Frequently Asked Questions

A Crew Service Charge of 10% (or the minimum per person shown on your quote, if greater) is required on every event and is included in your quoted total. It is a required service charge rather than a voluntary tip, but every dollar of it goes to the bartenders, support staff and on-site lead (Captain) who work your event. Guests are welcome to tip on top, and those tips belong to the crew too. By default, tip jars are displayed at the bar for guests who wish to tip. If you'd prefer no tip jars, you can opt into an increased Crew Service Charge of 25% (or a higher per-person minimum, if greater) instead, and your quote will show the exact amount. Just let your Event Manager know before your event.

Yes, there's a minimum. Bar service has a 2-hour minimum, plus a setup and cleanup window (typically 30 minutes each) that is billed at the hourly rate. Those windows are recommended defaults and can be adjusted on request, though shortening them can push your bar-open time later or keep the team on-site longer. Anything beyond 2 hours of service is billed by the hour. There's no minimum guest count as long as the service minimum on your quote is met.

Submit our inquiry form with your date, times, guest count, and venue, and we'll email you a custom, itemized quote. If anything about your event needs a closer look (certain venues, very large guest counts, or a complex menu), one of our event managers reviews the details with you before finalizing it. Questions about your quote? Just reply to the quote email and your Event Manager will help.

As soon as you have a confirmed date. Our pricing is dynamic — rates can increase during peak seasons, holidays, and weekends. Locking in your service early helps lock in the rates on your quote. We accept bookings up to one year out.

Once you're happy with your quote, use the reservation link we send you to complete the reservation and accept the Service Agreement. Your reservation is confirmed when we email you written confirmation. We charge the deposit to your card then, unless you chose to pay it by ACH, domestic wire or check, in which case we email you the discounted deposit amount and a deadline to start the payment, and we confirm when it arrives. Your date is not held until we confirm. The card you provide stays on file for the balance and agreed fees. The deposit is 25% of your quoted total, not counting the Crew Service Charge, and it counts toward your balance. It is non-refundable and non-transferable, and paying it by ACH, domestic wire or check earns the 2.5% Payment Method Discount, like any other ACH or check payment. The final balance is due 14 days before your event. If we cancel by our own choice or fault, we refund your payments in full within 10 business days. By providing your card, you authorize us to charge it for the balance and for charges the Service Agreement describes, such as additions, extra hours, extra guests and damage, after we email you an itemized notice. The authorization lasts until everything owed is paid and no later than 120 days after your event, and you can withdraw it for future charges by writing to events@atwistofli.me. Your Event Manager will confirm your payment details.

No. We add no fee for paying by card. The price on your quote is the card price. If you pay by ACH, domestic wire or check instead, we take 2.5% off each such payment, not including tax.

To cancel, submit the **Cancel Form**. Submitting the Cancel Form is the only way to terminate your Service Agreement. Emailing or messaging us is welcome for questions, but an email, text, or message does not cancel your event. The Cancel Form is also linked in the footer of every email we send you and at the bottom of your invoice. Only the person who signed (the Signatory) can submit it, and we verify their identity with a code sent to the email on the reservation before anything is finalized. The deposit is non-refundable. If you cancel before the Balance Due Date (14 days before your event), you owe the deposit only. If you cancel on or after that date and more than 7 days before your event, you owe 60% of the Order total. If you cancel 7 days or less before, you owe 100% of it. That total leaves out the Crew Service Charge, sales tax on items we don't provide, and per-guest materials we hadn't yet bought. If you cancel within 24 hours of our confirming your reservation and your event is at least 7 days away, you owe the deposit only. Payments you've made are credited. Any overpayment is refunded within 10 business days after your cancellation takes effect, and any shortfall is charged to the card on file no sooner than 24 hours after we email you the amount, or you can pay it by ACH, domestic wire or check and take the 2.5% discount. If you cancel 48 hours or less before your event starts, or after our bartenders are on their way, the Crew Service Charge is paid to the bartenders and crew assigned to your event instead of being refunded, and if you haven't paid it yet, you owe it in addition. If you cancel earlier, it is refunded. Rescheduling to a new date requires a new Order and a new non-refundable deposit. Moving your date does not cancel the original date. If you cancel it, the terms above apply to it, and any credit toward the new date is a written courtesy offer we make at our discretion. If an event is cancelled for reasons beyond either party's control (force majeure), you choose either a credit for all amounts paid, valid for 24 months and usable for a rescheduled event, or a refund of all amounts paid less documented costs we paid to third parties that we cannot recover (never including the Crew Service Charge or personnel pay). If you don't choose within 30 days of our notice, we apply the credit. Full terms are in the Service Agreement and Termination Agreement.

Final payment is due 14 days before your event. Changes to services or event details should be requested at least 14 days before your event; additions are welcome after that, subject to availability, and may incur additional charges. After the 14-day deadline we cannot reduce the Order, and additions within 48 hours carry a short-notice fee. Your Event Manager will confirm your final guest count deadline, and we'll send a final confirmation before your event.

Yes — let your Event Manager know. Adding guests is welcome, subject to availability; additional guests are billed at your quoted per-guest rate, and if the new count calls for another bartender we'll confirm that with you first. Guest-count changes should be requested at least 14 days before your event. Please keep us updated: a headcount more than 10% above what you gave us may affect service, and the Service Agreement allows us to limit service to the guest count on your Order, offer to add personnel, or simplify the menu. We do not cancel an event before it starts because of headcount. Guests above your final headcount are charged at twice your per-guest rate plus the Operations Fee and Crew Service Charge, and a lower count does not reduce your invoice. Final headcount is due 3 days before your event.

Yes. For verified corporate and organization clients we can waive the upfront deposit and bill by a single consolidated invoice instead, with a card kept on file as a guarantee. Corporate invoices are due before your event, under a Corporate Terms Addendum that we both sign. Larger accounts may be billed in advance. Cancellation terms in the Service Agreement and Termination Agreement still apply. If you cancel using the Cancel Form, amounts owed are billed or charged to the card on file.

Yes. If you have a written, itemized quote from another mobile bartending business for the same event, send it to us before you submit your Reservation Request. If it qualifies, we'll match its comparable service price. We compare service only, without alcohol, and reply in writing within 3 business days. It's one claim per event, and it's a match, not a lower price than the other quote. See the Price Match terms for what qualifies.

Of course. Reply to your quote email or reach out through our contact page, and your Event Manager will answer questions about pricing, what's included, dates, or anything else.

Your first tasting is complimentary, with no commitment required. Additional tastings, for example to adjust recipes, carry a fee for our labor and preparation. We quote it before you book, and you bring the alcohol. To book one you'll need a valid Event ID and a confirmed venue and event date, so we can confirm that our services are permitted at your venue before we plan your menu. Each event includes one tasting for up to four guests. Tastings are held at our Santa Clara location and booked at taste.atwistofli.me. To reschedule, please give us at least 48 hours' notice.

We typically reply within one business day. Our office is generally available Monday–Friday, 9 AM–5 PM Pacific, though hours can vary around event commitments, so if you email us in the evening or over the weekend you'll usually hear back the next business day. Email (events@atwistofli.me) is the fastest way to reach us. Mention something time-sensitive (like an urgent date) and we'll prioritize it. Please note that emailing us does not cancel an event; cancellations are made with the Cancel Form (see our cancellation policy above). These are our usual response times, not a guarantee.

Yes. A planner, co-host, or coordinator can help plan and coordinate your event with us. Because the reservation accepts a binding Service Agreement, it should be completed by the person responsible for the event, or by someone with their authority to sign. Contract matters such as cancellations, changes in scope, or refunds are handled with the person who signed.

Yes. Submit a new inquiry, or email us, with your previous Event ID# and new date. We'll use your past event as a starting point and prepare a fresh quote at current pricing.