Restaurant Done Right: What to Know about Breaking into Catering

The restaurant business is difficult to find success in, but there are many successful places facing the decision to start exporting their food. As time goes on, and a restaurant gets more popular, people will start asking about getting food deliveries and having their favorite place do parties or weddings. If the decision is made to expand into catering, then there will be a learning curve, and strengths and weaknesses of your business will become more apparent as time goes on.

Luckily there is some good advice available from people who were successful. Here are some tips on how restaurants can start offering catered events and deliveries to increase revenue and business.

Develop a Business Plan for the Catering Side

A menu needs to be developed, costs need to be set, and menu prices should be set accordingly. Sometimes there are in-house menu items, which are not feasible for catering, so it's important to develop a menu tuned in with the regular menu but also cater-friendly. Everything in the recipe for each menu item down to the Klosterman Baking Company bakery rolls, additional equipment, and labor needs to have an accurate cost price. Finally, the menu prices need to be set to reflect the costs and to yield a profit.

Make Sure to Have Customer Loyalty

The first catering orders will probably be from existing customers of the restaurant, so conduct surveys of clientele to collect preliminary data for the future. It is essential customers see the establishment as having predictably great food along with reliable service across every outlet. They will only help build a catering branch if they are positive the ordered service will be consistent.

Develop a Centralized Service

Developing services only for the catering side is necessary for it to grow seriously. It can't be done immediately due to it being a developing branch, but it should eventually be a service by itself for optimal success. A singular, specialized ordering service for deliveries and events is absolutely the biggest key to success in operations, and a well-developed catering staff is the other component. 

These three tips will help build your branch and make a catering venture successful. Afterwards, it is all up to the customers and marketing. Always get feedback from catering clients and offer incentives to use the service again and for referrals. These tips and good customer service will help score some big points in the expansion. Building a successful catering wing to accompany a restaurant is a great way to build brand recognition and revenue.