29 Value-Adding Catering Tips

With Cura Hospitality as host, the Pittsburgh’s chapter banquet featured Butter-Poached Lamb Tenderloin with herb Dijon-crusted chop; an Iceplate by Maestro; and in the background, Crab Cake with Lobster Diavialo.

The number one tip every operator mentions when asked how he or she distinguishes one’s catering services from the competition is customization: the ability to work hand-in-hand with a client, to create a menu, décor and service unique to a particular event.  And finding ways to add value is almost always part of that process.

Our question then is this: if everyone is “customizing” services, can that still be a differentiating selling point? Never fear! The operators FM spoke to had numerous other tips up their sleeves that you can use to win new business and keep your steady clients coming back for more. We picked the best of them for this article.

Food & Beverage

Consider edible centerpieces that are part of an evening’s theme—Cheesecake Lollipops & Brownie Bites in glass vases with wheat grass accent for both décor and dessert!  Or colorful pitchers of Sangria with Fresh Fruit surrounded by candles as the center focal point of the table—with iced glasses at each place-setting for the guests to enjoy!

For more casual events, consider a Popcorn & Pretzel Station for Cocktail hour. It’s less costly than butler-passed appetizers and the aroma entices everyone to celebrate!

Looking for ways add value to a proposal? Try suggesting butler-passed mini-desserts instead of formal plated desserts. Or offer coffee on consumption. (Most caterers charge per person for coffee service, when sometimes only 30% of guests even indulge).

Seasoned Tofu Pockets with Bamboo Rice from Chef Brian McCarthy, Bon Appetit Management Company.

Or, consider hosting just one specialty drink during the cocktail hour and then switching to a beer/wine package for the remainder of the evening to save on bar costs.
 —Bonnie Bolle, Director of Sales & Special Events, Culinary Landscape, Chicago Botanic Garden, Sodexo

Include complimentary biodegradable cane sugar plates and stylish forks.
Offer discounted local wine for non-profits.

Partner with food trucks to help bring costs down.

Mix in-house linen with specialty linen to give the feel of a pricey event at half the cost.

Elegant, room temperature bites can be dropped off instead of butler-passed to save on labor.
—Anna Burkett, Director of Events, TASTE, Seattle Art Museum, Bon Appétit Management Co.

Make  vegan food one of your plate options. It’s healthy, trendy, and tasty, and is also less expensive to produce.

A client can save 25% (about $5.00 a plate) by switching to a vegan based entree. As a caterer, you can save more than that on the plate cost.
—Chef Brian P. McCarthy, MIT, Cambridge, MA, Bon Appétit Management Co.

Close attention to detail is the cornerstone of success and matching up the look and feel of an event with food is key. One of the first formal affairs we did at Highmark was an event for the musical “Jersey Boys”, (a “jukebox” musical with rock and roll from the 60’s ). We incorporated the theme into our menu by incorporating record albums into our serving displays.
—Cameron Clegg, Executive Chef, Highmark Pittsburgh, Parkhurst Dining Services

Specialty linens and dramatic floral arrangements make a tasteful impression at events. (Photo: Araujo Photo from Parkhurst Event Catering).

Customer Service

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We developed an “Under $200” catering guide for clients on campus to help ease budget concerns as well as to encourage new business.
—Melissa Reynen, Marketing Manager, Santa Clara University, Bon Appétit Management Co.

We assist with contacting other university resources to help customers book space, request equipment, and obtain logistical necessities. We coordinate a cooperative information session in April and again in November for our campus partners entitled, “Your Guide to Successful Event Planning at Montclair State University.” Representatives from the Scheduling Office, the Conference Center, Accounting, Residential Housing and Catering present a power point guide and field questions and to put a face to their respective programs. Finally, we post a copy for easy reference on our main Montclair State University Catering web-site.  
 —Cynthia Farabaugh, Catering Director, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ., Sodexo.

Party organizers are looking to keep costs down with smaller, more intimate affairs, opting to spend more of a budget on great food and less on décor and wait staff.  

We provide high end disposable and reusable white platters and bowls. The design is such that it looks like china and provides a very clean presentation. This ultimately saves the customer money on rentals for china platters.
—Leigh Thumith, General Manager, 1st & fresh Catering, Boston, Aramark

Service & Venue

For weddings,  we never charge for the bride and groom. We believe that they should be our guests on their special day. Our cost to do this is small, and though it’s not a huge savings for the bride and groom (our average weddings are $100 per person all-inclusive) the idea that we want to take care of them has a huge wow factor when couples consider our catering services.
—Michaelle R. Buskey, Special Venues Event Sales Manager, Parkhurst Dining Services.

For weddings we always mention that we don’t charge a cake cutting fee. We occasionally  will provide champagne as well which immediately sets us apart.

For some clients we will customize the message on our large reader board/marquis, another thing that sets us apart.
—Tyler Urbigkit, Director of Special Events, Seattle Aquarium, Sodexo.

We create custom menus for departments which had regular meetings/classes/events which landed somewhere between Express Catering and standard buffet service. To assist these clients we developed a delivered ‘to go’ service that really hit the mark and resulted in several additional orders per week for our catering department.
—Melissa Reynen,  Marketing Manager, Santa Clara University, Bon Appétit Management Co.

 We offer an option to host wedding ceremonies on the dance floor of a reception space—with pre-set tables with floral and candles—to avoid the extra costs of an additional rental venue location fee.  Guests just see your vision for the evening a little earlier!
—Connie Bolle, Director of Sales & Special Events, Culinary Landscape, Chicago Botanic Garden, Sodexo.