Articles
July 29, 2025
Pinpointing the right market can create big catering opportunities
Focusing on individualization and effective marketing could enhance this additional revenue stream.
Olo’s Kris Linney, left, and Devon Roscoe said restaurants providing catering can help meet the needs of customers planning and organizing work and social events.
Restaurants targeting their marketing efforts to smaller, more defined groups based on demographics, behaviors, and specific interests, can not only grow sales and loyalty, but also create additional revenue streams.
One such example of this is catering, which currently is experiencing a surge in popularity, industry experts at our recent Marketing Executives Group (MEG) meeting said.
According to Kris Linney and Devon Roscoe of Chicago-based foodservice marketing consultant Olo, restaurants that provide catering can help meet the needs of a specific customer base—one focused on planning and organizing work and social events.
Linney, Olo’s Vice President of Strategy & Operations, said the organization’s research found that the average catering order is about 10X more profitable than the average individual order, making it a potentially lucrative option.
“Start thinking about catering if your program allows for it,” he said. “Everyone eats food and enjoys going to places, right? When they’re asked to help plan a party or organize a work event, you, as brands, should be the first thing they think about as they start that process.”
She also said restaurants should use existing databases to hunt for catering prospects and deploy smart segmentation to capture leads. This includes determining which catering items are top sellers by volume, looking at customers’ previous food and beverage purchases, and finding out which core menu items they like to order. Once that information is found, their marketing teams can craft better messaging that’s not only aligned with guest preferences but targeted at promoting catering as well.
“The best way to get your name out to these consumers is to use the information you have, and send out better messaging that's based on past preferences and aligned with what your customers are looking for,” she said. “It’s hugely important to stay close to what your guests want and figure out how to send that messaging out en masse—messages that resonate, that they like, instead of relying on unqualified leads and information. If you do it right, you’ll create guest value over the lifetime of your business.”
One such example of this is catering, which currently is experiencing a surge in popularity, industry experts at our recent Marketing Executives Group (MEG) meeting said.
According to Kris Linney and Devon Roscoe of Chicago-based foodservice marketing consultant Olo, restaurants that provide catering can help meet the needs of a specific customer base—one focused on planning and organizing work and social events.
Linney, Olo’s Vice President of Strategy & Operations, said the organization’s research found that the average catering order is about 10X more profitable than the average individual order, making it a potentially lucrative option.
“Start thinking about catering if your program allows for it,” he said. “Everyone eats food and enjoys going to places, right? When they’re asked to help plan a party or organize a work event, you, as brands, should be the first thing they think about as they start that process.”
Use existing databases to find catering leads
Roscoe, Olo’s Director of Marketing, Professional Services, noted that in recent years catering had become an underinvested channel. Today, however, more people are hosting social events, so business is on the upswing.She also said restaurants should use existing databases to hunt for catering prospects and deploy smart segmentation to capture leads. This includes determining which catering items are top sellers by volume, looking at customers’ previous food and beverage purchases, and finding out which core menu items they like to order. Once that information is found, their marketing teams can craft better messaging that’s not only aligned with guest preferences but targeted at promoting catering as well.
“The best way to get your name out to these consumers is to use the information you have, and send out better messaging that's based on past preferences and aligned with what your customers are looking for,” she said. “It’s hugely important to stay close to what your guests want and figure out how to send that messaging out en masse—messages that resonate, that they like, instead of relying on unqualified leads and information. If you do it right, you’ll create guest value over the lifetime of your business.”
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