What Is Catering? (Not a Trick Question)

ezCater
ezCater
Sep 4, 2018 · 3 min read

By Jim Rand

In a previous article, “The Basics of Building a Catering Business,” we discussed the importance of understanding “Where to Play” when defining your strategy. The catering world is a large playing field. There will always be the temptation to sprint through that field, grabbing anything that you can. Rather than take a haphazard approach, you should position your business in the market strategically. Aim for the spaces — market segments — that your existing business can most effectively reach. This is critical for success. Also critical is that you ask yourself a simple but essential question as you proceed: what is catering? And no, it’s not a trick question. However, you may find that “catering” is harder to define than you’d first assumed. The catering market is broad and complex, and a straightforward question could lend some insight. Consider the following scenarios and ask yourself, “Which of these are examples of catering?”:

  • Office manager Susan orders lunch sandwich trays online from a bakery-cafe a few times a month for employee training sessions.
  • A few times a year Susan calls the same bakery-cafe to pick up a couple dozen bagels and a few packages of cream cheese to bring in to the office for a breakfast meeting.
  • Susan’s son is graduating from high school, and she orders chips and salsa, a buffet-style make-your-own burrito bar, and desserts from the local Mexican cantina to feed a hundred friends and relatives in her backyard.
  • Over a holiday, Susan coordinates a five-course meal for a party for the board of directors through a local high-end, full-service catering company.

So, what is catering? Well, all of these examples above, and many other occasions and need-states, fit within the following broad definition of catering.

Catering is:

  • Food that feeds a group of people (usually eight or more)
  • Chosen and coordinated by someone not consuming the food (an admin, meeting planner, sales professional)
  • Ordered in advance, typically a few hours, or up to several weeks, ahead of the event

If you understand what catering is, you will be able to tailor your menu offerings, demand driving activities, and execute operations to take advantage of the opportunity that is right for your business. Let’s dig deeper!

Types of Catering

What you should know about catering, as you proceed to build your business, is that there are two primary customer segments: business catering (B2B); and business-to-consumer catering, often called “social” catering (B2C). The table below provides a high-level comparison.

Which Catering Target Is Right for You?

Understanding what catering is, and how its customer segments differ, will help you decide which catering opportunities are best for your brand.

Click here for more.

Food for Thought

Stories from the worlds of food and business

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ezCater is the nationwide marketplace for business catering. Our online ordering, reviews, and 5-star customer service provide reliable catering for any meeting

Food for Thought

Stories from the worlds of food and business

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