July 2004

Features

Campus catering-14
Catering operations on college—and high school—campuses offer creativity with an academic twist.

The Ivy dinner - 22
Harvard pulled out the stops for an annual conference of top administrators at Ivy League schools.

Special focus

Ready-to-serve - 34
From first course to last, prepared foods can expand your menu and save time for what you do best.

Beverages - 50
Healthy and premium are the top trends in beverages, from water to soft drinks to coffee.

Departments

Caterer profile - 8
Linda West has managed her business through the ups and downs of the Houston economy.

Marketing - 29
Do some research and create an action plan to market your catering.

Technology - 30
Use the internet, custom software and other high-tech methods to do business more efficiently.

Off-premise catering - 32
Pepper’s Fine Food Catering is a family affair in Northborough, Mass.

Smaller markets - 44
Chuck McHale says you have to find your focus to succeed.

Caterer's recipes - 46
An elegant but easy brunch casserole and vegetarian stuffed eggplant, both from campus caterers.

Selling - 54
There are sometimes good reasons to turn down an event.

Ask the experts - 56
How can I do a low-carb menu? Do we need a video surveillance camera? Should I let someone stay on for a few weeks after being dismissed?

Management - 59
Look for a variety of skills and experiences when hiring a salesperson.

New products - 60
Cheesecake, uniforms in many styles and colors, wax hurricanes for a romantic glow.

Voices

Letter from the publisher - 4
Get an education with Catersource.

Business forecast - 13
Position yourself to win the big events, one step at a time.

Shelley’s biz buzz - 41
Cooking workshops for brides and grooms, a grilling event, new companies and more.

Roman’s opinion - 64
Customers are doing things the low-carb way—you should, too.