée selected must be received at least 3 full business days in advance of the scheduled event.  The Club will provide place cards indicating the attendee’s name, entrée selection, and allergy/dietary restrictions at a cost of $2.50 per place card. Alternatively, the Host may provide their own place cards with an indicator of main course selections and any allergy/dietary restrictions for each person in attendance.
14. The Club does not permit food to be brought into the Club without prior authorization from the Chief Executive Officer. Approval will only be granted in circumstances where the Club is unable to provide the product requested. The Club will not assume responsibility or liability for outside catering companies (“vendor”).  The vendor must provide a letter from their insurer confirming the Club has been added as an ‘additional insured’ on their Commercial Liability Insurance Policy.  Further, the vendor must provide confirmation of a current “Pass” inspection status from Ottawa Department of Health.  For safety and liability reasons, the Club does not permit leftover food or beverage to be removed from the Club. 

Minimum Room Spend

15. Food and Beverage Minimum spend requirements have been assigned to each private event room. The Food and Beverage Minimum spend requirement excludes equipment rentals, ceremony fees, service and facility fees, taxes, etc. Any unspent Food & Beverage Minimum required will be charged and reflected on the event invoice.

16. The Club is open from 7:00 a.m. to midnight, Monday to Friday inclusive. The Club may be open at other times for special events or private functions, at the discretion of the Chief Executive Officer. The Food and Beverage Minimum spend in such instances is $10,000.

Event Deposits

17. In order to secure an event booking date, a non-refundable deposit is required. Event rooms will not be ‘held’ for more than 72 hours without payment of the associated non-refundable deposit. The deposit will be applied to the final event invoice.

• Main Dining and Lounge: one thousand dollars ($1000) due upon booking confirmation.
• Macdonald, Pearson, and Club Room: five hundred dollars ($500) due upon booking confirmation.
• Borden, Karsh, Laurier, and Library: two hundred and fifty dollars ($250) due upon booking confirmation.

18. 100% of the Event Estimate is due prior to the Event Date. The Club requires a pre-authorized credit card prior to the event for all incidentals such as beverage bar over consumption and/or add-ons.

• 60 Days: 50% of the event estimate is due.
• 30 Days: 100% of the event estimate is due.
• Following the Event: Final settlement of the event account is due within 30 days of the event. An Administrative Charge of 2% per month (26.82% per annum) will be charged on all overdue accounts.

Cancellation

19. Should it be necessary to cancel the event contract, the Club will use the following scale to determine the amounts to be charged:

• 91 Days or More: The event booking deposit will be forfeited.
• 31 to 90 Days: 50% of the Food & Beverage Minimum requirement will be charged.
• 7 to 30 Days: 100% of the Food & Beverage Minimum requirement will be charged.
• Less than 7 Days: 100% of the event estimate will be charged.

Questions? Contact events@rideauclub.ca