TomKelly's Chophouse & Pub | New Lenox, IL

It happens to everyone, you’re planning a party, you get all the decorations, all the booze, the guest list is finalized, you have the perfect outfit and all that’s left is the menu. Easy right? Who are you kidding? Most people feel completely overwhelmed by trying to decide between catering, potluck or a “do it all yourself:” menu. Fear no more, Tom Kelly’s is here to help! I’ll show you how it’s often the same price if not cheaper to cater your parties and how to choose a unique party menu that will leave your guests bragging about your party for weeks to come!

Let’s face it, everyone’s on a budget nowadays. Even if you’re not, you would be silly not to take advantage of a good deal. A lot of times, restaurants offer deals throughout their slow time, aka summer party time! For example, at Tom Kelly’s not only do we price match our competitors, we offer an additional 15% off throughout the summertime if you mention online or book through our email: tomkellyspub@hotmail.com. We live in an age where competition is prevalent and customer is king, benefit from this! At Tom Kellys our packages start at only $5.99/person. That’s right, $5.99, for kabobs, bruschetta, chicken salad pitas, & pasta salad, plates, silverware, and yet another precious gift: your time! Let’s take a trip to your local grocery store: potatoes $5.00, beef $16.00, onions $5.00, peppers $8.00, case of chicken $15.00, pineapple $4 total : $53.00 divided by 15 people = we’re already up to $4/person, and that’s just the kabobs! Now that you’ve spent an hour cutting up vegetables and driving all over town for skewers all you have left is to make the homemade chicken salad, cut up about a pound of tomatoes for your bruschetta, and boil the water for your pasta salad. You didn’t want to sleep the night before your party anyways right?! Why do that to yourself?! Let me suggest an easier route: Hop in your car, drive to your favorite restaurant (Tom Kelly’s is always a good choice), meet with a manager, who’s life revolves around food, pick out your favorite dishes, pay a deposit, and spend those remaining 2 days you would have spent on cooking on something you really enjoy. Lay out maybe? It is summer after all!! My question to you is, if the price is similar, why put yourself through the extra stress? Why not sit back and enjoy your family, friends, and that party you’ve spent weeks planning? It’s natural, especially for women, to think “I’ll just cook everything myself, it’ll be easier.” Throw this thought process out the window! You’ve already done it all, you picked the guest list, decorated, put the bar together, sent out the invitations & spent your last two days off work cleaning! Just because you cater from a professional shouldn’t make you feel guilty, you’re still planning the food after all!

Ok, now that we’ve decided to let the experts take over, all that’s left is to pick the menu. Easy right? Not always!! Let me be perfectly clear: we UNDERSTAND how daunting it can be to pick a menu. How often do you go to a summertime party and eat the following: fried chicken, mostaccioli, cheesy potatoes & roast beef sandwiches? You DO NOT have to follow suit! Make your party stand out. Often restaurants enjoy preparing a different menu. It lets them be creative, and it makes your party stand out! There are so many ways to spice up your party, here’s a few tips: Want traditional with a twist: Instead of roast beef sandwiches try pulled pork or chicken salad sandwiches. Both are excellent choices for summer time, pulled pork incorporates a BBQ feel and chicken salad is a light alternative in the summer heat. Too drastic? Who says you have to have cheesy potatoes? Why not au gratin or vesuvio potatoes? Instead of a boring tossed salad try an Italian Salad, with spicy peppercinis, ham, black olives, Italian dressing & onions. Want to be totally different? Ditch the typical family style menu all together! Who wants to eat a heavy meal in 100 degree weather anyways? Try smaller lighter menu options: chicken & steak kabobs, mini meatloaf burgers, mini ruebens, a rib tray, & coleslaw!! Allow me to let you in on a secret: People like variety! By offering smaller portions your guests will be able to sample more dishes and enjoy more of a selection!

Moral of the story: It’s summer, you should be enjoying yourself, not stressing over grocery lists and recipe cards. Let the professionals take care of it!

www.tomkellys.com/catering
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www.facebook.com/tomkellyspub