Restaurant catering growth guides
How independent restaurants get more catering orders: who buys, what to offer, how to reach them and how to answer before someone else does. Written by AgustÃn Ghiggeri.
New here? Start with how to get catering orders for your restaurant, or see how we run catering marketing for restaurants.
How to get catering orders for your restaurant
A practical system for getting more catering orders: who orders, what they need to see, where to find them, and how to answer inquiries before another restaurant does.
How to get corporate catering clients
Who orders office catering, how to find them within your delivery radius, what to say, and how to turn one office lunch into a recurring account.
Catering Facebook ads that bring real inquiries
How to run Facebook and Instagram ads for restaurant catering in 2026: objective, targeting, lead form questions, creative that works, budget logic and the follow-up that decides if any of it pays.
How to respond to catering inquiries and win the order
Why the first restaurant to call back usually wins the catering order, what to say on the first call and text, and a follow-up sequence that does not annoy anyone.
How much to charge for catering per person
A step-by-step way for restaurants to price catering per person: food cost targets, labor, packaging, delivery, minimums and how to sanity-check against what office buyers spend.
ezCater vs direct catering orders
What ezCater charges restaurants in 2026, how it compares to DoorDash's workplace catering, and how to decide between marketplace orders and building your own direct catering program.
Holiday party catering for restaurants: a November and December playbook
A timeline and playbook for restaurants to sell holiday party catering in November and December: packages, who to target, ads, outreach and capacity planning.
How to build a catering menu that sells
How to turn a dine-in menu into a catering menu office buyers can order from in one read: packages, portions, dietary labels, minimums, lead times and what to put on the page.
Catering deposit policy: how to protect your kitchen
How restaurants can set a catering deposit, cancellation policy, headcount deadline and lead time that protect the kitchen without scaring off buyers, with sample wording.
How to write a catering quote that gets booked
What to include in a restaurant catering quote, how to send it fast, how to follow up, and how to decline orders you should not take. Includes a copy-paste template.
How to increase restaurant sales without adding tables
Why catering is one of the few ways an independent restaurant can grow sales without adding seats or hours, how it fills slow weekday dayparts, and how to start.
How to book more private events at your restaurant
How independent restaurants can book more private events and buyouts: packages, a private events page, where planners look, fast inquiry handling and minimum spends.
Google Business Profile for restaurant catering
How restaurants can set up Google Business Profile to win catering searches: categories, menu, order and catering links, posts, photos, reviews and what to measure.