From Quote to Last Call: A Client FAQ Megapost

From Quote to Last Call: A Client FAQ Megapost

Across every booking, the same handful of questions come up again and again — about pricing, BYOB, staffing, and what actually happens on the day. Rather than making every host ask one at a time, here's everything in one place, organised by stage: from your first quote through to the last drink poured.

Booking & Quotes

How is pricing structured?

Quotes are built starting from manpower, with everything else — supplies, equipment, transport — added according to what your specific event needs. Every event is different, so pricing isn't drawn from a fixed menu; it reflects your actual guest count, menu, and venue. For a full breakdown of what goes into a quote, see our guide to [event bar services pricing](/articles/event-bar-services-pricing-singapore).

What's included in the quote by default?

Nothing is bundled in automatically. Each line on a quote reflects something specific to your event, which is also why two quotes for different events can look quite different even at similar guest counts.

How much notice do you need?

Two weeks is ideal, and one week is the minimum. Anything under that is best effort only, since ingredients and staffing get genuinely harder to lock in on short notice.

Is the deposit refundable?

No. A deposit per staff member confirms your booking and is non-refundable.

What happens if a bartender can't make it?

We typically keep one bartender on standby and have maintained a 100% show-up rate. The situation that can genuinely stretch that is a booking made on very short notice, such as an event the next day with planning only starting that same day.

BYOB

Do you charge corkage if I bring my own bottles?

No. BYOB is welcome at no extra charge, and the bottles remain yours.

How much should I bring?

As a general guide, one standard bottle yields about 15 servings. For a typical wedding reception, plan for roughly two cocktails per guest, one from each menu offered. Our [drink calculator guide](/articles/event-bar-drink-calculator-singapore) walks through sizing in more detail, including real cost examples.

Who's responsible for the bottles once they're at the bar?

The bar team. A staffed bar means every bottle is poured properly and accounted for, which is one of the practical advantages of a run bar over a self-serve table.

Staffing

How many bartenders do I need for my guest count?

As a general guide: one bartender for up to 30 guests with cocktails on the menu, or up to 50 guests without cocktails. Two bartenders typically cover up to 200 guests with two cocktails. Beyond that, if the menu offers more than three cocktails at 200 guests, staffing scales to roughly one bartender per cocktail.

What if my event has more than 200 guests?

Larger events are usually structured with a primary cocktail bar alongside dedicated speed stations for beer, wine, and pre-batched drinks, so guest traffic isn't funnelled through a single queue. See our guide to [structuring a bar for 200+ guests](/articles/event-bar-service-200-plus-guests) for how this works.

Event Day

How early do you arrive?

Around one hour before the event starts. Some prep happens beforehand, and that hour covers logistics and any last-minute touches still outstanding when we arrive. Our [event-day walkthrough](/articles/portable-bar-setup-event-day-timeline) covers the full timeline in detail.

Do you clean up afterward?

We start a working wind-down about half an hour before the end, for a two-bartender team. It's not a thorough clean, since that would run past the agreed hours — a full clean-up is available as a chargeable extra on request.

Does service ever pause during the event?

Yes. Out of respect for whoever's speaking, service pauses during speeches, toasts, and similar moments, then resumes once they've finished.

Menu & Ingredients

What ingredients do you use?

Our lemon and lime juice are homemade, which is a big part of why our Whisky Sours and Margaritas are consistently popular. For syrups, we use Giffard rather than a generic supermarket brand.

Can the menu be customised?

Yes. The best way to see what's possible is to reach out directly — we build menus around your event rather than offering a single fixed list.

What if a guest has an allergy or dietary restriction?

Flag it when confirming your menu, not on the day itself. There's far more room to substitute an ingredient cleanly when it's known in advance. See our guide on [allergies and dietary restrictions](/articles/allergies-dietary-restrictions-cocktail-menu) for more detail.

Fees We Don't Charge

Because we're fully mobile and don't run a warehouse, most events can be covered with a 1.8m table rather than a rented bar structure. That changes our cost base, which is why our quotes don't carry an event management fee, a bar equipment rental fee, or an admin fee. A few optional add-ons do exist outside the core quote — a bar table at $60 if you don't have one (transport only, free if you collect it yourself), a styrofoam icebox at around $20, and glassware rental at $100 pickup and delivery plus $2 per glass.

Comparing Us to Other Providers

How do I know if a quote from another provider is actually a good deal?

Ask about their ingredients, staffing ratio, setup time, what's included versus extra, their cancellation plan, and corkage policy. Our guide on [comparing bar service providers](/articles/compare-event-bar-service-providers-singapore) walks through all eight questions worth asking before you book anyone.

Frequently Asked Questions We Still Get Anyway

Can I just ask you directly instead of searching through articles?

Of course. This page covers the most common questions, but every event has its own details worth talking through directly.

Do these answers apply to every type of event?

The core answers here apply broadly, but some specifics — like staffing ratios for very large events, or timing around a traditional wedding program — are covered in more depth in their own dedicated guides linked throughout this page.

What's the best way to get a straight answer fast?

Reach out directly with your guest count, event type, and date. A specific question with real event details gets a far more useful answer than a general one.

Didn't find your question here? Get in touch directly — we're happy to walk through anything specific to your event that isn't covered above.