When people think of catering and bartending for events, they often hope to find a service that offers both. These are both services that had to deal with a serious lack of demand for over a year. This problem started to resolve slowly, but it continues to be an issue in some places.
The statistics are showing that over 39 thousand caterers are working in the US right now. Their average age is 36 years old and there is a predominance of female employees. The business is doing great with around $964 billion in revenue in 2022 so far.
One thing that is always relevant to mention is that catering is a business that is all about serving good food. There are many moving pieces involved in this service. With that said, the core of the business is to bring food to events and serve it in a way that caters to it properly.
What are the core statistics showing in regard to catering?
- According to Zippia, there are a total of 39,635 caterers that are currently employed in the US.
- The average age of a catering staff member in the States is 36 years old and 57% of them are females, with 43% being male caterers.
- Statista has stated $964 billion in revenue in 2022 and the market is expected to see annual growth of 3.38%.
What is it that will help catering and bartending for events stand out in 2022 and beyond?
There are several things to consider in terms of how catering business ventures will thrive in the coming decade. These are times that require extra effort in order to be competitive in any field. Catering services for events are no different in any way.
Safety is a bigger issue than ever before
It used to be that safety in catering services was about making sure the food was clean and properly served. Now the safety issues also revolve around viral infections and the size of the events themselves.
Perhaps what this means is that the focus on safety has now moved towards the event organization itself. With that said, the safety of the food served is also crucial in this process.
Being creative with the catering service is always a plus
The serving techniques, the types of trays you use, and the plates are all going to play an important role in the results you get. You can enhance the overall presentation of the catering services with some creative thinking.
For example, a catering service that offers tropical dishes can consider using certain tree leaves to serve the food on top of plates. That is just an idea to get your creativity flowing in order to create your own twist to your catering offer.
Look into exotic dishes and flavors
One of the great things about exotic flavors is that they offer great healthy food options. Don’t be afraid of moving away from conventional foods when it is evident that people are looking for healthier foods.
This is one of the reasons why we recommend that you look into new alternatives for the standard catering expectations. You would be surprised to see that many of your clients would opt for a healthier choice. This is particularly true when you are catering for a large group of people.
How can you ensure the most reliable catering and bartending for events?
Back in the days before we became so merged with technology, the world worked in a completely different way. Business owners didn’t need to be so engaged with their audience to remain competitive. Now, one of the first things that any expert would advise is that a good catering service needs to involve great customer engagement.
The customer experience is your priority
Everything should be based on the customer experience. This means that you have to provide a catering service that goes above and beyond. The process of generating as many testimonials as you can is always going to be helpful. You have to encourage customers to leave reviews.
The power of a client testimonial is much greater than most people know. The stats by Boast mention that 92% of all consumers read online reviews before they buy any type of product. In addition, at least 88% of those consumers say they consider purchases by the reviews they read from other consumers.
Invest in durable kitchen equipment
This is going to be a crucial aspect of any catering business due to the constant use of the equipment. You need to ensure that your kitchen is always functional and that you are ready to handle any orders.
This is the way that you want to handle your catering business and you want to avoid any malfunctions. The best way to do this is to provide periodic maintenance to all your kitchen appliances.
Make sure to build a website for your business
There are a million reasons why a website is important for any business in modern times, but this is essential for catering. You need to be able to showcase some of the foods you offer with great HD quality.
A catering website should be the kind of place that helps you give people images that make them hungry. The type of images that let the potential client visualize their event with the food your offer.
Become a master of social media networking
You really need to be able to handle yourself in social media if you are in the catering business. This is particularly important if you want to be able to reach a large number of event planners and people who are part of this industry.
The more you grow on social media, the easier it will be for you to handle the business successfully. Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter are all ideal for this particular purpose. Being able to learn to use them is going to be ultra helpful.
Get your business insured
It is always something that feels like a financial burden, but insurance will always be the right choice. Once you find yourself in a difficult situation, the insurance is going to cover anything that may happen that could be out of your control. This is essential fro any catering and bartending for events.
The good news is that there are many benefits to being insured and you can find accessible plans. This is going to allow you to void feeling like this is going to be a burden. You can find insurance plans for caterers for as low as $70 monthly and this would cover most scenarios that could be rather costly without insurance.
Mix the old fashion way and the modern way
What we meant by this is that just because social media and your own website are the best ways to promote, it does not mean that offline marketing is useless. You should always print business cards and hand them out to anyone who might be a potential client.
There are many aspects of offline advertisement that are still viable. Even placing an add at a local paper like we used to do it in the old days is usually a good idea. The best thing is that this type of advertisement option is now much more affordable.
What are the most common catering foods that people request?
There are many different ideas that can be useful when you are thinking of the food you want for an event. In most cases, the event client will ask for your advice and there are several options that you can consider mentioning.
The following are all great choices depending on the occasion:
A Smoothie Bowl bar: When you have so many people looking to stay healthy and fit, you will find that the smoothie bowl bar never fails to be a hit.
An assortment of skewers: Anything that you can put on a stick is always a great choice for catering. You can have meats, vegetables, and fruits.
Miniature foods: Mini pizzas, mini tacos, and sandwiches are all great examples of miniature foods that can be ideal for quick bites.
Vegan assortment: If you are hosting an event with a large number of vegans, you can always ask for 100% vegan food at a section of the venue.
Gluten-Free options: This has become important in many cases because one of the most important things people ask for is gluten-free food.
Standard dishes commonly requested: Italian food, chicken parmesan, tacos, and America fast food choices such as hot dogs, hamburgers and pizza slices.
Important things to consider if you are involved in catering and bartending for events
There are many things that you need to be careful not to do if you are involved in catering services. This is the type of business that requires you to keep things in good shape at all times. What this means is that you have to take your time and keep every crucial aspect of the business running smoothly.
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Food quality
A single mistake with the food quality can have very bad effects on your efforts to achieve success in this business. This means that you need to make sure that the taste and the appearance of the food you serve always meets expectations.
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Always be on time
If there is one thing that is a damaging for a catering business as bad food, it has to be lack of punctuality. Also, this is the reason why it is important to ensure that you can always be on time when needed.
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Provide exceptional customer service
You should do everything you can in order to be there for customers when they reach out to you. The more efficient you are with your customer service efforts, the better your results without a doubt. This applies for any type of business that anyone can conduct.
Party shakers offers the catering service solutions you want and need for your next event
We are a team of highly dedicated and professional bartenders and catering service providers that understand all the intricacies of the job. Party Shakers has the experience and the customer satisfaction record that guarantees the best outcome.
You can consider us the perfect combination of a service that handles bartending and food catering without hassles. This is the reason why we are the number one choice that you can hire. In addition, we are available for events, parties, or celebrations of any kind.
Questions and answers about catering and bartending for events
With over $964 billion in revenue in 2022 and an expected annual growth of 3.38%, there is huge potential. There is plenty of competition with over 39,635 caterers available, but those who provide an optimal service will have the competitive edge. There coming decade is going to be quite profitable for this industry and this means you need to be very efficient in your services.
Being able to provide the highest quality and being innovative with your services is going to be great. This type of thing helps separate the best from the rest in catering. You need to have a strong online presence and your audience needs to be able to connect to your brand. Always look for ways to update and upgrade your efforts as much as possible. Keep your brand as active as possible and ensure you stay on top of any trends that may help your business.
The focus of any catering service in the modern world is to ensure optimal relationships with the client. If you can make the client feel happy with the service, you will keep getting work. Therefore, at the end of the day, this is going to be the main determining factor between a good service and a great one.
There are many types of foods that people request all the time and it is important to consider all of those options. Italian food and Mexican food area always runner ups in this type of food choice. With that said, it is a good idea to be as creative as you can with your food options. Also, consider that healthy food is becoming a big deal for many individuals and this makes healthy catering a great choice.
You need to make sure that the food is always up to the standards people expect and you should always be on time to all events. In addition, they are both essential aspects to ensure the best results with your business. Also, you need to handle customer service carefully to ensure that things work as you want and need.
Final thoughts on catering and bartending for events
There are many ways to handle the process of food catering services. The main one to consider is to ensure customer engagement. We can help you by handling every aspect of the catering and bartending process with ease.
All you need to do is reach out to us and we will provide the right type of food and drinks for your needs!
