Preparing For The Catering Busy Season. Tips for Catering Success!

The busy season is just around the corner, and every caterer knows that planning for this uptick in events begins as early as an entire year in advance! Without the right strategies, the busy season can easily lead to mounds of papers, scrambling to staff an event, or much-needed supplies potentially not arriving in time. So, how can caterers prepare to not only avoid last-minute headaches, but also ensure the success of their business? Let’s take a closer look at some strategies caterers of all sizes can implement to tackle the busy season head-on. 

When is the catering busy season? 

The catering busy season typically begins picking up around Mother’s Day in mid spring and carries on well into the end of the year. This season is marked by several major holidays hallmarked by large social gatherings and fellowship, coupled with graduation parties, weddings, and corporate events. 

Spring (March - June)

• Weddings

• Graduations

• Proms

• Spring holidays like Easter/Passover

• Corporate events/meetings

Late-Spring into Summer (May-August)

• Weddings (one of the most popular times to get married)

• Graduation parties

• Summer parties/barbecues

• Corporate summer outings

Fall (September - November)

• Corporate event season picks up

• Holiday parties, starting in late fall

• Thanksgiving celebrations

How can caterers prepare for the busy season? 

Navigating the peak catering season doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Here are some tips for catering businesses of all sizes to get a jump on their planning:

• Staff appropriately - Hire extra servers, chefs, bartenders to handle increased volume without compromising service.

• Streamline operations - Implement efficient processes for order-taking, food prep, packaging, and deliveries to boost productivity.

• Order supplies well in advance - Stock up on food, disposables, linens, etc. with ample lead time to avoid shortages.

• Book early and manage schedule tightly - Encourage advance bookings and use detailed scheduling to prevent double-bookings.

• Increase prices moderately - Slight price hikes are acceptable if providing exceptional value.

• Market aggressively - Advertise specials, packages, availability via targeted marketing campaigns.

• Avoid overcommitting - Know limits and decline bookings exceeding execution capabilities.

• Rent extra equipment temporarily - Refrigeration, cooking equipment, utensils can boost short-term capacity.

• Leverage technology - Utilize software/apps to optimize routes, orders, payments for efficiency.

• Support staff wellbeing - Offer incentives, bonuses, and ample breaks to prevent burnout.

How can caterers keep costs down during the busy season? 

Despite preparation throughout the year, there is one factor that can make it difficult to manage the busy season, and that’s cost. Everything seems expensive nowadays, and caterers are faced with the challenge of balancing profit with pricing that allows them to stay competitive in their industry. This is where the right technology can be a game changer for caterers. 

Food buying programs are designed to be a simple entry point for caterers who want to get ahead of the busy season by planning ahead while offering a tried-and-tested method for reducing the price of kitchen and food service costs. 

Options like SB Value can save caterers up to 17% on their kitchen orders, which is a massive help when trying to balance the uptick in orders during the busy season. SB Value meets caterers where they are. They don’t have to change up their menus or what they buy. This Group Purchasing Organization (GPO) uses the power of numbers to negotiate with top food distributors to save caterers money. A dedicated staff, an expansive staff, and strategic negotiation come together to produce a program that should be on every caterer’s radar!

Options like SB Value pair remarkably well with catering management software to keep your catering business mobile. Rather than be tied to a stationary desk all day, you can take your catering planning with you wherever you are. Catering brings the party to its customers, and now, GPOs and catering software bring the busy season prep to you. 

Preparation and flexibility are two powerful tools in a caterer’s arsenal when it comes to planning for the busy season.

Taking control of the busy season

With the right tools and strategies by your side, you can tackle anything the catering busy season throws your way. Want to learn more about SB Value, the go-to food-buying program for busy caterers? Check out their website or request a free quote today! 

And, if you are interested in learning more about how catering software can help you stay ahead of your planning during the busy season and beyond, request a free demo with Total Party Planner.

Fixing Your Food Profit Margins

You book enough business, your pricing aligns with the market, and your customers leave feeling satisfied. So, why do you still have razor-thin profit margins? If you feel like you’ve tried everything without seeing results, it might not be a matter of producing more income. Instead, you may need to focus on lowering expenses.

Maintaining a comfortable bottom line is a balancing act. When you’ve exhausted all of your money-making strategies, turn your sights to the other side of your P&L statement: the losses. Every company has a cost of doing business, but many overspend without even realizing it. As a result, too many kitchens operate with a nominal rate of return.

If you want to break the cycle and start seeing more cash in the bank, keep reading for cost-saving tips to increase profitability without impacting your client experience.

Reduce food waste

In many kitchens, tossing out leftover scraps is the norm. We’re talking carrot tops, broccoli stalks, organ meat, animal bones, and other less-than-savory items. But sending these things to the landfill isn’t just bad for the environment; it’s also a missed opportunity to maximize your ingredients! With a dash of creativity, you can turn kitchen scraps into rich stocks, hearty salads, nutritious sauces, and more. They may not star in any meal but can add flavor and texture with minimal overhead.

Sometimes, food waste is produced from spoilage instead of undesirability. We don’t often consider the expense of letting food wilt or rot, but tossing out spoiled ingredients will eat into your bottom line. Food waste can account for as much as eight percent of food costs, so focus on addressing this pervasive problem!

Practice strategic menu planning

Your menus determine your shopping list, so if you regularly spend more than you expect, revisit your menu strategy. By being intentional about the dishes you serve and the ingredients used in each, you can reduce costs simply with a smarter approach.

Here are a few things to consider when planning your menus:

• Build meals around in-season ingredients to avoid paying a premium for out-of-season items. You can often find reasonable rates by sourcing from local suppliers, so staying seasonal will help you leverage and support your community.

• Go big with the sides! If your menus feature a number of tasty (and cost-effective) sides, you can get away with smaller portions of higher-cost proteins.

• Embrace plant-based alternatives. Swap traditional cuts of meat and protein for vegetarian and vegan-friendly options like tofu, tempeh, seitan, lentils, and beans. These low-cost ingredients are healthy, filling, and just as easy to flavor!

• Align key ingredients for client menus. Try using the same proteins and produce for events within the same order cycle whenever possible. Instead of buying a bit of everything, you can purchase what you need in bulk, often for a discounted price. Plus, it simplifies storage use!

In addition to saving on food, strategic menu planning can reduce labor expenses by increasing kitchen efficiency. A bit of thought goes a long way for your profit margins!

Cut costs on base ingredients

There’s a noticeable difference between prime and standard-grade beef. The same goes for seafood and most fruits and vegetables. But outside of these main features, people can’t tell the difference between ingredients. So, if you can trim costs by using store-bought broth over handmade stock, take the savings! (Of course, using food scraps is ideal — but that’s not always feasible in a busy kitchen, especially in large quantities.)

Other budget-friendly alternatives to consider include dry pantry goods (flour, sugar, baking soda, etc.), oils, vinegar, grains, and other base ingredients. Let your premium ingredients shine with flavor and texture while cutting costs on secondary ingredients.

Change takes time, so don’t expect to see your expenses slashed overnight. But with gradual adjustments, profit margins will rise, and in many cases, so will your team’s productivity. Whether it’s changing how you plan menus or adjusting your next food order, start small and watch the effects snowball into meaningful company-wide change.

Clint Elkins is the VP of Sales at SB Value, a group purchasing program designed to reduce catering, kitchen and food-service costs by leveraging the collective buying power of thousands of companies.

Balancing Labor and Food Costs

Catering professionals wear many hats: creative designer, chef, kitchen manager, server, and even health and safety assessor. Many of these responsibilities are shared throughout the team, but catering managers carry the extra role of a financial decision-maker. While many business owners outsource accounting and bookkeeping, there’s much to learn from the kitchen trenches when it comes to auditing expenses.

For caterers, two categories make up the bulk of a company’s overhead: labor and food. You need food to serve, but you also need people to prepare the food. Yes, you must also account for kitchen appliances, utility bills, insurance, and other costs. But without labor and food, you wouldn’t need the rest of it!

So, when you’re looking to increase your profit margins, starting with your labor and food costs makes sense. Here are some ways you can trim expenses in both areas.

Labor

There’s a fine line between overstaffing and understaffing; both have dire consequences. Hire too many people, and you’ll drain money on payroll. Keep your team too small, and your kitchen will struggle to meet demand. Finding a happy medium lies in fair pay, efficient scheduling, and vigilant cost analysis.

If your team is too large, you may need to consider layoffs to balance costs. But often, you can retain existing employees and still find savings through other means. 

Start by comparing your team’s schedule to their pay rates, with consideration to your typical event needs. For example, are higher-paid employees working longer hours to perform tasks lower-paid employees can handle? Can you scale back on staffing after dinner is served? Do you need 3-4 bartenders for a bat mitzvah where most of the guests are underage (even if there are 200 people total)? 

A simple reshuffling of staff schedules can significantly reduce labor expenses. However, be mindful of the client experience and avoid cutting back to the point where the quality of service is affected.

Food

With food, there are typically more creative ways to trim costs — redesigning your menu, exchanging ingredients, and using food scraps can all mean less waste and more profit. But there’s plenty you can do outside of the kitchen, too.

First, consider adjusting how you source your ingredients. Are there local suppliers, like farmers and butchers, with whom you can partner? If so, introduce yourself and work on cultivating a mutually beneficial relationship. Having a trusted source within your community can open you up to more savings and a broader local network.

Joining a group purchasing organization (GPO), like SB Value, is another easy and effective way to reduce food costs. By leveraging the collective buying power of thousands of caterers, we secure wholesale rates for our members regardless of quantity. In other words, you can save on every order without changing what (or how much) you buy.

Members can also take advantage of our custom support services by working with a local representative to identify additional opportunities to save money. From learning more efficient kitchen practices to negotiating better prices, our staff is committed to supporting members like you.

You don’t need to be a mathematician to refine your budget and uncover hidden savings. Some strategic shifts inside and outside the kitchen can make all the difference! Keep an eye on your numbers, experiment with new cost-cutting techniques, and don’t hesitate to ask for help.

Clint Elkins is the V.P. of Sales for SB Value, a Group Purchasing Organization that helps culinary professionals save an average of 16% on every food order. Membership is 100% free. No hidden fees. No extra work. Just extra profits. See how much you can save on your next food order when you become an SB Value member. Request a quote today.

Here's How Building a Strong Relationship with Your Supplier Can Save You Money

From venues to planners, catering professionals work with various partners to fulfill clients' needs. But perhaps the most critical relationship for a caterer is with their food supplier! Having a trusted vendor to supply high-quality ingredients allows you to serve excellent meals consistently.

But that’s not all. A reliable supplier can also help you increase profit margins by alerting you to special sales, seasonal deals, and cost-effective alternatives. Thus, it’s wise for any caterer or restaurant to nurture a strong connection with their food distributor(s). 

Establishing a mutually beneficial caterer-supplier partnership takes time and intention, as any relationship does. So, if you aim to develop a meaningful bond with your distributor, you must be ready to show up and do the work to support them.

Embrace negotiation

It’s common to consider negotiation akin to confrontation, but strategic bargaining does not have to lead to conflict. If anything, it can boost rapport by demonstrating that you each have one another’s best interests in mind. Compromise is healthy, and it levels the playing field for everyone involved. Review the market and compare prices before contacting your food provider to discuss your agreement. Most reputable suppliers will happily hear you out! If you find someone isn’t willing to work out a deal that is fair to both sides, it’s worth looking into alternative sourcing options.

Be a good customer

In the foodservice industry, we know our five-star patrons from our not-so-great patrons. On one side, you have clients who always pay on time, respect your professional integrity, and trust your expertise. On the other, there are those who miss invoices, show up late, and question everything you do. To your food supplier, you are a customer — so be a good one! Be responsive, pay your bills on time, and respect their business. Better yet, earn their appreciation by becoming a retainer client with recurring orders and sending referral business to them! Think about ways your creative partners have shown care and thoughtfulness, and turn them around to use with your distributors.

Treat them with kindness

A lot can be said about a positive professional relationship, but everything becomes more enjoyable when your network of business connections evolves into a network of friends. You might stand on different sides of the proverbial table, but that’s not to say you cannot cultivate a long-lasting bond that supersedes work. Show your supplier(s) you care by checking in with them throughout the year, sending them holiday mailers, and engaging with them on social media. As your friendship grows, ask personal questions about family, hobbies, and goals to deepen the ties further. You may even discover that you share a favorite pastime or visit the same vacation spot each year!

When you aim to impress customers with top-notch food and stellar service, it helps to have a trustworthy supplier in your corner. If you feel the relationship is fraught or one-sided, it might be time to seek a new provider that treats you with care and respect. After all, a strong relationship requires both parties to put in effort!

Clint Elkins is the V.P. of Sales forSB Value, a Group Purchasing Organization that helps culinary professionals save an average of 16% on every food order. Membership is 100% free. No hidden fees. No extra work. Just extra profits. See how much you can save on your next food order when you become an SB Value member.Request a quote today.

Easy Recipe Adjustments That Will Save You Even More Money

Running a catering business means minding your margins and keeping a watchful eye on your budget. While raising prices can pad your bottom line, you must stay within the upper limit of your market to remain competitive. So, for most caterers, reducing the cost of goods goes much further than hiking up your rates.

Use these strategies in the kitchen to cut expenses and expand your margins in 2024,

Cut down on waste

You wouldn’t throw away a hundred-dollar bill, yet food waste is so prevalent in the catering industry. Tossing out food equates to losing the money you spent on it, so avoid letting ingredients spoil or disposing of unused items. 

Here are a few tips for maximizing your purchases and extending shelf life:

• Audit your kitchen to ensure refrigerators and freezers are adequately sealed and set at the right temperature (below 40°F for the fridge and 0°F for the freezer).

• Adhere to the first in, first out method with your inventory. Use labels as needed.

• Be strategic when menu planning by selecting meals with overlapping ingredients.

• Find creative ways to use food scraps, like making broth or pickling spare veggies.

• Freeze unused ingredients, like cooked rice, tomato paste, ginger, and garlic.

• Track consumption patterns from past events and adjust numbers as needed.

Swap out secondary ingredients

There are some foods you never want to sacrifice quality: meat, seafood, and fresh produce. But beyond those starring roles, it’s worth trying cheaper alternatives for items like grains, spices, broths, oils, and vinegar. More often than not, subbing a generic brand for these minor ingredients will not impact the integrity of a dish. Place a small order first and run a kitchen trial before purchasing anything in bulk!

Note: Be careful switching ingredients known to meet dietary restrictions, like gluten-free and dairy-free foods. For instance, coconut aminos may carry a higher price tag than soy sauce, but it’s the safest option when serving someone with a soy allergy. If you’re considering a substitute, look for certified ingredients (e.g., gluten-free, vegan, kosher, halal, etc.).

Get help with negotiation

When you swing by the grocery store to pick up food for dinner, there’s no negotiating the cost of dinosaur kale or red lentils. What you see is what you get. But when placing orders with a large-scale food supplier, there’s more wiggle room for you to secure better deals and save with bulk pricing. Of course, you don’t always need to buy in bulk — but that doesn’t mean you can’t lock in wholesale prices.

Joining a group purchasing organization (GPO) allows you to secure the best pricing without needing to order more than you can handle. By leveraging the collective buying power of thousands of caterers, you can order exactly what you need at the bulk rates you wouldn’t get as a single buyer. 

Plus, you don’t have to spend time haggling with the distributor. The GPO negotiates pricing on your behalf while providing you access to a broader range of products. And since membership is free, you’ll see an immediate return on investment right from the first order.

Let’s make 2024 the year of lean catering, where we work smarter and eliminate the unnecessary. Less waste, more profit — the recipe for a successful catering business!

Clint Elkins is the V.P. of Sales forSB Value, a Group Purchasing Organization that helps culinary professionals save an average of 16% on every food order. Membership is 100% free. No hidden fees. No extra work. Just extra profits. See how much you can save on your next food order when you become an SB Value member.Request a quote today.