Creating a menu is the first step in letting the world (or least your market area) know that you mean business. When you can hand a potential client a great menu, you are saying, “this is part of our brand.” If you run a restaurant, cafe, food truck, corporate dining facility, or home-based catering operations you are announcing, “corporate catering is an independent division of my business.”
Here are eight great tips you can use when creating your menu:
1. Presentation is important. Be creative. Consider your packaging carefully. If you are focusing on the sustainability angle, you will want to use recyclable materials.
2. Delivering on time is crucial. This is especially true when you are catering for a new client. If your first five orders are delivered on time and are completely accurate, you will have a new regular client.
3. The appearance, knowledge, attitude, and mannerisms of your delivery staff are an important part of your brand perception. They should look professional, always in uniform, and understand that positive interactions with their customers are always a top priority. We examine this further in “Customer Relations” module.
4. Establish a minimum order and stick to it. Also, a lot of caterers charge a delivery fee. Find out what you competitors are doing.
5. It is important to easily accommodate common food allergies including nuts, shellfish, and dairy products. Providing table tent ingredient descriptions is a great feature to offer.
6. Stay up-to-date on health and dietary trends including vegetarian, vegan, and heart-healthy. In general, consumers are eating considerably fewer processed foods and more all-natural organic products. Consider offering alternatives such as a gluten-free breads and whole- wheat pasta.
7. Charge appropriately for your higher cost items. Clients expect to pay a premium for a top-quality product.
8. Be prepared. Have checkout systems for all outgoing orders and backup paper products in the delivery vehicles.
If you have any menu questions, you can always visit our site for more advice at www.thecorporatecaterer.com. We’d love to have you as a member!
You can visit Michael’s website or email him.
