Thriving in the New Normal: 5 Ways Restaurants Grow Their Catering Sales

The restaurant industry was among the hardest-hit industries by Covid-19.

This was especially witnessed in 2020 and early 2021 when tight measures to control the pandemic such as the stay-at-home orders and lockdowns were in place.

Many restaurant businesses had to close down for good, but a huge fraction of them started reopening sometime in mid-2021. Obviously, the pandemic had lasting effects on the market, especially since most customers now feared in-person dining.

For restaurant businesses, this meant making certain adjustments to stay afloat and business, including prioritizing catering sales. So how do they manage it, one would wonder?

Here are 5 key ways restaurants grow their catering sales in the new normal.

1. Leveraging Technology

One thing we all know about the pandemic is that most people feared going out to eat in crowded places, let alone placing catering orders in person. It thus became more important for restaurants to accept catering orders through e-catering, digital menus, online ordering, and other digital platforms.

Event management tools have also played a critical role in helping catering services grow their sales. By utilizing the right restaurant catering systems, restaurant owners manage to streamline private dining and catering bookings. These tools help save time and money while enhancing customer experience and boosting revenue.

2. Creating Catering-Specific Menus

While there are various types of menus, most event catering customers tend to prefer restaurants that offer various options to pick from when it comes to appetizers, entrees, soups, sides, salads, and desserts.

A growing portion of catering sales, especially after the pandemic, will also depend on how well the catering menus are presented.

Apart from the aesthetics element, this also means including protective measures, such as how and when the food is not to be served (including allergen warnings, an ingredient list, serving temperatures, and so on), as well as health tips and warning signs to inform customers on how to prevent food poisoning.

3. Easy Self-Service Online Ordering

To expound on the first point, e-catering has been a crucial sales-promoting factor for restaurants in the new normal.

Making it easy for customers to order your catering services and make payment digitally means convenience and a better experience as they save the time they would have spent on commutes or waiting in the restaurant to place their order.

This translates into better customer satisfaction, plus it frees up restaurant staff to serve other customers. Whichever way you look at it, it means more revenue for the business.

4. Offering Custom Options & Packages

While catering-specific menus are outright necessities for a catering business, not all customers may be interested in what you have on the menu. When planning catering menus, restaurants know that some consumers prefer servings tailored to their tastes and preferences.

This is where customized menus come in as important. It’s a great way of making a customer feel valuable to your business, and in most cases, your restaurant is more likely to get repeat business or referrals from them.

Catering packages, which are normally sold per event or per booking, are also easier to tailor to the customer’s needs and preferences. It’s great considering how spending on food has changed post the pandemic, because the pricing is also flexible, and hence more likely to attract sales.

5. Working Closely With Delivery Partners

When it comes to catering businesses, delivery is always an essential element to prioritize. Whether they're holding an event or simply sitting at home having a good time as a family, consumers will always want their orders delivered on time.

No one wants to be kept waiting for a whole hour to be served lunch they ordered days ago! Any restaurant owner would tell you that that's bad for business.

This is why many consider partnering with delivery services they can trust to always deliver the orders and catering supplies without delays. It's been a common and effective way for a catering business to drive sales and stay afloat in the new normal.

The years since the pandemic have certainly seen significant changes in the food and beverage industry. Food points, restaurants, and caters have faced several new challenges, but most of them have learned to adapt to the new normal. The above are a few strategies these food businesses have used to grow sales from catering.