Can we provide our own alcohol?
Bon Appétit Management Company at Carlson Center provides all beverages, alcoholic and non-alcoholic. Clients may bring in their own wine as long as Bon Appétit cannot provide it or under rare circumstances of approval. If the client is allowed to bring in their own wine, a corkage fee up to $20 per bottle will be applied.

Does the package pricing include all beverages for the entire evening?
The package pricing includes up to six hours of unlimited beverage service. There is a charge of $1.00 per person, per half hour beyond the six hours. Bar service runs up to 15 minutes prior to the conclusion of your event, or 11:45pm, whichever comes first.

Service Charge
There is a 21% service charge added to the bar total. This is not a gratuity; it is the property of Bon Appetit Management Company. Sales tax is added to the service charge in accordance with Minnesota state law.

What are the specifics if we would like wine to be poured with dinner?
The bar is open throughout the entire time your event is scheduled, so guests can walk up to the bar to be served at any time. If you would like wine poured for your guests at dinner, the charge per person is noted in the package. Typically, we pour a choice of either red or white wine. This per person charge is for one, automatic pour of wine per guest. Requests for refills will be honored. You can add additional automatic pours for an additional per person charge. If you would like specialty wine selections other than what is listed in the packages, we can offer wine served with dinner priced by the bottle. Please contact us for a list of wines and prices. Please note that we do not place bottles on tables for self-service, as we cannot monitor who is being served or how much is being served to your guests.

We would like champagne served; what do most people do?
The two most popular choices are to serve champagne with unlimited refills for the first hour or to pour a glass at each place setting for toasting. If you choose the former, we typically serve the champagne from a special station near where the guests arrive. The cost is the same for either selection. We serve an exclusively labeled sparkling wine with sparkling cider as an alternative choice. If you choose other labels, the price per person may differ or you may be subject to paying by the bottle.

Do you serve bottled beer or keg beer?
In Packages 1-3, we currently use bottled beer. You may choose from Miller and Michelob selections. Typically, people choose to offer Regular Beer and Light Beer. Bottled O'Doul's, a non-alcoholic alternative, is included. In the package you may substitute an upgraded selection of beer and will be subject to an increased price per person. As an alternative. you can substitute four varieties of bottled beer (within our price point) for an additional $2.00 per person added to your package price. If you would like both the beer included in the package and a case or two of a special request brand, you would be subject to an additional price per case based on the selection. See the Event Sales Director for pricing. When you select more than two choices, please keep in mind it is possible to run out of a selection, but we will not run out of beer. The most popular specialty beer choices are Newcastle, Corona, Blue Moon, Samuel Adams, Summit, Heineken and Amstel Light.

Do you provide beverage napkins?
Yes, we provide white cocktail napkins and stir sticks.

What time do the bartenders arrive and how many are needed for our event?
The bartenders arrive about two hours prior to the start of your event. Typically we schedule one bartender per 100 guests. If you have approximately 130 guests, generally we have two bartenders to start the event and decrease to one bartender in the evening. If there are more than 150 people, we schedule two bartenders. This ratio also depends on the package and options you choose.

Do your bartenders monitor guests?
According to Minnesota State Law, we cannot serve alcoholic beverages to anyone under the age of 21. We will ask for legal identification from virtually all of your guests who order from the bar. Please let your guests know to be prepared, as we cannot serve anyone without proper identification. We will refuse alcohol service to anyone showing signs of obvious intoxication, according to Minnesota Statutes (M.S.A. 340A.503, M.S.A. 340A.502). Bon Appétit and Carlson Companies will not be responsible for any alcoholic beverages consumed on the premises or any actions by attendees, invitees, guests, employees or agents as a result of the consumption of alcoholic beverages not provided by Bon Appétit. Beverages not provided by Bon Appétit will be confiscated.

Per visit to the bar, there is a two-drink maximum allowed per person. This is to avoid underage drinking and to be aware of who is receiving alcoholic beverages.

Gratuities to bartenders
Tips jars are not allowed on any bar under any circumstances. Tips can be received but the bartender must remove cash from sight immediately.