Step 1 — Submit your inquiry
The first step is submitting a catering and event inquiry through the Khazana website. The inquiry form collects all the information listed above in a structured format.
What happens after you submit: a member of the events team reviews the inquiry and responds within 24–48 hours on business days. For events within 4 weeks, same-day or next-day response is available — note the urgency in your inquiry.
The initial response includes: confirmation that the date is available (or alternative dates if not); a preliminary overview of the service formats available for your event type and guest count; and a request for any missing information needed to prepare a quote.
What does not happen at this stage: no commitment, no deposit, no final pricing. The inquiry stage is information exchange only.
If you prefer to start with a phone call rather than a written inquiry, the Brampton and Milton locations handle event bookings by phone during business hours. Toronto event inquiries are best submitted through the form for response tracking.
Step 2 — The consultation call or site visit
Once the initial inquiry has been reviewed and preliminary availability confirmed, the next step is a consultation — either by phone or in person at the venue.
Phone consultation is suitable for: catering-only bookings for established venues; smaller events (under 50 guests) with a straightforward menu and service format; repeat clients with an existing relationship.
In-person site visit is recommended for: first-time bookings of the in-house event space; weddings and large social events above 100 guests; events with complex layout or equipment requirements (live Tandoor stations, specific décor configurations).
What the consultation covers:
The event program — what happens when, and in what sequence. A 7pm arrival with cocktail hour, dinner at 8pm, speeches at 9pm, and dancing from 9:30pm is a specific program that determines the catering service sequence. The more detail here, the more accurate the final plan.
The menu discussion — a preliminary conversation about cuisine preferences, regional emphasis, live station vs. buffet format, and any specific dishes the host family has in mind. This is exploratory at this stage, not final.
The space configuration — for in-house event space bookings, how the room will be laid out: table configuration, stage or dance floor positioning, décor access for external vendors.
Logistics — parking for guests, catering vehicle access, load-in times, setup and teardown windows.
Timeline: consultations typically run 30–60 minutes. For weddings, allow 90 minutes.
Step 3 — Receive and review the quote
Following the consultation, the events team prepares a detailed quote. The quote is delivered within 48 hours of the consultation for most events; for large weddings with complex requirements, allow 3–5 business days.
What the quote includes:
Itemised catering costs — per-head food cost at your estimated guest count, broken down by service stage (starters, mains, sides, desserts). Live station costs are itemised separately from buffet or plated service costs.
Staffing — the number of service staff, station chefs, and event coordinators included in the package, and the service hours covered.
Equipment — any equipment provided by the catering team (chafing dishes, Tandoor, service tables, linen). Equipment hired or provided by the venue is noted separately.
Venue hire (if applicable) — for in-house event space bookings, the room hire cost, setup and teardown time included, and any restrictions on external vendors.
What is not included — the quote clearly states what falls outside the package: alcohol, external décor, AV equipment, valet parking, cake, and any items managed by other vendors. This is as important as what is included.
How to review the quote: read the inclusions and exclusions with the same attention. The per-head food cost is rarely the largest variable between quotes from different providers — the inclusions and exclusions determine the true cost comparison.
Questions to ask after receiving the quote:
What happens to the price if the guest count increases or decreases by 15%?
What is included in the staffing hours — does the team stay for the full event or until a defined close time?
Is the menu tasting included, and when does it take place?
How to Book Your Event Space + Catering in Toronto, Brampton & Milton — A Step-by-Step Guide
Booking an event space and catering together should be straightforward. In practice, most people find it confusing because the process is opaque — they don't know what information to have ready, what happens after they submit an inquiry, how long each stage takes, or what they're committing to at each step.
This guide removes that uncertainty. It walks through the complete booking workflow from first contact to final confirmation, with timelines, decision points, and what to have prepared at each stage.
Step 4 — Menu tasting
For weddings and large events, a menu tasting is included in the booking process. The tasting takes place at the Khazana kitchen and covers the dishes proposed for your event.
What the tasting covers: a curated selection of dishes from the proposed menu — typically 6–10 items across starters, mains, and desserts. Not every dish on the full catering menu is tasted; the selection focuses on the dishes most central to the event.
Who should attend: the host family or couple making the decisions, plus any family members whose input is relevant to the final menu. The tasting is not a social event — keep the group to 4–6 people maximum for a focused decision-making session.
What decisions are made at the tasting: final dish selection for each service stage; spice level adjustments; substitutions for any dish that does not meet expectations; and the bread and condiment selection.
What happens after the tasting: the menu is finalised and documented. Any adjustments are reflected in the confirmed menu document, which becomes part of the catering contract.
Timeline: tastings are scheduled 3–5 months before the event for weddings; 4–6 weeks before for corporate events and social occasions.
Step 5 — Pay the deposit and confirm the booking
Once the quote has been reviewed and the menu tasting completed (for events that include one), the booking is confirmed by signing the catering agreement and paying the deposit.
What the deposit covers: securing the event date in the catering calendar; reserving the event space (if applicable); and initiating the advance planning process for your event.
Standard deposit structure: a percentage of the total estimated catering cost, paid at booking confirmation. The balance is typically due 7–14 days before the event, confirmed against the final guest count.
What the catering agreement includes: the confirmed date, venue, and guest count estimate; the finalised menu; the service format and staffing plan; the deposit and balance payment schedule; the cancellation and rescheduling policy; and the guest count adjustment threshold (the percentage by which the headcount can change without repricing).
Read the cancellation policy carefully. The standard policy distinguishes between cancellations well in advance (partial or full deposit refund, depending on lead time) and cancellations within a defined window before the event (deposit non-refundable; some portion of the total cost may apply). Understand these terms before signing.
Step 6 — The planning period between deposit and event
After the deposit is paid, the active planning period begins. This is not a waiting period — it is the phase where the logistical details that determine how smoothly the event runs are confirmed.
Key milestones in the planning period:
Final guest count confirmation — typically 2 weeks before the event. This triggers the final invoice calculation and confirms staffing levels.
Dietary requirements summary — a written document listing all dietary requirements (vegetarian count, halal, allergens, vegan) submitted to the catering team at least 3 weeks before the event.
Event program document — the final run-of-show shared with the catering coordinator. Includes all timings, the sequence of service, speech and ceremony moments the catering team needs to work around, and the designated day-of contact from the host family.
Vendor coordination — if external décor, AV, or entertainment vendors are working in the same space as the catering team, their arrival and setup times need to be coordinated to avoid conflicts.
The 48-hour confirmation call: two days before the event, a brief call with the catering coordinator confirms: caterer arrival time; venue access and parking details; day-of contact numbers; any last-minute changes to the program or guest count.
Step 7 — Event day
The catering team arrives before guests — 2 to 2.5 hours before the guest arrival time for most events; 3 hours for large weddings with live Tandoor stations (which require additional setup and fire-up time).
What happens on arrival: the team lead checks in with the venue contact and the host family day-of designate. Equipment is unloaded and positioned. The kitchen team begins final prep. Live stations are assembled and — for Tandoor — the clay oven is brought to temperature (allow 45 minutes minimum).
During the event: the catering coordinator manages the service flow against the event program. Dishes are replenished on the buffet continuously. Live stations are staffed throughout their designated service window. The service team manages the dining floor — clearing, replenishing water and condiments, responding to guest needs.
Close and teardown: at the agreed event close time, the service team begins teardown. All catering equipment is removed from the venue. For in-house event space bookings, the teardown window is agreed in the venue hire contract.
Before you contact anyone — what to have ready
The quality of the booking process is largely determined by how prepared you are before the first contact. A catering and event space team that receives a complete initial inquiry can turn around a quote within 24–48 hours. One that receives an incomplete inquiry will spend the next several days in back-and-forth clarification before any meaningful planning can begin.
The information you need before making contact:
Event date — or a shortlist of two to three possible dates if the date is flexible. Venue and catering availability is date-specific; without a date, no availability can be confirmed.
Guest count — your best estimate is sufficient at this stage. A range (80–100 guests) is more useful than an exact number because it allows the team to plan for the right capacity bracket. The exact count is confirmed closer to the event; the initial estimate drives the quote.
Event type — wedding, corporate dinner, birthday celebration, engagement party, community event. Each has a different default service format, staffing model, and pricing structure.
Venue situation — are you booking the event space at Khazana (in-house), or do you have an external venue and need catering only? This determines whether the quote includes venue hire or catering alone.
Location preference — Toronto, Brampton, or Milton for the in-house event space; or the address of your external venue for off-site catering.
Dietary requirements — a rough summary at this stage is sufficient: "predominantly vegetarian guest list," "halal meat required," or "one guest with a nut allergy." Detailed dietary confirmation happens later in the process.
Budget range — optional but useful. A rough budget range allows the team to propose a package that is realistically achievable rather than quoting a premium format that then requires significant reduction.