Running a catering company is one of the most fulfilling jobs out there. A successful catering team will service weddings, parties, and all manner of celebrations. You’ll spend your weekends watching people enjoy your food, and collecting a big cheque for the privilege! Catering is a lucrative niche in the food market. Not only that, but there are endless opportunities to take advantage of. The industry is relatively secure, it’s just up to you to hunt out those opportunities. Today, we’re looking at how to build and run a successful catering company. If you love food, and know how to entertain, this could be the perfect business for you. Let’s take a look.
Equipment and inventory
Before you start hunting out your first job, you need to make sure you’ve got the right tools. Once you take that first commission, there’s no going back, and you’ll want to be ready for it! A lot of small caterers start from home, preparing dishes in their kitchen. But, do you have the equipment to cater for a large number of people? First of all, you’ll need sous vide equipment to cook large amounts of food all at once. You’ll also need plenty of fridge and freezer space to store it. Make sure you have everything in place first.
Start small
As a new caterer, it’s always best to work your way up. Let’s face it, you can’t jump straight in, and cater an entire wedding on your first day! You’re looking for small opportunities first. They’ll give you a sense of the pressure, and tasks involved with large-scale cooking. So, instead of catering the wedding, cater the bachelorette party instead. Cater a small birthday party. These are all opportunities you can seek out in your existing social circle.
Choose the best menus
At the end of the day, the success of a catering company lies with the quality of their food. So, make your menu a priority. It’s a very different process to creating a restaurant menu, or even cooking your favourite dishes at home. Remember, this food has to scale up to hundreds of guests at your events. You need a fine balance of quality and mass production! Look for simple, but effective menu choices.
Create a network of vendors
As a catering company, you’ll have to consider far more than just the menu. You’ll also need a wide circle of reliable vendors, and event professionals. Catering companies are now expected to provide the linens, the cutlery, and even the tables and chairs. The best caterers have a variety of experienced vendors on speed dial. This is crucial, because these are things that will go wrong at some point.
Licenses and regulation
Before we go, we’ll leave you with a final piece of admin advice. Make sure your company complies to all the local and national regulations. Seek advice from your local government if you’re unsure. Remember, there are safety licenses and health certificates to acquire before you can start business.
That’s all for today, folks! Have we missed any valuable pieces of advice? Let us know in the comment section.
