7 Secrets of a Profitable Corporate Catering Menu

A well-crafted corporate catering menu serves as an important revenue driver for your restaurant or catering company. It entices customers to choose you over the dozens of other options and encourages them to place an order. 

Because you’re the one in charge of designing your corporate catering menu, you control which items to feature and how to present the menu to prioritize items with optimal average order size, customer lifetime value, and profit-per-order. You have full control over your catering content and should organize your efforts as such. 

Menu design holds the power to increase both profitability and client satisfaction. With the right strategies in place, your corporate catering menu serves as a driver of business growth and opportunity.

The Importance of Menu Design in Corporate Catering 

Your catering menu is a critical touchpoint for customers. How it looks, which items you include, and costs influence purchasing decisions and reflect your brand's quality and professionalism. 

Prospects and existing customers alike are likely to order from a competitor if they feel your menu doesn’t look enticing or well put together. Fortunately, there are seven secrets to leverage to create the perfect corporate catering menu: 

Secret 1: Leveraging Psychological Triggers 

Your selection of color schemes, font choices, and item placement affect customer choices. For example, blue and green colors are often associated with healthy and fresh foods whereas red and orange hues stimulate appetites.

The font you use also sets the tone for the entire menu. For most restaurants, using a clean, professional-looking font is best, as it conveys sophistication. Use larger or bolded fonts to guide clients toward higher profit dishes. 

Where you place items on the menu matter. The top and center of the menu get read the most. Use this placement for your highest profit dishes to encourage customers to order them. 

Secret 2: Strategic Pricing Techniques 

Certain menu pricing strategies, such as decoy pricing, bundle pricing, and anchor pricing, increase profitability. Decoy pricing means you add a third, higher priced item so customers rationalize it’s more practical to choose the middle tier item. 

For instance, you have three platters priced at $50, $70, and $100. Many customers will see the $70 as the more balanced, value-oriented choice. When you make the middle tier item the one that’s the most profitable and with the lowest catering food cost, you set yourself up to maximize profitability.  

With bundle pricing, you group complementary items together at a slightly discounted rate compared to buying the same items individually. Because customers feel like they’re getting a great deal, they’re likely to spend more than they would otherwise. 

Anchor pricing uses a prominently displayed, high-priced item on your menu that makes everything else seem much more affordable by comparison. For example, having a luxury corporate lunch menu at $125 a person makes the $80 a person choice look like a bargain. 

When you set your corporate catering menu prices, you must know your costs and how much your target market is willing to pay. Corporate clients often pay for quality and reliability over the cheapest options. This creates higher profit margins. 

Secret 3: Crafting a Balanced Offer 

Make sure to offer a balanced variety of dishes that cater to different tastes and dietary requirements. Corporate events must accommodate diverse palates, including allergy-friendly, vegan, and gluten-free, depending on the attendees. When these accommodations are obvious on your corporate catering menu, you position yourself as inclusive of these dietary needs, increasing your likelihood of conversions. 

Don’t forget to add the signature dishes, seasonal items, and popular staples your restaurant or catering company is known for. Highlight these dishes as they help you stand out from competitors. 

Secret 4: Incorporating Local and Seasonal Ingredients 

Use locally sourced and seasonal ingredients for freshness and marketing appeal. Customers want to buy the freshest and most delicious meals possible. 

Showcasing seasonal menu items is a great way to do this. It also happens to support local businesses and reduce your supply costs. 

Secret 5: Simplifying the Menu Layout 

Simplify your online ordering experience with a clean and navigable menu layout with lots of white space to make your corporate catering menu easier to read. Restrict the use of colors and fonts in favor of a more streamlined, professional appearance. Choosing small or illegible fonts hurt sales, so make sure you replace them if any exist. 

Categorize menu items logically in the order customers expect. Group appetizers, salads, and snacks first, followed by entrees, sides, desserts, and beverages.

Secret 6: Regular Menu Reviews and Updates 

Regularly update your corporate catering menu to keep it exciting and aligned with customer preferences and seasonal availability. Ask your customers for feedback to inform changes to continually improve your menu.

Preferences change over time and customers grow tired of ordering the same dishes, especially if they’re an existing client. By updating your menu regularly, it’s possible to spur more orders and encourage customers to order again. 

Secret 7: Using High-Quality Images and Descriptions 

High-quality photos of your most visually appealing menu items increase the odds of success with your restaurant catering services. If you can’t incorporate photos of every menu item, choose the most visually appealing dishes with the highest profit margins. Great photos catch the attention of would-be customers and professional-looking photos make menu items seem more valuable.  

Spend time writing mouthwatering menu descriptions for each item, or at least your main dishes and bundled offerings. Keep them concise. Focus each description on unique features and benefits, such as “slow-roasted,” “freshly baked,” or “farm-fresh.” Use engaging language to make food more desirable, including “crispy,” “zesty,” and “savory.” 

3 Must-Haves for Smooth Tech Integration 

While paper menus aren’t always associated with technology, it’s a smart idea to consider how to integrate your options with technology. Here are three must-haves to remember:

1. Digital Menus

Customers expect to access and compare your public menus with other restaurants and catering companies’ menus. Having an easy-to-find, digital menu available on your restaurant website is the bare minimum to be considered by your ideal clients.

2. Online Ordering Systems 

Do what it takes to make ordering as easy as possible for corporate customers. An online ordering system means customers can place orders whenever they need to, even if it’s outside of your restaurant’s operating hours. This is an easy way to maximize online ordering.

3. Catering Management Software Integrations

All digital tools and technology should integrate with catering management software to streamline your operations. New orders should create entries in your CRM and should integrate with your email marketing system. Integrating your tech stack means these systems do not have to be used separately. 

Taking the Next Right Step 

When you use the secrets in this article to enrich your corporate catering menu, your business can grow its most valuable profit channel. If you haven’t in several months, or a year or more, re-evaluate your current menus considering these strategies and see what greater gains are possible.  

As you assess your corporate catering menu, are there other areas of your business where growth is within reach? Schedule a demo now to learn more about our catering software and complementary solutions like our Strategy & Analytics services.