Spotlight on Lon Lane of Lon Lane’s Inspired Occasions

Today, we’re putting a special spotlight on one of our most valuable partners: Lon Lane, founder of Lon Lane’s Inspired Occasions based in Kansas City. Lon and his wife, Marcia, started their catering company in 1991 to serve the hospitality needs of Kansas City’s top corporations and prominent citizens.

Having operated for over 30 years, his catering company has been prepared to weather virtually any storm — yet, COVID-19 still took the industry by surprise and has had quite an impact on all event business. We spoke with Lon about how his company has adapted to the times amidst a global pandemic.

How has your client communications evolved and changed over the last few months?

Inspired Occasions has many repeat customers and our staff is in constant contact with them to stay on top of their needs. Our customers place orders, then we interact, deliver, and follow up to request feedback. This is how it’s always been, even prior to the pandemic; now that everything is up in the air, we have been extra prudent with our communications to ensure our clients feel heard and appreciated. We work very hard to be their “go-to” for their culinary needs. 

What has your business done to keep employees happy and motivated during this time?

Employees are the foundation of a successful company. Getting workers to come back when they make more staying home on unemployment is difficult. Our staff that was retained is generally motivated to help develop products and programs in order to keep their jobs. The work is hard and, honestly, pretty discouraging to not be able to do events. We are an event business, but have been reduced to packaging and takeout services. Our team works hard to be creative, but the effort oftentimes isn’t worth the reward. Daily takeout, curbside, and delivery is high-volume, but low-ticket business.

I won’t sugarcoat it. There is not much that we can do to keep people happy as it’s not a happy situation; there is a lot at stake and no certainty to place our bets. What I do know is that daily communication with employees and reassuring each one how important they are can go a long way in motivation. It is not a cure-all, but event professionals are resilient and we all want to emerge from this crisis a winner. 

How do you foresee events changing in 2021?

This is the million-dollar question, isn’t it? Here’s how I’ve processed the balance of this year and the next (this is my humble opinion, so please take it with a grain of salt):

July and August 2020: This period is very unstable and confusing. People will be distracted by the election and the virtual political conventions taking place. Indoor restaurant dining continues to be prohibited in many areas. Generally, I believe people eat lighter in the summer and consume less food so this will not have as much of an impact as it will when the weather gets colder and the election is behind us.

September – November 2020: There will be few (if any) events during this period. We’ll be heading into flu season, so there will be a natural fear of gatherings. We’ll also be inching towards the election, which will create a flurry of uncertainty in the market.

December 2020: Now, December will be a bit of a wild card. It will depend a lot on the outcome of the election and the intensity of the virus spike in October and November (and whether there’s a second wave). For most, this is already a slow time for events, but expect holiday parties to be far less common than last year.

January – March 2021: Again, these are generally slower months already and regular flu season will continue on into early spring. If coronavirus deaths reach 250,000 as expected, I doubt there will be much activity in the first quarter of 2021.

April 2021 and beyond: Assuming there is a vaccine released in the first quarter (fingers crossed), I’m expected Q2, Q3, and Q4 to explode with activity. People will be ready to start gathering socially and we’ll all have a hefty backlog of events to work through.

Thus, the key for survival (in my opinion) is to survive until the vaccine is available and ready for the public. Many companies will have gone out of business, so the market will have fewer choices in selecting catering and event companies. Those that do remain will be swamped, which is very much a good thing on the other side of this pandemic!

What advice do you have for other caterers that are still struggling to adapt—whether that’s navigating postponements and cancellations, staying organized and productive, or staying creative with menus?

My suggestion is to move immediately into survival mode, if you haven’t already. Reorganize your finances, track your debt, and design your budget accordingly. Things will be uncertain for some time, so prepare a business plan to meet market needs and demands for the next seven to eight months. Now is the team that we need to circle the wagons and work as a team to survive. 

Talk to your clients and ask them what they need. Connect with them to see how they are doing and learn how you can help them navigate their upcoming events. Be considerate and understand that some events will get booked and later cancelled based on local laws regarding the virus. Times are uncertain for everyone and we all need to come together with mutual respect and understanding.

For more information about Lon Lane’s Inspired Occasions, visit their website here: https://inspiredoccasionskc.com/.