Becoming a caterer. Start-up of a store and catering business. You will need to set up a menu. This can cost you an absolute fortune if done according to the highest standards and professional services. Or you can do it all yourself.
For starters, you probably have limited time and money if you’re just starting out. If you’re ranked #2, then chances are you’re well funded and staffed to perform this task as well. If that’s not the case for startups and catering operations starting out, the basic rule of thumb is: if someone has done the legwork and indeed the hard work and costs, why not use their experience and knowledge for your benefit? It all comes down to market research and real world testing of foodservice and hospitality.
You can easily create a collection of competing menus to draw from. Many of these are listed on the internet or function as place settings, so these invites are fairly easy to obtain. If the menus are a hard copy, you can politely ask if you can get the copy. Being a service industry, many staff, bartenders and wait staff, will often allow you to keep the hard copy of the menu. Plus, it never hurts to show appreciation to these food service staff through a healthy tip.
Browse these menus as templates for size, shape, font, layouts, etc. These restaurant owners who put together their menus would have done their fair share of real world homework and testing in terms of these factors. Also, they would have had a really quick test of the cost drivers in the print industry, as far as what is reasonably priced and what print services and cost structures to stay away from. In addition, there is the question of the durability of the menu itself over time. If the menu is a hard copy, then by actual physical examination, you should be able to quickly judge which physical form of the menu maintains an attractive presentation the longest.
Now that you have an idea of the physical form, appearance and presentation of your menu, it’s time to fill in the points with your own dishes. The entire purpose of the menu revolves around your dishes and the type of clientele you want to serve and serve your food. What kind of clientele do you attract or want to attract? That is your current goal.
Later, if you want to change course, at which point your menu can be rehashed and revised.
Your menu is the map around which you will build your business and serve your customers. Every day you will work with him. It won’t just work for you, it’ll be working for your menu. Keep your menu simple. To start, include simple old favorites like baked chicken, lasagna, and meatloaf. Meat and potatoes so to speak.
Too many options can overwhelm your customers and potential customers. So please limit your menu to 10 -15 entrees. You can always add your favorite extra special dishes later, either as daily specials or in subsequent editions and updates to your menu as your catering business takes hold and expands. At first, it’s just a struggle to do the simple things: attract clients, get bookings and your name and reputation, and most importantly, pay all your bills.
Finally, remember that in the end, most clients looking for a catering service do not want surprises. Consistency in food service, presentation, and delivery may be among the most important factors. In fact, consistency of service levels is perhaps the most important factor initially for your catering business.
