n the road to becoming the 44th President of the United States, candidates will spend much of their time in the coming year with fundraisers and speaking engagements at properties all over the country. From a food and beverage standpoint, this means tighter security, last-second changes to the menus and schedules, and, in some cases, a complete lockdown of the culinary staff while the politician is in-house.

“The number-one thing is to maintain flexibility,” says Robert Neubert, director of catering sales, Hilton Chicago. “You can have the best agenda possible, and it’s going to change the day of the event.”

“It’s not a food and beverage moneymaker,” says Bernhard Götz, executive chef, Little America Hotel, Salt Lake City, and former executive chef, Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers. “You’re lucky if you break even.”

So why would a hotel go through the hassle of hosting a dignitary? We looked for answers and collected tips from political hospitality veterans who, collectively, have cooked or catered for Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush, as well as many presidential hopefuls, including Illinois Senator Barack Obama and Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.

1.THE SERVICE IS SECRET
“Obviously, there’s a lot of visibility and PR, but, from a revenue standpoint, it might not always be the soundest decision,” says Vince Fattore, associate director of catering, Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers. “There’s a lot of stress on the operation because there are always tons of last-minute changes made by the advance team of the Secret Service.”

Fattore says a politician’s team will request exclusive rights to the ballroom and often asks that there be no other events around them. And they keep the true arrival time of the dignitary secret.

“They don’t give you the actual times until that morning,” Götz says.

Political events can range from a private VIP dinner for 25 to a fundraiser for 3,000-plus. Often, the more people involved, the harder it is to stay on schedule.

“After 9/11, security became triple-tight,” says Götz. “It becomes a longer process for the people who attend these functions. They bring everybody in and search them.”

2. DESIGN A MALLEABLE MENU
From a banquet standpoint, extra delays require food that can stand up to the waiting.

“You need something that can be served within a 30-minute notice or held for two hours. If it’s lunch, I try cold food, such as a chilled grilled chicken plate or poached salmon that can sit refrigerated or be pre-set,” Neubert says.

“I get involved in the pre-planning of the menu. I don’t let them tell me, ‘Here, this is what we want.’ I’ll tell them, ‘This is what you’re going to be able to do,’” Götz says.

3. FOLLOW THAT FOOD
Depending on the dignitary, the food used for the function is tracked by the advance team from its source at a warehouse through the hotel’s loading dock.

“When I was in Chicago, they went to U.S. Foodservice to make sure the food was secure,” says Götz. “Everything had to be on one truck, and they wouldn’t let it out of sight. The police and the health inspector drove with them.”

4. DOUBLE YOUR STAFF
Like food, employee schedules can require final approval from a politician’s team. If the President is coming, all personnel go through a background check.

“Their Social Security numbers are given to the White House, says Fattore. “If there’s a problem with any of the service staff, they can’t work the event.”

“You always want to double your staff in case you need extra people,” says Götz. You might have someone with something on their history, and they won’t let them in.”

5. PREPARE FOR LOCKDOWN
On the day of the event, especially if the President is in the hotel, all exits are blocked by the Secret Service. That means the kitchen staff, wherever they are, are locked down until the politician leaves.

“If you have a shift coming in at 6 a.m. and another coming in at 2 p.m., and they lock down the hotel between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., then the 2 p.m. people have to be there no later than 10:30 a.m.,” Götz says.

This is another hidden cost of hosting a dignitary because there are extra personnel often just waiting to work.

“Once you’re locked down, that’s it. You cannot move out of your area. We just set up an area in the cafeteria and give them free food. They’re happy because they’re getting paid overtime,” Götz adds.

WORTH THE WORRY?
No matter how many hoops a hotel has to jump through, the extra effort is usually worth it.

“It’s tremendous visibility,” says Neubert. “In the past year, we’ve had two visits from President Bush. John Edwards has been here twice. We’ve had Obama probably ten times in the last year. There’s a level of excitement.”

“It’s rewarding, there’s no two ways about it,” says Götz. “If the President comes to your hotel, no matter if you’re for or against him, he’s still the President, and people feel proud about that.”