Many new owners have a clear culinary concept, but it bears repeating the first rule that says that your catering is first and foremost a business. At the most basic level, the success of your business will depend on satisfying a variety of customers with different tastes.
This means that an experienced caterer will include a variety of price points, healthy foods, and special dietary meals on the menu.
Food preferences change very quickly, so a modern restaurant’s menu should include healthy foods as well as information about how they are prepared and where they come from. The trend toward using farm products is also important, so try to find local suppliers. You should research national, international and local restaurant trends to find the best concept and space and identify the right customer.
Find out what restaurants are open in your area and try to create a menu that the locals like, while still offering something unique that sets you apart from the competition.
If your restaurant, regardless of cuisine or concept, makes a small profit, it is critical to control inventory, recycling, opportunities for theft, portion sizes and mismanagement. Each item on your menu should be broken down by ingredient and priced according to current prices. Gradual and regular price increases can have an effective impact on profits, and will keep you from losing money. Small price increases are more easily accepted by customers than larger but infrequent price increases.
Minimizing waste directly affects your business because every piece directly reduces your profits. You can’t create a waste-free business, but it’s important to monitor how waste is generated. If your chefs and kitchen staff are making too many mistakes or serving too many portions, corrective action needs to be taken.
Organizing your business can turn a small business into a profitable and highly professional business. Ongoing organization is also important because culinary trends evolve incredibly quickly. That’s why accurate accounting, effective inventory management, portion size control, and minimizing waste and theft are very important.
Effective management practices can also reduce labor costs, for example, with more efficient and cross-trained employees, allowing for staff reductions.