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How To Create A Catering MenU
How To Create A Catering MenU
A catering menu is the most essential part of the catering business because it is the first thing potential customers will ask for when looking for a catering service. It is what you will present to your customers in their initial consultation, therefore making it your businesses’ selling point. Many caterers advise creating a menu because it is the basis of your establishment. For help in making a catering menu, follow our guidelines on how to add food and price the items on your menu.
What Is The Difference Between A Catering Menu And A Restaurant Menu?
What Is The Difference Between A Catering Menu And A Restaurant Menu?
If you’re a restaurant owner looking to implement catering into your establishment, then you can’t just offer your full restaurant menu. A restaurant menu is more complex and can slow down the kitchen. Catering menus are smaller for serving a large number of customers in a fast and efficient manner. If you already have a restaurant menu, consider including your most popular menu items that can be easily transported.
What To Know Before Creating A Catering Menu
In order to begin creating a menu, there are several questions you have to ask yourself. These questions will help you narrow down what type of service you want to provide for customers and the limitations you may have at the event. Once you have your answers, adding on food items and pricing will be a breeze. Take a look at the following questions below.
WHAT IS THE COMPETITION OFFERING?
WHAT IS THE COMPETITION OFFERING?
By looking at the competition, you’ll be able to skip through a lot of work such as researching customers and seeing what ingredients are easily accessible in your area. In other words, let the competition do the work for you. You’ll also be able to see where they range in pricing, giving you an idea of how much customers are willing to pay in your region.
WHAT TYPE OF CATERING SHOULD I OFFER?
WHAT TYPE OF CATERING SHOULD I OFFER?
After researching your competition, you’ll be knowledgeable about what type of catering service is popular in your area. If for whatever reason you want to offer something different, take a look at the following types of catering styles and select the services you think will benefit your customers the most.
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 MY CUSTOMER HOSTING?
WHAT TYPE OF EVENT IS MY CUSTOMER HOSTING?
Sometimes choosing what type of catering service to offer your customer will be a no brainer. For instance, weddings and corporate events will call for wedding and corporate style catering services. However, some events such as family reunions or auctions will be harder to figure out. In this case, you will have to work with your customer to see what type of event they have in mind. Ask customers these two essential questions:
Is the event formal or informal? Certain styles of catering working for formal events and others don’t. For example, concession catering is perfect for an outdoor event but wouldn’t really work for a wedding.
How much time do guests have to eat? If the event is only going to last an hour, guests will probably have 30 minutes tops to enjoy a meal. In this type of event, a take-away catering style will make it easy for guests to grab food and enjoy it later just so they don’t feel rushed to finish it in a short span of time.
WHAT TYPE OF FOOD SHOULD I INCLUDE?
WHAT TYPE OF FOOD SHOULD I INCLUDE?
No matter what type of cuisine you add on, the sole requirement for catering food is that it can travel. For example, if you have to travel a long distance to get to the event, you’ll want to stay away from chilled and frozen foods.
As mentioned before, if you already have a brick-and-mortar restaurant it would be wise to create a catering menu that is popular with your customers. However, if you’re solely a catering service you can go down two routes:
Create Your Menu: This type of menu will feature the same types of dishes for most events. Your menu should include meals that travel well and you believe your team is best at preparing. Although you might feel confident with these dishes, make sure to offer customers samples to make sure they like it as well.
Create A Customized Menu: With this type of menu, you will need to work with your customer to see what dishes they prefer. A customized menu is very appealing to customers because it ensures that they will eat a meal they and their guests will enjoy.
HOW DO I PRICE MY CATERING MENU?
HOW DO I PRICE MY CATERING MENU?
Catering costs usually include the price for food, service, and any extra fees that can pop up. Depending on the type of catering service you provide, the way you price your menu items can slightly alter. Take a look at the different ways you can price your menu below:
Fixed Pricing: With this type of pricing system, every food item has a fixed cost. For example, two cupcake trays would cost $20.
Tiered Pricing: Commonly used for buffets, the more guests that are invited the lower the cost per plate is.
Custom Pricing: Used with custom catering, you set the price depending on the needs of the customer.
Markup: This is the charge for time and labor in addition to the cost of the meals.
Extra Fees: Any extra fees can include extra hours worked, delivery fees, serving fees, setup, and takedown fees. Be sure to make your customer aware of any possible extra fees they might be charged.
Bringing Your Menu To Life
Bringing Your Menu To Life
Once you have all of your information gathered, all that’s left is to put it on paper. Make sure you present your menu to customers in a professional manner. Pick a design or theme that matches your type of service and provide customers with a copy. You can also choose to upload it to your company website so that customers can reference it and potential clients can take a look at the type of services you offer. Remember, the menu is the basis of your catering company, it is what will have customers flocking to your establishment and allow you to become a successful business owner.
Menu Research
Check out your competition to develop your catering menu!
Pricing
How Much Does Catering a Party Cost?
How Much Does Catering a Party Cost?
Catering costs for a party can be as low as $10 per person or as high as $180. If you want to determine costs, consider factors like the type of event you’re having, what type of cuisine you want, and the number of guests.
How do you calculate catering costs?
The caterer you hire depends on the type of event you’re putting on, and (more importantly) how you want your guests to eat and feel. For example, weddings and corporate events don’t need formal sit down catering if your guests are outside or you want them to mingle.
Here are 5 types of catering to consider for your event:
Drop Off Catering – $12-$20 per person
For small events (10-40 people), drop off catering might be the easiest option. Your local drop-off caterer will happily deliver the menu of your choice.
All you have to do is have a place to have the food picked up by your eaters. Breakfast and lunch can be quick and easy if you’re looking to have an efficient meal.
If the food is important to your guests, however, be careful. Hot food will quickly get cold, so drop-off is usually good for sandwiches and similar types of meals.
Good for: corporate meetings, small private parties
Buffet Style Catering – $25-$50 per person
Buffet catering can work well for indoor dining and can be great for larger events.
You’ll need the space to set up the buffet and consider if you need people to help serve or refill the menu items. Caterers can usually set up the buffet, man the stations, and clean up the mess.
Food can usually be kept warm, although it’s typically prepared off-site or in the venues kitchen.
Good for: corporate events, weddings, large events, indoor events
Food Truck Catering (Mobile Catering) – $20-$40 per person
Food truck catering can include a full sized truck or trailer, but also food carts or tent/table set ups. The main benefit is the food is prepared to order right in front of your guests.
For large events such as corporate conventions, multiple food trucks can accommodate a large crowd. For small parties (less than 50 people), or small spaces, a cart can do a great job.
While food can be delivered or prepared indoors, food truck catering generally happens outside. You’ll need to provide enough space for the caterer to park and set up.
Good for: outdoor events, non-formal corporate events, private parties, large events, weddings
Traditional Catering – $50-$120 per person
Traditional catering, also known as full-service catering, is what you would expect at a formal wedding or a sit-down dinner event. The food is brought to the guests and runs through the typical courses (salad, main course, and dessert).
The food is usually prepared on-site, and the caterer takes care of all set up and clean up. Traditional caterers also work with the event host to provide two or three options for anyone who has dietary restrictions.
Good for: formal events, large events, sit down dinners
Private Chefs/Custom Catering – $120+ per person
When you need custom menus, hiring a private chef can be the best option. As long as you have the budget, a private chef can run the entire operation, whether it’s a private dinner party at your home, or a black-tie event at a venue.
You’ll generally work with the chef to create the menu, so you’ll want a general idea of what you want. An exception might be if you’re hiring a world-class or famous chef and letting them surprise you.
Good for: high budget events, when everything needs to be absolutely perfect
Here are starting budgets for different types of party sizes and types of caterers.
How much does wedding catering cost?
How much does wedding catering cost?
Wedding catering will often cost more than other types of parties. The average costs are $70 per person for food and $85 per person for food and drinks, for sit down service. If your wedding has 100 guests, then it will cost you $7,000 in total, and $1,500 more with drinks.
You can save up to $5,000 with different service styles.
How much does corporate catering cost?
How much does corporate catering cost?
Just like wedding catering, corporate party catering costs will vary depending on what you’re looking for. Pricing for corporate events will be similar to weddings if you’re trying to have a formal event.
If you’re trying to keep the party light and fun, you’ll probably be able to be more flexible and save money with different types of catering. If your budget is between $25-$50 per person, you’ll be able to find a great caterer.
If you want to have a fresh food experience prepared by a chef onsite, pricing will vary based on your needs. Hiring a food truck or a pop up to show up will cost between $20-$40 per person. If you have 50 employees or guests to feed, that will come out to $1,000-$2,000.
If you have fewer than 50 eaters, minimums may have to be met. An average minimum is usually $1,000.
How much does catering a birthday party cost?
How much does catering a birthday party cost?
Private parties (like birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, housewarming, etc.) are usually the most price sensitive.
If you have 50 guests or more, expect to pay between $20-$40 per person for regular catering. You can save on costs with food truck or pop up options, which will run between $10-$25 per person (depending on the type of food).
If you have less than 50 guests, consider food carts instead of trucks or trailers (which have minimums), or drop-off or buffet style.
Click here to get started with birthday party catering.
Catering Prices by Type of Cuisines
Traditional catering costs could vary greatly depending on what type of food you order. Pasta will be less expensive than lobster. The more specialized you get, the more expensive. For weddings catering can get up to $180 per person and beyond.
Food trucks and pop ups will also vary. A taco truck can range between $8-$20 per person, depending on the catering package you choose. Burgers and BBQ might start around $12-$15 per person. And lobster rolls will get you to $20 and above. Drinks will usually add $1-$3 per person.
Average cost per person by cuisine type:
These prices come from our experience with food trucks and mobile caterers. Prices can be much higher if you’re hiring a traditional caterer or a private chef who will create a custom menu.
Additional Details That Affect Catering Prices
Additional Details That Affect Catering Prices
The prices in this guide are starting and average prices. Here are a few things that can affect the total costs of catering.
Add-on menu items
If you need the caterer to bring drinks, sides or dessert, this will move the price per person anywhere from $1-$10. For special items such as hors d’oeuvres, make sure the caterer is able to prepare them.
Staff and supplies
If the caterer needs to bring extra staff or supplies such as tables and chairs, there will be a rental or hourly rate added on to the catering cost.
Driving distance
If your event is outside the service radius of the caterer, an extra fee will be added. These fees can vary on the caterer and are usually per extra mile.
Event date (holidays)
The timing of your event will affect catering costs. A weekend will generally be more expensive than a weekday event. Holidays will also greatly affect availability, which turns into increased pricing.
Extra time
Some caterers, like food trucks, will generally be there for a set amount of time (typically 2-4 hours). If you need a caterer to stay past their normal service time, expect to pay an hourly charge.
If you need them to serve multiple meal times (breakfast and lunch), expect to pay custom pricing that takes into account the extra food, prep, and staffing costs.
Instructions:
Research the Competition:
Identify and research the catering businesses above (linked in lime green.)
Create a summary of what each business offers on their catering menu.
Analyze their pricing strategies and any special features they offer.
Define Your Catering Style and Target Market:
Choose a catering style (e.g., buffet, sit-down, cocktail reception, hors d'oeuvres) that you would like to specialize in.
Describe your target customer base, including their preferences, needs, and the types of events they might host.
Select Menu Items:
Create a list of at least ten menu items that you would like to include in your catering menu.
Ensure that these items can be efficiently prepared, transported, and served.
Menu Presentation:
Design a one-page sample menu that reflects your chosen catering style and brand.
Include the menu items with descriptions.
Provide a digital copy of your sample menu.
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