Category Archives: Catering Business

The Benefits of Gourmet Catering Restaurants

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The Benefits of Gourmet Catering Restaurants

The Benefits of Gourmet Catering Restaurants

Using a catering restaurant for your next event has a great many advantages than simply bringing your party or event to a fine dining restaurant. The choices available to you will open up to include many more venues when you opt to use a company that is dedicated to bringing fine food wherever it is needed instead of bringing the diners to the food.

There are a number of fine dining restaurants in the Los Angeles area that also offer catering services to better serve their customers. This will allow you to host your event wherever you want. The catering restaurants will bring their gourmet food to a rented hall or to your home if that is where you prefer to hold your event.

Catering services will generally include service as well as the food. This means that you won’t have to worry about the wait staff when you are planning your event. Planning an event can be extremely stressful, from deciding on the menu to ordering the flowers for the décor, there are a number of choices and decisions that must be made. Using the Los Angeles based catering service can certainly help to alleviate some of the burden.

When hiring the catering restaurant for your event, you should sample the food, of course, and inquire about staffing, table settings and linens. A full service catering restaurant will have everything that you need for your event.

You will also be able to accommodate the special dietary needs of your guests when you use a catering restaurant. Offering a vegetarian option on the menu is easier when someone is preparing the food. You should survey your guests with their menu options in advance so that the catering restaurant will be able to prepare the correct number of special meals.

Choosing the right catering restaurant is one of the more enjoyable tasks that you will have to do when planning a big event. You will have an opportunity to sample some gourmet treats when you are making your decision on the restaurant that will cater your event. In fact, there are so many Los Angeles catering restaurants that you should set aside several days to sample and discuss your budget with these businesses before you choose the one that you will use.

A smaller event may only require a self catering service from one of these restaurants. This will allow you to simply choose the type of food and the amounts for your smaller party. Many of these restaurants will also allow you to choose some of their other services that are typically available with a fully catered event such as staff, dishes, platters, chairs and other items that you may need for the day. Picking and choosing the items that you need for your party can save on your budget as well.

Take the time to list the available catering restaurants in Los Angeles and visit each one to be sure that you are getting the best food for the price that your budget will allow.

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Start a Catering Franchise Or Independent Startup

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Start a Catering Franchise Or Independent Startup

Start a Catering Franchise Or Independent Startup

While there are some catering franchises available in the market, franchising is not as common in the catering business as it is in other industries. Below are some of the advantages and disadvantages of become a franchisor as opposed to starting up your own independent company.

Advantages

1) Benefit from the years of experience and the systems that your franchisor has developed. You should receive thorough training and ongoing support from the head office.

2) The head office should handle advertising and marketing for you and you can thus feel confident that they have methods that should work well.

3) Name Recognition. Clients will already be familiar with your franchise business name and brand. If it is a good brand then customers should have trust in you, even before dealing with you for the first time. You can develop your own brand but it takes time. A solid brand makes it easier to win customers and may allow you to charge a little more due to customers perceiving that you offer better quality than other caterers in the market.

Disadvantages

1) Startup costs are generally higher with a franchise. You may have more expensive set up costs due to the requirements and high standards of the franchisor and you will have to start paying fees for the right to be a franchisee.

2) While it is great to get support from the franchisor this help is often not cheap and ongoing franchise fees can really eat into your profits.

3) As a franchisee you may be locked into expensive obligations with the franchisor, such as having to buy catering business equipment and other supplies off them or through their associates.

4) Lack of freedom to make your own decisions. A franchise can be an easy option for a new entrepreneur in the early days of their business life but in the long-term many businessmen find that a franchise can restrict their ability to grow their businesses, profit and implement their own systems.

5) As a franchisee you will have to open your records to inspection by the head office.

6) Franchises don’t always look out for the best interests of their individual branches. Allowing too many branches to open in one area is one example of franchisors stabbing their franchisees in the back.

7) Lack of an exit strategy. Many entrepreneurs find that their franchise agreement is very difficult to get out of once they have signed it. Make sure that you read your agreement carefully, consult with a lawyer and make sure that you have exit options available that won’t cost you an arm and a leg.

For those that already have experience in the hospitality industry and are willing to take the time to learn business management and marketing then taking the independent road is probably the best option for starting up a catering firm. Rather than relying on a franchise for a reputation, individual owners can also develop strong brands. Spending startup capital on developing your own brand is surely a better use for it than spending it on leasing a brand belonging to someone else.

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Catering Advice – The Credit Crunch

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There are lots of businesses out there that are closing down due to lack of custom. Have we ever stopped to look at why they are closing or do we just jump to the answers we already know, its the pubco’s that are the problem (maybe), its the beer prices (they are expensive), supermarkets are just to cheep (this is very true).

There are so many answers out there that we know of, but are we looking at our own outlet through the eyes of someone else. It sounds very hard of me to say this but I’ve had to do it to myself before, are you trying to find a reason that is not your fault. I had a village pub that was part of a pubco and it wasn’t going as I had planed. I knew what I wanted from the outlet but it wasn’t working and the money just wasn’t coming in. Beer prices to buy in were out of this world and things were getting hard, money was running out. My problem was I was looking at others to blame, when it was my fault. What i was doing was wrong for the outlet, which was also my fault as I should have looked at the business in more depth before hand.

So here’s the thing, yes people will go to supermarkets to get their drink for 50p but can they do a quiz or karaoke in the supermarket. Can they get a meal and and drink served to them in a friendly happy pub for £4.95 (you think about it a pie chips and peas and a glass of beer or wine how much does it cost you. be honest you are still making a small profit from that). Profit is profit at the end of the day and whilst people are sat in your outlet you have the time to show them what else is going on over the next month, that’s free advertising. Other outlets in your area will be doing nothing and now is the time to be doing more than them.

Look at offering the best fresh food you can at the right price, maybe do a meal deal where two people can eat two courses for under £20. Sunday lunch is always a good one a good roast of between £4.95 and £6.95 will always be a winner. Look at what goes hand in hand with good food, have you got a good affordable wine list are you able to do a lot of them by the glass. Do you really look after your beers on draught, a great time to clean is mid week so they are settled and great for the busy weekend.

This is the nature of business that we are in at the moment, trying to get people into your outlet. Don’t worry if they’re not in every night as long as they visit from time to time then you will make money. Its your business to make sure that when they spend you make, look at your staffing and your suppliers. Maybe you could send some people home early and make sure you keep an eye on staff shift hours.

Popularity: 4% [?]