Today, food industry is one of the fastest growing businesses. Restaurateurs are seeking financial activities to bring in more business. Catering out of your restaurant is one such way to increase your sales and profits. Restaurant catering is a lucrative way to reach customers beyond your dining rooms. Most of the restaurant owners have banquets and private dining halls that can be used to organize events like wedding, business conferences or parties. While some also offer off-premise catering services. However managing your restaurant and catering business together is a challenging job. Therefore for your convenience given here are few tips on successfully running your restaurant catering business.

– First and foremost in order to run your restaurant catering business well, you need to be organized. Make sure that you have enough personnel to handle both the jobs simultaneously. You should also possess the needed equipment and tools along with additional space for storage and preparation. Ensure that you have all the resources to take a catering job and still manage to successfully run your daily business.

– Next you should be able to advertise your catering business well. You can start with your regular diners. As they already like your food and service, they are likely to be the most approachable and enthusiastic clientele. Let existing patrons know about your catering service through a notice at table tops or entrance or as an insertion in the menu. You can also start looking in local newspapers and restaurant associations for ongoing bridal and food shows. Set up your booth in these events with food pictures, price guidelines and services offered to attract potential customers. Another way is to publicize in local papers and media.

– Your restaurant catering menu should be simple yet full of variations. You r menu should also be flexible to accommodate changes according to the needs of individual clients. You cannot have a same menu for your dining room and catering service; as some of the dishes would not last for the time that sometimes catering food requires. However you can easily add few of the delectable dishes from your regular menu to the catering menu. Or experiment new dishes for your catering menu, and if they are well appreciated you can add them as “specials” in your dining room menu. This way even the diners will get new culinary experience when they visit your restaurant.

– Lastly, keep a minimum number for your restaurant catering to make good profits. Also when you take up a catering job, ask your client beforehand the number of people expected to attend the event. Inform you client that this will be the number of meals that you will charge, and they are expected to pay the full amount even if less number of people actually turn up. Also have a time limit for your catering job.
The catering service and your regular dining business always need to be treated separately. Catering out of your restaurant is particularly beneficial in the slower seasons; as they keep employees busy, cover fixed costs and also provides an additional source of income.

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