MENU & Profit Considerations

Adding catering services can produce high profit margins in the right configurations. We present suggested menus, service types, beverage service issues, event types and demographics that produce the highest profits. We also present suggested menu formatting, pricing and how to deal with unusual requests.

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OUTSIDE SALES

An outside salesperson can greatly increase your catering business exposure, revenues and profitability. This section discusses the benefits and methods of compensation for outside catering sales people.  

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YES/NO EVENTS

There are catering events that can be highly profitable and fun, and those that can be a huge loss. Some people consider concessions catering - they are not the same and there are many event types that should be avoided.  We list specific event types that are highly profitable and those that are a waste of time. We discuss how to respond to questionable events, how to lock down numbers and how to say no when facts don't line up. 

 

CONCESSIONS & Food Trucks

A Concession is defined as going to an event and selling food to people that are attending the event, like a fair, concert, street fair, etc. Organizers typically do not commit to numbers and there may be several other food vendors there as well. A concession focused on a specific food type at a low food cost can be profitable but all factors must be considered. We present statistics from a city with an enormous number of mobile licenses (Food Trucks) and discuss things you should be watching for before opening.

 

EQUIPMENT

Catering requires additional and different equipment than that used in the restaurant. If you are not currently doing catering and want to, this section will provide a detailed checklist of equipment and other items you’ll need to start small and then grow as this new revenue stream starts to pick up. We also walk you through a helpful list of things that can go wonky (bad) while you’re out at a remote catering site.

 

PROPOSALS/CONTRACTS

The goal is to get catering clients that fall within your “sweet spot” event type (maximum profit), proposals in hand, signed up (contracts) and scheduled as quickly and easily as possible. There are numerous ways to write a proposal for catering - we like simplicity. We present some simple proposal and contract ideas with different pricing models, terms and conditions.

 

INSURANCE

If you're catering off-site you must have food liability coverage insurance which will protect you in case someone gets ill from eating the food you served at an event. Many large corporate clients will require that you provide them with a certificate of insurance before you can cater food to their guests or employees.  This section of the product includes an overview of typical client requirement, various types of insurance available and insurance providers. We also discuss third parties providing food at "your event".