Carina Franks operates a catering company in Austin, Texas. Carina provides food and servers for parties. She also rents tables, chairs, dinnerware, glassware, and linens. Estefan and Maria Montero have contacted Carina about plans for their daughter’s Quinceañera (a festive party thrown by Hispanic parents to celebrate their daughters’ fifteenth birthdays). The Monteros would like a catered affair on the lawn of a rural church. They have requested an open bar, a sit-down dinner for 350 people, a large tent, and a dance floor. Of course, they expect Carina to supply serving staff, tables with linens, dinnerware, and glassware. They will handle the flowers, the decorations, and hiring the band on their own. Carina put together this bid:
Food (350 × $25) ......... $ 8,750
Beverages (350 × $15) ..... 5,250
Servers (6 × 4 hours × $10) ..... 240
Bartenders (2 × 4 hours × $10) .. 80
Clean-up staff (3 × 3 hours × $10) ... 90
Rental of:
Dance floor ........... 300
Linens ............... 80
Tables ............... 200
Dinnerware ........... 120
Glassware ........... 150
Total ............... $15,260
Required:
1. Explain where costs for Carina’s services and profit are calculated in the preceding bid.
2. Suppose that the Monteros blanch when they see the preceding bid. One of them suggests that they had hoped to spend no more than $10,000 or so on the party. How could Carina work with the Monteros to achieve a target cost of that amount?
3. Estefan Montero protests the cost of dance floor rental. He said, “I’ve seen those for rent at U-Rent-It for $75.” How would you respond to this remark if you were Carina?