Become an UF Approved Caterer & Mobile Food Vendor

If you have NOT been previously approved as a UF approved caterer, you will not be able to conduct business on campus or receive payment for services.

Once you have gathered all the pertinent documents, please visit the Self-Service Portal to set up your access and upload your documents. You will need your UF Vendor ID number to gain access to the self-service portal.

Documents You Need to Submit to Business Services

All caterers and mobile food vendors will need to fill out each document below. In addition, mobile food vendors will need to fill out the Mobile Food Vendor Protocol document.

A valid copy of the business license
Event insurance
Automobile insurance
Valid alcohol permits and insurance
Catering Services Agreement
Register as a UF Vendor
Mobile Food Vendor Protocols – for mobile food vendors only

All caterers seeking to do business with UF as an approved off-campus caterer must …

Licenses

… be licensed annually by the State of Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulations – Division of Hotels and Restaurants. Catering operations must meet all applicable standards of a public food service establishment as provided by the division. Caterer shall provide the University with a copy of its current State of Florida business license. If Caterer is to provide alcoholic beverages, Caterer shall provide University a copy of its current State of Florida Caterer License for Beer, Wine, and Liquor Consumption on Premises (Series 13CT or QUOTA 4COP).

Health Inspection

… be in good standing with the State of Florida Department of Health County Health Department’s most recent public health inspection scores. In addition, Business Services must be notified immediately if a health inspection violation calls for a caterer to cease business operations until a correction is addressed.

Registered UF Vendor

… be registered as a vendor and have a UF vendor number. Please visit the Supplier Portal to complete or update your profile.

Insurance

… provide evidence of insurance in accordance to limits set by UF’s Risk Management insurance office. Caterer shall, at its own expense, obtain and maintain without interruption during the Term of this Agreement insurance of the following types, coverages and limits. The parameters of UF off-campus insurance is as follows:

General Liability
- Commercial General Liability Insurance with limits no less than $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 in the aggregate including bodily injury, death, and property damage and completed operations and advertising liability, which policy shall include contractual liability coverage insuring the activities of Caterer under this agreement.
Auto Liability
- Automobile Liability Insurance on all vehicles (any, including all owned and non-owned) used to fulfill responsibilities of this Agreement covering bodily injury and property damage in the amount of at least $500,000 in combined coverage per occurrence.
Alcohol Liability (if licensed)
- If Caterer is to provide alcoholic beverages, Liquor Liability Insurance with liability limits of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence for bodily injury, death, and property damage and completed Operations, which policy shall include contractual liability coverage insuring the activities of Caterer under this Agreement.
Additional Insured
- The Commercial General Liability and the Automobile Liability policies required hereunder must name the “University of Florida Board of Trustees” as additional insured, and each certificate evidencing such coverage must reflect the University’s additional insured status.
  - UF Board of Trustees must be named as a certificate holder and listed as an additional insurer.

Worker’s Compensation

… carry Worker’s Compensation Insurance as required by Chapter 440, Florida Statutes. Firms with less than 2 employees who claim to be exempt from carrying Worker’s Compensation must provide the University with a worker’s comp exemption certificate.

Once an applicant has submitted all of the required documents to become a University of Florida approved caterer, the applicant should expect a 24-48 hour vetting period during which the University will ensure that all documents and licenses are in proper order and that all of the insurance criteria are met.

Sustainability

We ask all caterers to reduce the negative impact Styrofoam places on our waste stream by eliminating the use of Styrofoam. We encourage caterers to use compostable, recyclable, and reusable items in packaging, service ware, delivery containers, and to-go boxes.

Pepsi Exclusivity

Caterers serving the UF main campus are required to be in agreement and compliance with the University’s exclusivity agreement with Pepsi which includes the purchase of Pepsi products for UF Catered events from one of the University’s two exclusive distributors; Pepsi Beverage Co. and Mister Paper.

These distributors can be reached through the following contact information:

Luis Ortega

Pepsi Beverages Co.
P: 407-619-6939
E: Luis.Ortega2@Pepsico.com

Jimeka Norman

Mister Paper
P: (352) 377-2737
E jimeka@misterpaper.com

Caterers are required to comply with the Pepsi Pouring Rights agreement to serve Pepsi beverages purchased directly from Pepsi and credited against the UF account. This agreement does not extend to freshly brewed coffee, tea, or lemonade; freshly prepared smoothies and others. The contract language defining “Beverage” is provided for clarification.

“Beverage” or “‘Beverages” means all carbonated and non-carbonated, non-alcoholic drinks, including but not limited to
(i) colas and other flavored carbonated drinks;
(ii) fruit juice, fruit juice containing and fruit-flavored drinks;
(iii) chilled coffee drinks;
(iv) chilled tea products;
(v) isotonics;
(vi) bottled or canned water whether carbonated or still (spring, mineral or purified);
(vii) new age/healthy beverages, e.g. SoBe;
(viii) energy drinks, e.g., Amp, Rockstar; and
(ix) Value Added Protein Drinks.

Notwithstanding the foregoing provision, “Beverage” or “Beverages” shall not include dairy-based beverages that have greater than 50% milk content. Tomato juice; Yoo-Hoo brand beverages (Regular, Strawberry and Double Fudge flavors only); Slim fast brand beverages; freshly brewed hot coffee and freshly-brewed hot tea beverages; freshly made lemonade and smoothie beverages, freshly brewed flavored and unflavored iced teas and coffees, and Frosties.

Email: catering@bsd.ufl.edu
Phone: (352) 392-0306