Introduction
Since a catering menu is the first thing prospective clients will request when looking for a catering service, it is the most crucial component of the catering industry. It is what you will show customers during their initial session, making it a selling point for your company. A menu should be created because it is the foundation of your restaurant, according to several caterers. Follow Shiva Shakti’s instructions on how to add food and price the items on your menu for help creating a catering menu.
What Is The Difference Between A Catering Menu And A Restaurant Menu?
You cannot simply offer your entire menu if you are a restaurant owner trying to incorporate catering into your business. The complexity of a restaurant menu might slow down the kitchen. For serving a large number of people quickly and effectively, catering menus are smaller. If you currently have a restaurant menu, think about including your most well-liked menu items that are portable.
Keep In Mind These Things Before Creating A Catering Menu
You need to ask yourself a few questions before you can start making a menu. You can use these queries to focus on the kind of client care you wish to offer and any potential event constraints. It will be simple to add food products and price them after you have your responses. Look at the following inquiries below.
WHAT IS THE COMPETITION OFFERING?
By examining the competition, you can save doing a lot of tedious work like studying your target market and determining whether materials are readily available in your location. In other words, delegate the work to your rivals. Additionally, you’ll be able to view the pricing range, which can help you get a sense of what local consumers are prepared to spend.
WHAT TYPE OF CATERING SHOULD YOU OFFER?
You will be aware of the kinds of catering services that are popular in your area after investigating your competitors. If for any reason you wish to offer something unique, check over the following catering styles and pick the ones you believe will be most useful to your clients.
Types of Catering Services
Concession Catering
Corporate Catering
Wedding Catering
Social Event Catering
Restaurant Catering
Cocktail Reception
Buffet Catering
Sit-down Catering
Take-away Catering
WHAT TYPE OF EVENT IS YOUR CUSTOMER HOSTING?
It can be easy to decide what kind of catering service to provide your client. For instance, weddings and business gatherings will require catering in the wedding and business styles. It will be more difficult to plan for other occasions, though, such family reunions or auctions. You will need to consult with your customer just like Shiva Shakti to determine the kind of event they have in mind in this situation. Two crucial inquiries to ask clients are:
The occasion is formal or casual. For formal parties, some catering techniques perform better than others. Concession catering, for instance, is ideal for an outside event but wouldn’t really work for a wedding.
How long are guests allowed to eat? The maximum amount of time attendees will likely have to eat a meal is 30 minutes if the event is only scheduled to last an hour. For this kind of gathering, a take-away catering approach will make it simple for attendees to pick up food and enjoy it later so they won’t feel pressed to finish it right away.
WHAT TYPE OF FOOD SHOULD YOU INCLUDE?
The only condition for catering meals, no matter what kind of cuisine you throw on, is that it can travel. For instance, if you have to travel far to get to the event, you should avoid refrigerated and frozen items.
It’s a good idea to develop a catering menu that is well-liked by your clientele if you currently operate a brick and mortar restaurant, as was previously discussed. However, if your business is purely catering, you have two options:
1. Create Your Menu:
The majority of occasions will use this kind of menu, which will include similar foods. Meals that travel well and that you think your crew is excellent at making should be on your menu. Offering samples to guests will ensure that they enjoy the food as much as you do, even though you may feel confident serving these dishes.
2. Create A Customized Menu:
You will need to consult with your consumer to determine their preferences for the foods on this kind of menu. Because it guarantees that they will eat a meal that they and their guests will appreciate, a personalized menu is particularly alluring to clients.
HOW DO YOU PRICE YOUR CATERING MENU?
Costs for catering often include the cost of the food, the cost of the service, and any unexpected charges. Your menu item pricing may change slightly depending on the sort of catering service you offer. Below are some examples of how you might price your menu:
a. Each food item has a set price under this type of pricing structure. As an illustration, two cupcake trays would cost $20.
b, Pricing on a sliding scale is frequently utilized for buffets; the more people that are invited, the cheaper it is per plate.
c, Customized Pricing: When used with bespoke catering, you determine the cost based on the demands of the client.
d, Markup: This is the fee added to the cost of the food to cover the cost of labor and time.
e, Extra Charges: Additional charges may be made for overtime, delivery, serving, setup, and takedown services. Make sure your customer is informed of any additional costs they might incur.
How to Make a Catering Menu
Step 1: Match the catering menu to your restaurant
It’s crucial that the catering portion of your restaurant adhere to the same standards of quality and pricing as your initial full service menu. A set meal is available from Black Tie Catering Company, and it is based on the harvesting seasons in Maine. Chef Avery Ritcher. She subscribes to the notion that “each chef, while catering, is looking for a creative and memorable cuisine so that the visitor will remember, appreciate, and return for their next event or meal.”
Make sure your catering menu adheres to your restaurant’s core values and the overall brand and concept. Focus on the things that are well-liked, lucrative, and easily scalable as your catering menu is unlikely to cover all of your typical menu options.
Step 2: Know Your Numbers
Here are some metrics to consider while creating a catering menu. For this new source of income to succeed, they are essential.
Price per Plate (Total Food Cost x Number of Guests Served)
Price per Person
Amount of Visitors
Labor Day
Profitability
The profitability of your catering business can be determined by multiplying the cost of the food, labor, and supplies (such as heaters, food trays, tables, etc.) by the total sales. Remember that labor costs should account for the time spent organizing and staffing the event.
Gross Revenue – Food Cost – Labor Cost – Materials Cost = Profit
In order to benefit from the catering industry, the restaurant must be aware of certain measurements and calculations.
Step 3: Set Up Your Schedule
The best catering profits will be obtained by providing year-round catering.
There are other events that take place outside of May through September, but wedding season is when catering is busiest! Why confine your restaurant to just one season if providing catering services can benefit your servers, promote your brand, and provide another stream of income?
However, catering requires time and money that your restaurant might not have. If you only book one or two events in the fall and winter, it’s probable that the numbers won’t support providing catering all year round.
Bringing Your Menu To Life
All that’s left to do after gathering all of your data is to write it down. Make sure to give clients a professional presentation of your menu. Provide them with a copy of the design or theme you’ve chosen if it fits the nature of your offering. You can also decide to put it on your business website so that clients can see it and potential consumers can see the kinds of services you provide. In order for your catering business to succeed and for you to become a successful business owner, keep in mind that the menu is its foundation. Hence for more details you can reach out to the official website of Shiva Shakti. We are always ready to serve and contact you.