FAQ
General questions
Who is BYOP?Why BYOP?
Where is BYOP?
How does BYOP help me build my party?
You call yourselves "eco-friendly" - can you explain?
There's a Wine Bar on the Website. Yours? Can I have my party there?
Are you kosher?
Ordering and Delivery
How late can I place my order?Where do you deliver?
What's your minimum order?
What is your delivery window?
Can I order over the phone?
What if I have a question when I'm ordering?
Can I go to your office to order or pick up?
What forms of payment do you accept?
Why can't I pay online?
Do you require a deposit? And what's your cancellation policy?
How am I supposed to estimate food and beverage quantities for 150?
Party Staff and Other Services
How should I staff my party?Not sure how many bartenders does it take to serve 150 people?
Do you provide cleaning services?
General questions
Who is BYOP?
Build Your Own Party is Paula Maia and Kevin Meegan. The two worked together for several years before recognizing the need for BYOP and setting out on their own to create it.
Why BYOP?
Because Paula had an epiphany. A gallery owner friend was planning an opening for an important art show, and at the last minute realized that she didn't have time to deal with the catering, but she didn't want to hire a caterer. So she asked Paula to help out by putting together a spread of food and beverages, plus a bartender for the evening. Ding! Paula realized that her friend was not the only the one with a party to throw, no time to prepare and not much enthusiasm for formal catering. Build Your Own Party seemed like the obvious solution. For the next several months, Paula and Kevin conspired, and finally, in July 2006, BYOP was born.
Where is BYOP?
Build Your Own Party lives on your desktop - we assume you've bookmarked us. Our bricks-and-mortar outpost is in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. (In fact, it's a little bit more than an outpost. We share our space with our own wine bar, Oak Wine Bar & Café. Check it out sometime.)
How does BYOP help me build my party?
Over 25 combined years in the food industry, Paula and Kevin have formed relationships with a network of small vendors, along with independent bartenders, waiters and other moonlighters. With BYOP, the pair only have to make a few calls and your party is on your doorstep - or in our space.
We keep costs low and quality high by plugging in to great finds that haven't been hyperbranded. Take our natural sodas or our Güitig naturally sparkling spring water from Ecuador - half the price of Pellegrino. Okay, we have that too. Our stuff is fresh as a daisy (except for some of our cheeses, which are old as the hills). We assemble each order as we receive it. Your order will arrive ready to party - white wine on ice, pigs snug in their blankets.
Q: You call yourselves "eco-friendly" - can you explain?
A: We're into the three "R"s: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Our mission is to bring you a quality, affordable service while also using ingredients and practices that have a low environmental impact. We're planet-conscious: You'll find words like sustainable, recyclable and organic scattered through our site. Full disclosure:
- Not all of our ingredients are organic, but nearly all come from small producers rather than giant corporate manufacturers, and the bulk of our fresh produce is from local purveyors.
- All of our disposable plates, glasses and utensils are made of recycled, biodegradable or compostable materials: think sugar cane, potato and cornstarch. The Bamboo disposables are not only pretty - they're also made from one of the world's most sustainable woodlike materials. Bamboo is a plant that grows like a weed in tropical climates and yields a hard, smooth product perfect for plates and utensils, as well as floors. It's that tough, which means our disposable tableware is also reusable. You can even compost them. No, we don't supply the worms.
- We recycle whenever possible and encourage our customers to do the same. For example, we picked the buckets in which we deliver your wine because we think they look cool and you'll want to reuse them in the future, whether for ice, flowers, storage or whatever.
Q: There's a Wine Bar on the Website. Yours? Can I have my party there?
A: We operate the Oak Wine Bar & Café as a byproduct of BYOP - we had the space, our evenings were free, we like to host... If your place is too small or cluttered for your party, call us - you can throw your party here as a private or semi-private affair.
Q: Are you kosher?
A: We're working on a kosher package. Please check back.
Ordering and Delivery
Q: How late can I place my order?
A: We need 48 business hours after confirmation of your order to prepare and deliver it. Our business hours are Mon-Fri 10 am - 6 pm. Of course, our website is open 24/7, so you can place your order anytime. If that happens to be when we're closed, we'll call you as soon as we reopen (or at a time requested by you on our ordering form) to confirm your order. We have a limited selection available for rush orders, at an additional 20% charge.
Q: Where do you deliver?
A: Currently, we deliver to any street address in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens.
Q: What's your minimum order?
A: We require a minimum $500 food and beverage order. Two business days is the fastest we can fill it.
Q: What is your delivery window?
A: On our order form, select the two-hour window that works for you, as close to party time as possible.
Q: Can I order over the phone?
A: One of the ways we keep your cost low is by asking you to order online. We also think it'll be easier for you - all of your options are right here on our site. All you have to do is click.
Q: What if I have a question when I'm ordering?
A: If you can't find the answer you're looking for on this page or in our Toolbox, call us at 718 387 1245.
Q: Can I go to your office to order or pick up?
A: Much as we'd love to meet you, we're really not set up to receive visitors. Right now, we're only taking orders online, for delivery (see "Can I order over the phone?"). But you're welcome to swing by the Oak Wine Bar & Café.
Q: What forms of payment do you accept?
A: We accept all major credit cards - currently, we can only take credit card payment over the phone. We can take a check by mail, but we need to receive it at least 10 business days prior to your party.
Q: Why can't I pay online?
A: We're working on it, please check back.
Q: Do you require a deposit? And what's your cancellation policy?
A: We like to keep things simple: We take your credit card info upfront and charge 50% of your party against it as a deposit. The balance is charged against your card upon delivery of your party.
Cancel within five business days for a full refund. For cancellations less than five business days and more than 48 hours before your party, we refund 50% of your deposit. If you cancel less than 48 hours prior to your party, we keep your deposit.
Q: How am I supposed to estimate food and beverage quantities for 150?
A: Look in our Toolbox - you'll also find useful info on party staffing.
Party Staff and Other Services
Q: How should I staff my party?
Q: Not sure how many bartenders does it take to serve 150 people?
A: Look in our Toolbox for answers to this and other staffing questions, as well as per-person beverage quantities.
Q: Do you provide cleaning services?
A: You can order a crew to come to your space for a pre- or post-party clean up.