The wedding catering market is one of the most lucrative and emotionally rewarding niches in the food service industry. Couples invest significantly in their wedding catering — it’s often the largest food-related purchase of their lives — and they remember it forever. Here’s how to build a wedding catering business that stays consistently booked. Specialize […]
Event planners are the single most valuable referral network available to a catering business. A single event planner who loves your food and trusts your execution can send dozens of events your way annually. Here’s how to build and nurture relationships with the event planners who can transform your catering business. Understand the Event Planner’s […]
Catering pricing is notoriously difficult to get right. Caterers who undercharge are perpetually busy and perpetually broke. Caterers who understand their true costs and price accordingly build sustainable, profitable businesses. Here’s the complete framework for pricing catering services correctly. Calculate Your True Cost of Each Event Every catering event has unique costs. Before quoting any […]
QuickBooks has become the de facto standard for restaurant and food truck accounting — for good reason. Properly configured and consistently used, QuickBooks gives you real-time visibility into your financial performance, simplifies tax preparation, and helps you make better decisions. Here’s how to use it effectively. Set Up Your Chart of Accounts Specifically for Food […]
Food cost is typically the largest controllable expense in a food business. Bringing it under control — without compromising the quality that defines your brand — requires systematic thinking, supplier discipline, and operational creativity. Here’s how to do it. Conduct a Menu Engineering Analysis Not all menu items cost the same to produce, and not […]
Financing a food business is one of the most common challenges new food entrepreneurs face. Traditional lenders view food businesses as high-risk, which means getting a small business loan requires preparation, persistence, and a compelling case. Here’s how to approach the process strategically. Know What Lenders Are Looking For Lenders evaluate food business loan applications […]