I recently encouraged a friend to have her business meeting catered by one of our restaurant clients. We thought it would be a good proposition for both. The restaurant serves amazing food with a California flare for fresh and interesting ingredients – a good fit for the 50+ business owners who are used to top notch food and top notch service. So my friend worked with the restaurant on what to order, how much, when it would be delivered and all the other pertinent details.
The food was a hit – the meeting-goers were impressed with the flavor and quality of the food. Yah for our client. My friend was baffled by the whole process and thought it was going to be catered. Whoa. “What?” I said. “Didn’t they deliver it?” “Of course, they delivered it,” said my friend. “But I thought it was going to be catered.” After a few minutes of trying to figure out if the food arrived and how it arrived, it finally dawned on me. Yes, the ah ha moment occurred.
Ahhhhh, there’s the challenge – right out in front of us. To my friend, catered means that you drop the food off in pans with sternos and provide plates (china or plastic doesn’t matter to her), utensils and napkins so guests can serve themselves. And then you stop by after the meeting to retrieve your pans. To my restaurant client, catered means delivery. They use clam shells (high quality) to individually package each meal – so all you have to do is hand out the clam shells to meeting-goers. They provide napkins and plastic ware so there’s no mess which makes for a quick, easy clean up for all involved. Two very different views on what catering and delivery mean.
If you are catering or delivering to neighboring corporations and/or large orders to private homes, be sure to keep this notion in mind. And consider the following:
1) Clearly define catering, carry out, or delivery services – or offer all three. And then explain the charges associated with each service.
For example: Clearly explain how the food will be delivered.
Do customers need to call or fax in their order ahead of time. If so, when, where and how will they need to pay for it.
Is there a minimum they must meet in terms of dollars for you to deliver or cater?
Does the final price include gratuity, tax, a set up charge?
2) Be specific about how requests are handled For example, will you call them back to confirm the order? Do they need to place an order at least 24 hours in advance?
3) Payment Options should be included
Do you accept credit cards (if so, which ones), cash, or check?
4) Cancellation Policies
For example, if an order is cancelled in less than 5 hours, is the customer is responsible for full payment of the catering order?
5) Additional items (if available)
Will you offer plates, napkins, condiments, plastic forks, etc.
6) Restaurant Information
Don’t forget to include restaurant address (with cross streets and locators), hours of operation, phone number, fax number, website and contact person (if applicable).
7) Mouth-Watering Descriptions
Sell your food by providing descriptive copy for each item.
8) Your Story
In 3 sentences or less, tell your story. People love to know about the restaurant, the owners, and the passion behind the food.
Catering, delivery, take out -- whatever you decide we hope you are implementing a program like this. It's a great way to build topline sales and introduce your fare to potential new customers. Don't forget to include menus and special offers when delivery or catering food. Give people yet another reason for coming to your restaurant.
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