Food/ Entertainment

Standard Practice: Food Ordering Process

To support timely processing and align with UC Berkeley procurement practices, please use the following ordering methods in priority order when purchasing food for events and meetings:

• First Choice: America2Go

• Second Choice: Invoice Payments

• Third Choice: Online Food Orders (payable with a BluCard)

• Fourth Choice: Reimbursement (should remain a last resort)

Using these options in order helps reduce reimbursement needs, supports procurement compliance, and streamlines payment processing for both staff and vendors.

Step 1: Staff

Catering & Food Purchase Process

• Identifying a Food Vendor

• Complete an Entertainment Purchase Order Form and Additional Documentation

  • Guest List - Reminder: the host must sign and be present on the guest list

  • Please include a detailed business purpose

• If you need exceptional approval on your EPO

  • Submit your EPO, guest list, and food invoice to our Asana Admin Form

  • Select “Pre/Exceptional Approval from AVC or VCEI”

For America 2Go:

Review the punch out portal to ensure your requests meet vendors’ catering minimums. 

• Admin staff do not need to be looped in on America2Go orders. 

• Use our catering spreadsheet as a starting point. Note: periodically, America2Go will add new vendors, and our catering spreadsheet may not be the most up-to-date. 

• Attach your EPO form to your requisition cart. No need to route your request to your supervisor, as the attached EPO serves as approval.

• You will receive an email notification from both America2Go and BearBUY.

For Invoice Payments:

Connect with a vendor and discuss UC Berkeley's procurement procedures. 

• Important communications payment is not distributed upon delivery of food.

• Food vendors must be vendored and in the BearBUY

• Collect an invoice from the vendor

Ready to submit your request to our Asana Form

• Remember to attach the EPO, the guest list, and the final catering invoice.

• Submit to our Asana Form and select “Food Invoice Payment.” 

For Online Food Orders:

The ideal option is to provide a digital payment link. 

• You may create an online portal and share the login information with your request

• Note: We will not provide any card information over the phone. 

• This should be your **third option** for food sourcing, not your primary method

Ready to submit your request to our Asana Form

• Remember to attach the EPO, the guest list, and a screenshot of the final order, the point of contact for delivery of food, time, and other information

For Food Reimbursements:

Reimbursements should be your **last resort** for food purchases. Contact the admin team for support to purchase food online or pay for food invoice payments

Step 2: Admin Staff

• Review all entertainment purchase order forms and process them based on their respective process BearBUY for invoice payments or BluCard for online food orders.