8 Catering Business Ideas to Launch or Expand Your Offerings

The center of a catering business is food, and food has a direct ​​correlation with broader societal trends and consumer preferences. ​For example, the popularity of plant-based diets has led to creative catering options like jackfruit ”pulled pork” and carrot ”smoked salmon.” ​​That's​ why the catering industry stays exciting and interesting, full of new opportunities for new caterers and seasoned veterans.  

To stand out and stay competitive, you need to capitalize on those opportunities and offer more than just delicious food. Whether this is by providing personalized menus, one-of-a-kind event experiences, or meeting the needs of niche customer bases through a well-thought-out catering business plan, think carefully about what the next best step is for your goals.

So, when you have the chance to be innovative, what sort of profitable catering business ideas may you explore? In this article​,​ we go over a variety of ideas that will help you stand out in an increasingly competitive market.

8 Innovative Catering Business Concepts to Consider 

Finding the perfect catering business idea involves tapping into new trends, your audience base, and gaps or potential in your region’s market. Perhaps you live in a city that hosts many local events or a town that includes famous wedding venues or destinations.  

It’s about recognizing the unique characteristics about your location and how you can capitalize on them. Here are eight ideas you can use to build a successful catering business: 

1. Local and Organic Catering: With more people choosing natural, organic, and local foods over processed foods nowadays, why not capitalize on the trend towards healthy, sustainable food choices? Healthy food catering may involve using locally sourced ingredients, an extensive salad bar, or superfoods like spirulina and acai. 
2. ​​Corporate Event Catering: Corporate events and office functions require catering that suits the tone of the event. This often means a relaxed buffet or even elegant finger foods served in an efficient and no-frills manner. 
3. Wedding Catering: Wedding catering services are typically more involved and specialized, where you’ll work intimately with couples on bespoke services from catering menu design to on-site coordination. If you’re particularly interested in the aesthetic aspect of the food business, this may be the right idea for you. 
4. Themed Catering Services: Themed catering involves creating unique dining experiences based on various themes or cuisines. You’ll attract clients with the ability to create a one-of-a-kind event from scratch, whether a Shrek-themed birthday party complete with green foods or beach hangouts with tropical fare. 
5. Food Truck Catering: Catering trucks or vans mobilize your catering business for festivals, events, and urban eats and can act as an attraction in itself. You can serve just about anything from a truck, from steaming hot bowls of ramen to tacos and other handheld dishes. 
6. Pop-Up Catering: The temporary nature of pop-ups draws guests in with its mystery and exclusivity. They could be done for a private gathering or in partnership with other local businesses. 
7. Catering for Dietary Restrictions: As those with dietary restrictions sometimes find it a challenge to eat out, specializing in gluten-free, vegan, or allergen-free menus gives you an instant leg up over the competition. 
8. Tech-Integrated Catering: With the rise of Uber Eats and in-advance ordering apps, your catering company could harness apps and technology for streamlined ordering and delivery. 

5 Steps to Crafting a Winning Business Plan 

Without a ​​clear catering business plan, it will be difficult to turn those great ideas into realistic ventures. Within your plan, it’s recommended to have the following in place: 

1. Market Research: To craft the perfect catering strategy, you need to identify your target market and truly understand their needs. The deeper your understanding, the better your menus, portions, and services align with what your customers are ready to buy. 
2. Business Model Development: Remember there are different catering models that will fit your current operational capacity and market better than others. On-demand catering is more flexible and customizable, while event-based catering is better suited for larger gatherings. Meanwhile, contract catering comes with the long-term partnership benefits of regular services. 
3. Financial Planning: A lucrative pricing structure will take into account all costs, such as labor costs, transportation, and food costs while ensuring profitability. Just like with B2B business models, the options are vast, with package deals, per-person fees, or tiered pricing. 
4. ​​​Licensing and Permits:  
   1. Caterer permit 
   2. Food safety certification 
   3. Food service permit 
   4. Business license 
   5. Food handler certification 
   6. Liquor license 
   7. Business insurance 
   8. DBA license 
5. Marketing Strategy: Planned methodologies to get your catering service out there, which we’ll cover later in this article. 

4 Operational Strategies for Catering Excellence

Whenever your business is hired for an event, you want to make sure everything is executed flawlessly. To make sure of this, plan and keep an eye on the following four key aspects: 

1. Kitchen Operations: Handling food is serious business, especially when it comes to raw food preparation, preparing food outside of a formal kitchen, and quality control. Are you transporting ingredients safely? Do you have a food waste management system in place? How about a catering equipment list to conduct services with professionalism and consistency? 
2. Staff Management: Staff scheduling and weekly operations are nothing without trained, passionate employees who you trust to deliver excellent service. With consistent training, recognition, and benefits, catering businesses can retain loyal employees who genuinely want them to thrive. 
3. Customer Service: No matter how good the food is, poor customer service will be the first thing to ruins your reputation and make it a struggle to gain new clients. Take the time to build customer relationships through exceptional service and engagement, as well as personalized experiences. 
4. Sustainability Practices: Corporate sustainability has become important to thousands of B2C and B2B companies, including catering businesses. Implementing eco-friendly practices in sourcing, waste management, and packaging helps catering business owners become more responsible and conscious of their impact.

4 Ways to Market Your Catering Business 

Potential clientele need to know your business exists, and smart catering marketing will help make that happen. Using a holistic strategy helps you build a strong identity and entice customers to choose you over other caterers. Consider these four approaches: 

1. Digital Marketing: With 239 million social media users in the US alone, not having a digital presence on the most relevant channels means you’re missing out. Aside from social media profiles and activity, email marketing and restaurant SEO can expand your reach by boosting your visibility on search results pages and helping you connect with clients directly. 
2. Partnership and Networking: Building relationships and collaborating with relevant parties, such as event planners, venues, florists, designers, and wedding organizers, often leads to mutually beneficial business. Reaching out via social media or direct contact is a good place to start. 
3. Client Testimonials and Portfolio: As of September 2021, recommendations from others people personally know are the  most trusted form of advertising, ​at 89%. Harnessing customer reviews, visual portfolios, and user-generated content (UGC) from events effectively attracts new customers. 
4. Promotional Offers: Whether you want to bring in new business or encourage ongoing business, running limited-time promotions and deals entices a greater percentage of your total audience (or campaign audience) to act now. ​Promotions are a great way to pick up momentum, especially when business is slow. 

Scaling Your Catering Business

As your catering business scales and evolves, you want to be well-equipped to handle this new demand. Adopting a proactive approach allows you to manage your increasingly busy schedule more smoothly, and so will these three methods: 

1. Expansion Ideas: Whenever you run into plateaus or find that business is slowing down, exploring new ideas breathes new life into your catering operation. You may decide to offer seasonal packages, diversify your menu, or even expand geographically. 
2. ​​Franchising: If your brand becomes financially successful enough, you could start franchising to increase revenues and capitalize on your business model. 
3. Innovation and Trends: People enjoy following trends, but trends don’t always have to do with the food itself—this may mean introducing more interactive catering options like live cooking or offering a taste of unconventional cuisines. 

What This Means for You 

Taking the first step into the catering industry or finally deciding on an expansion plan comes with many emotions. On one hand, there’s the eagerness to explore new avenues, but on the other hand, there are anxieties around venturing into new territory.

Whether you decide to go for corporate wellness catering or personal chef services, your catering dreams can come true provided you create an outstanding business plan, implement proper operational and marketing strategies, and future-proof your business. 

If you’re ready to upgrade your catering business, why not start with the right tools for the trade? Book a demo to see how our catering software helps you optimize your services, manage orders, and boost customer experience so you can produce memorable dining experiences for years to come. 

Need tips on how you can keep guests coming back? Download our free eBook, Share the Love: Mastering Guest Engagement.