From the team
Breakdowns, playbooks, and honest takes. New posts when we have something worth saying.
The first contact was not the buyer. He forwarded the information to his director, and a confirmed first catering order followed, with a larger one anticipated behind it.
Read post →A contact asked whether the restaurant had a food truck. It didn't. Answering with the next best solution turned a mismatch into a confirmed catering booking.
Read post →Removing the minimum order requirement turned a cautious prospect into a sample drop-off, positive team feedback, and an engaged catering decision-maker.
Read post →Companies commonly lock December holiday party caterers in September and October, largest events earliest. Here is the month by month booking timeline.
Read post →Holiday party catering cost is driven by menu, service level, and market. Here is what moves the per person number and how to budget 50 to 200 guests.
Read post →Catering leads come from four places: free and organic, marketplaces, bought lists, and outbound you own. What each costs and what each actually yields.
Read post →ezCater alternatives fall into three groups: commission marketplaces, flat-fee ordering software, and direct systems you own. Nine options compared.
Read post →Catering pricing calculator for corporate orders. Enter food cost, delivery, and service level to get a per-person price, total quote, and gross margin.
Read post →Catering marketplace commission is commonly reported in the mid-teens plus card processing. Here is what it costs at real volumes and how direct compares.
Read post →Catering cold outreach templates for email and LinkedIn, with a line-by-line breakdown of why each one is built the way it is.
Read post →A no-pressure free sample offer led to a team meeting invite from a business looking for office lunch and team-building catering.
Read post →An automated outreach message led to a tasting with a business that orders catering 3 to 4 times per month. The flywheel's front door.
Read post →EzCater commissions cost more than most operators realize. See the annual math at three revenue levels and what the flat-rate alternative looks like.
Read post →An automated LinkedIn message reached a GM who schedules team lunches. A last-minute request for 15 people became a confirmed next-day booking.
Read post →Direct corporate clients support higher prices than marketplace-acquired clients. Here is how to set prices that hold, and why the structure matters.
Read post →Most restaurants market holiday catering in October. The companies booking holiday parties decided in August. Here is how to get on the list early.
Read post →Three copy-paste follow-up templates for catering quotes that go unanswered. Timing, goal, and exact wording for each touch.
Read post →An AI booking agent handles inquiry capture, follow-up drafting, and lead qualification so catering leads do not go cold during service hours.
Read post →Most restaurants never pursue manufacturing and industrial facilities. The logistics sound difficult. That is exactly why the accounts are available.
Read post →The window after a successful first delivery is the highest-leverage moment in the sales cycle. Here is how to use it before it closes.
Read post →A single corporate event is a transaction. A recurring office lunch account is a revenue line. Here is how to build one and what it compounds into.
Read post →An automated outreach system reached a two-shift operation. The instant reply with menu and pricing moved the conversation unusually far, unusually fast.
Read post →Most restaurants try to get corporate catering clients by casting wide. The operators who get their first ten do the opposite.
Read post →Most restaurants stay on ezCater because they have no direct pipeline to replace the volume. Here is how to build one before you leave.
Read post →A cold outreach message reached a four-shift plant needing meals at 11:30 AM and 11:30 PM. Most restaurants had already filtered themselves out.
Read post →One corporate catering order does not behave like a sale. It behaves like the first turn of a flywheel. Here is how the four stages work.
Read post →A Southern California caterer skipped the pitch and offered complimentary samples instead. The prospect loved the food and booked a July luncheon.
Read post →Most catering leads don't go cold because the client lost interest. They go cold because the restaurant had no system to keep them warm.
Read post →Most caterers target the wrong people on LinkedIn. Here are the exact job titles that control catering budgets, and how to find them without wasting hours.
Read post →A Southern BBQ restaurant reached out to a corporate prospect via LinkedIn. Five months and several follow-ups later, the booking was confirmed.
Read post →A BBQ-focused caterer received a 'keep you in mind' reply on LinkedIn. A menu link and one follow-up later, the prospect converted to a confirmed order.
Read post →A Memphis-area restaurant received an inbound catering inquiry on a Sunday. A quick response kept the booking from going to a competitor.
Read post →A mid-South BBQ restaurant used LinkedIn to reach a corporate contact at a global manufacturer operating more than 100 facilities worldwide.
Read post →A regional pit BBQ caterer connected on LinkedIn with a contact at a plant running three shifts. A recurring catering relationship followed.
Read post →A BBQ catering operation reached out on LinkedIn and heard nothing. One follow-up reopened the conversation and converted a corporate administrator.
Read post →A BBQ caterer used LinkedIn to reach a corporate client managing staff meal programs across multiple locations. A recurring relationship followed.
Read post →A pit-style BBQ operation received an inbound catering inquiry and responded before the window closed. The result was a confirmed weekday lunch booking.
Read post →A regional BBQ caterer sent cold email to corporate event contacts before the holidays. One reply became a 75-person Christmas party worth $2,872.75.
Read post →A Columbus-area restaurant used LinkedIn outreach to reach a corporate contact. The result was a confirmed 25-person team lunch booking worth $338.
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