Restaurant owners have a catering gold mine right under their noses. A customer database, overhead already paid, food that your guests love, staff, recipes, etc., are all in place. After you have established a catering menu, a separate Gobble Auckland catering phone line, a separate catering email address, and you are ready for your first catered event, you’re ready to go. But where do you start advertising your catering services? It starts with your restaurant customer.
Catering menus should be consistent with regular menu items.
Not only is it cost-effective to offer menu items sold on a day-to-day basis at the restaurant, but guests that enjoy the food catered at their event are more likely to come in and enjoy those same menu items with friends and family — and vice versa.
Food packaging for catering should be designated for use with regular items as well. There’s no need to order two sets of packaging products if you can use them for both catering and regular restaurant food.
Sacrificing Customer Trust For Your Own Gain
A main goal as a business owner is to, of course, earn profit. But, you should also strive to receive loyalty from patrons and to delight your guests with your food and service. The age-old saying “honesty is the best policy” applies to this situation.
Be reasonable and fair when charging guests for an event. Don’t drive your charge per person way up just to see higher profits for yourself. A higher cost must be justifiable. Being greedy is bad for business and might make you lose the deal altogether.
Remember, most of the time people compare different venues before making a final decision. Don’t sell yourself out of the game by being unreasonably priced.
Diversify the Menu Offering
Strategy comes in once again when you’re building the menu for a catered event. Of course, it won’t be wise to only offer filet mignon, caviar, and escargot, because those are all expensive!
Find a good mix between high cost and low-cost items and offer an assortment of those. This ensures that there are impressive food options that are still reasonably priced.
Reuse ingredients when possible. Food waste is a hot topic these days and you want to do your best to avoid it. If you’re making a chicken dish with mushrooms, you can buy those mushrooms and bulk and use them in an accompanying risotto. Arugula used in a salad with parmesan can be wilted and used as a side dish. Keep costs down in an effective way without sacrificing taste.
It all starts with attention
I am sometimes surprised at how long in advance and with how many people organisers work on contracting keynote speakers. Let me assure you that catering is just as important as good speakers. Poor, rushed or unsustainable food will ruin the experience of the entire event. On the contrary, exceptional food with sufficient opportunity for interaction can lift your event to the not-to-be-missed level. As caterers, we will provide support. We know what works and how we can ensure your guests the best possible experience. Trust us, we know what we’re doing and show that on a daily basis.