Lead of the Week: One Customer, Three Catering Orders

Most restaurants treat a holiday catering order as a one-time event. The party ends, the invoice is paid, and nobody talks again until next December, if at all.

This week's customer booked a 75-person holiday event last year. This year they are on the schedule for around 100, with an October event already done in between.

Lead of the Week: one returning customer, a bigger order this year. Last year: 75 people. This year: around 100. Source: cold email lead

Catering Funnels is a done-for-you lead generation and automation platform built for restaurants with active catering operations.

Situation

The client is a Memphis-area BBQ restaurant. Last year, this customer booked a 75-person holiday event with it.

This year, the restaurant's cold email outreach reached them. The email was a general team lunch pitch: BBQ options, simple to order, local to Memphis, and an offer to help with an upcoming lunch.

It started with a simple follow-up: last year's holiday customer came back for more, and the goal was to stay on their radar and make the next order easy to plan

Restaurant: Hey there,

Are you open to new catering options for your meetings and events?

At [restaurant], we offer a variety of BBQ options like brisket, chicken, and house-made sides that are simple to order for teams.

We're based in the Memphis area and regularly cater local teams and events. If there's any interest, I'd be happy to help with an upcoming lunch.

Restaurant: We offer catering for groups of all sizes, with options like BBQ plates, meats by the pound, and sides.

Our catering is set up to be flexible for teams, whether it's a one-time lunch or recurring meals.

If you have anything coming up or want help putting together options, I'm happy to help.

What Happened

On September 15, the contact replied with two events, not one.

The December holiday was the headline. Then a second line: they may want to do one more before then. They also copied a colleague to handle the details.

Then came the holiday catering inquiry: the contact was interested in December, mentioned another event before then, and introduced a team member to coordinate

Buyer: Hey [name], Thank you for reaching out. We are interested in catering for our Holiday in December. We may want to do one more between now and then. I've copied [name] on here who can help with the details.

thanks!

What the Restaurant Did

It made the next step obvious.

The reply welcomed the new contact, said yes to both events, and linked the full catering menu with direct ordering. Then it asked for only two things, a rough date and a headcount, and gave a direct email and phone number to send them to.

The last line gave a reason to act early: "December books up fast."

A clear next step makes all the difference: the restaurant shared its catering menu and asked for a rough date and headcount so it could plan early

Restaurant: Hi [name],

Thanks for reaching out, and good to have [name] on here too. A December holiday party is exactly the kind of thing we love doing, and we would be glad to handle something before then as well.

You can see our full catering lineup and order directly here: [link]

Once you have a rough date and headcount, reach out to me at [email] or [phone] and we will get it locked in early. December books up fast.

Best, [name]

Result

Two orders this year from one customer, so far.

The restaurant catered an event for them in October. That order is confirmed. The amount was not shared.

On November 3, the restaurant followed up. The office manager confirmed December 18, 2 pm delivery, for around 100 people. That is about 25 more than last year's holiday headcount.

From last year's order to this year's bigger event: last year a 75-person holiday event, this year an October event, then around 100 people on December 18 with 2 pm delivery

Buyer: Hi [name],

I just want to make sure that when we talked the other day that we are on the schedule for December 18th- 2pm delivery- Around 100 people, but we will have a better count as we get closer. You did the other event already for us in October. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thank you, [name]

Neither this year's orders nor last year's came with a shared dollar amount, so no revenue figure is claimed here.

Why Does a Past Holiday Customer Need a Follow-Up?

Because a customer who was happy last year still has to remember you this year.

Office contacts change jobs, inboxes fill up, and someone else pitches them first. A short email this fall put the restaurant back in front of a buyer who already knew the food. The reply also brought up an October event, which the restaurant has since catered.

For the full process of turning a first order into a standing account, see how to convert a one-time catering order into a recurring account.

Why Did the Reply Work?

It asked for the minimum and gave a deadline that was true.

A rough date and a headcount are easy to answer. A direct email and phone number skip the general inbox. "December books up fast" is not pressure. It is how holiday catering works. The holiday catering planning timeline locks the date about twelve weeks out, roughly late September for a mid-December event.

What This Means for Other Operators

Your past holiday customers are your warmest list for this December.

Reach out before they start planning. Make the next order easy: a menu link, two questions, a direct contact. Then follow up to confirm. One customer can become three orders when the restaurant stays in the conversation.

See the plans on the pricing page, and follow Catering Funnels on LinkedIn for weekly wins from real catering operations.

Don't just win the order, build the relationship: one customer, three orders, last year, October and December. Want more repeat catering orders? CateringFunnels.com

Common questions

When should a restaurant contact last year's holiday catering customers? Early in the fall, before they start planning. This customer replied in mid-September and confirmed a December 18 date in early November.

What should a reply to a catering inquiry ask for? As little as possible. Here, the restaurant asked for a rough date and headcount, linked the menu with direct ordering, and gave a direct email and phone number.

Can a holiday catering customer turn into repeat business? Yes. This customer booked a 75-person holiday event last year, then an October event this year, and is on the schedule for around 100 people on December 18.