Business catering is a tried-and-true way for restaurant operators to improve their profit margins. If you can get your food onto a corporate credit card once, you have a clear path to regularly booking $400 lunch orders that really make a difference to your bottom line.
But first, you must get your foot in the door. Take the following actionable steps to improve your discovery, land the order, and retain the client.
Why Business Catering Is Worth Your Consideration
Adding a catering component to your service is smart. Adding a business catering element is even smarter. For one, business catering brings in large orders with checks averaging over $400. If the office manager is happy with your service, chances are they’ll put you on their go-to caterer rotation.
Second, getting your food inside a corporate office or worksite is a fantastic marketing tool. In challenging economic times when people may be eating out less, free office food gives people a way to discover new restaurants without any financial risk. According to ezCater’s 2024–2025 Catering Growth Report, 70% of employees who first experienced a restaurant through a work-catered meal became a repeat customer of that same restaurant.
Visibility Is the First Step to Catering Growth
The best way to get noticed is online. That’s where office staff research, select a restaurant, and place the order. So, meet them where they’re at. Here are some techniques to increase your discoverability.
Make Your Catering Services Impossible to Miss
The most important step to take is to very visibly link your catering program to your website’s homepage. Include a call to action and a big button persuading potential customers to look further at the value your catering program could bring to them.
Get Your Menu in Front of the Right People
Third-party marketplaces and traditional delivery apps with dedicated corporate portals act as food search engines for office staff searching for caterers. So, visibility on those sites may be worth your investment.
Another way to get eyes on your menu is to build off the fact that office managers and executive assistants tend to list their roles on professional networks like LinkedIn. Targeted outreach towards these individuals within say, a five-mile radius of your location, with sponsored content is more precise than broad social media ads.
Also, check that your Google Business Profile is optimized for discovery. Many people search for “catering near me” specifically, so highlight your catering services on your profile.
Seal the Deal with a Smart Catering Menu
After catching the attention of hungry executives, you’ll have to seal the deal. Achieve this by creating a catering menu that addresses the pain points of the person placing the order. After all, providing a seamless catering experience to 50, 100, or hundreds of hungry workers is a legitimately scary task.
Help your corporate customers avoid hangry pitchforks with these catering menu guidelines.
Inclusion Drives Catering Sales
The first pain point corporate customers face is they have a wide range of personalities, preferences, medical conditions, and religions to consider. To help them navigate the pressures of feeding a diverse crowd, please do your best to include options for everyone.
Vegetarian, gluten-free, and vegan options are now menu standards. Increase this inclusion with kosher, halal, and allergen-free options as well. People select menus that reflect their needs, so customization on your catering menu is a must.
One Picture Is Worth a Thousand Calories
Second, determining the amount of food to purchase is tricky without the right information. Take the guesswork out of ordering for large groups by including portion sizes and accurate photos of what they’ll receive.
A Menu For Every Budget and Every Occasion
The third pain point is purchasing for different tiers of associates and for different occasions. Your catering menu can assist with this task by including a wide selection of budgetary items. Make your menu the go-to spot for both casual Friday breakfasts for the interns and for exclusive C-Suite events.
Another way to make yourself a one-stop shop for diverse tiers and events is to include as many menu categories as possible. For instance, some restaurants that don’t list desserts on their regular menu add them to their catering menu. In turn, they are rewarded with larger orders.
Customer Retention Begins With Peace of Mind
To keep business catering clients coming back, you have to be the restaurant they never worry about. Most office managers simply want to feel confident knowing their order will show up on time and that the paperwork will be easy to handle. With that in mind, here are additional factors that will help turn that first order into 50 more.
Prioritize Administrative Ease
The person booking the meal is usually busy and just wants to check a task off their list. Having a simple way for them to reorder a past meal or get a clear receipt for their expense report makes you the easiest person to work with.
Invest in Freshness-Focused Packaging
Invest in the best packaging possible to showcase your brand and help food maintain its integrity during its journey.
- Vented containers prevent steam from trapped moisture, which stops fried items from becoming soggy during the drive.
- Insulated packaging preserves the thermal mass of soups and sauces to ensure they stay hot while protecting the guest from burns.
- Leak-proof seals prevent oil or liquid from damaging the outer bag, which creates a mess and compromises the presentation.
If possible, eco-friendly packaging is the best option as more and more businesses are aware of their carbon footprint and have developed sustainability initiatives.
Order Tracking Strengthens Repeat Business
Aside from consistent on-time delivery, customers are more likely to reorder if delivery tracking is available. They feel more confident placing an order knowing they’ll receive delivery tracking updates. Since business catering orders are stressful and high stakes, adding visibility into that order helps them feel more in control of their task.
Become the Restaurant They Rely On
Success in this space comes down to being the vendor who eliminates the office manager’s anxiety. When you pair an inclusive, high-quality menu with rock-solid reliability, you become a welcomed and expected part of their work week.
