Cook Up a Catering Business
Bread & Butter, November 2001

Restaurants can whip up profits by expanding into the catering business, says Richard Kalnins, executive director of the International Caterers Association in Washington DC and former director of catering for Juban's Restaurant in Baton Rouge, La. Here are Kalnins' suggestions for developing a catering business that serves up big profits.

• Choose a venue. Decide early on whether your restaurant's catering operation will be in house or off premises. There are pros and cons to each, says Kalnins. An in-house operation allows you to use your own kitchen and equipment but may limit the size of events. Off-premises catering offers an opportunity for greater exposure, multiple daily events and more revenue, but you also will have to abide by the rules of each particular venue. For example, some carpeted banquet halls prohibit serving red beverages and some historic venues don't allow the use of open flames. In addition, always check out a venue before you commit to an event. "Every venue is different," says Kalnins. "You have to see the facilities, layout, accessibility, staging and busing areas, even the coat check."
• Staff smartly. Kalnins suggests using a culinary-staffing service to supplement your restaurant's regular staff during catered events. "For smaller events, pull from your regular staff," he says. "Always have people there who are familiar with your operation, who know what's going on and can lead by example."
• Put simplicity on your menu. It's not necessary to create a whole new menu for catered events, says Kalnins. "Look at what you have [on your regular menu] and see which items are cater-friendly," he says. When catering off premises, choose items that can hold their temperature during transport and can be partially cooked ahead of time. "Keep in mind the venue, distance, number of guests and [allotted] time to serve," he says. "If you have only 35 to 40 minutes to serve, you want something attractive, but not too fussy."
• Make food safety a priority. Train staff to handle food properly to prevent foodborne-illness outbreaks. Partially cook perishable items and store them in hot boxes or coolers to ensure foods stay at their proper temperatures during transport.
• Equip yourself. Unless you cater on a daily basis, Kalnins recommends renting equipment for off-premises catering—such as stoves and hot boxes. "It's best to use rental companies, since they'll drop it off and pick it up for you."
• Make a list and check it twice. Create lists of food items, job duties and equipment, says Kalnins. Keep a master list for yourself and distribute the information to staff to make sure all bases are covered.
• Know when to say no. "You can't let your restaurant suffer once you put in a catering component," says Kalnins. "When your restaurant is booked, it's almost impossible to put out four A-plus parties in one day. It's so easy to try and push the envelope, but one C-minus event can really hurt both your catering and restaurant operations. You need to know ahead of time what can and cannot be done."

Read the transcript of Richard Kalnins' November 2001 Table Talk online discussion with us.