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13+ Food Catering Business Plan Templates – PDF, Word, Docs
Launching a catering or small catering businesses plan can be tricky for new business owners. You need to have the right financial resources, marketing strategy, and more to present your investors or bank. We prepared every content you need to launch your food service or catering company with our food catering business sample plan templates. The catering templates also provide a format and sample content suitable for launching other food businesses like a food truck or a mobile kitchen.
Simple Catering Business Plan Template
Catering Marketing Plan Template Sample
Catering Company Business Plan Template
Catering Business Plan
Sample Restaurant Business Plan Template
Free Practical Example of A Business Plan
Free Mobile Kitchen Catering For Kids Business Plan
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No Food, No Party
Tips in managing a food catering business.
- Go realistic with the budget proposed . Make sure that you discuss the costs well with them so that you can understand why not everything is possible. Negotiate on the simple menu while taking note of your budget sample . There may be some dishes you need to give up for something more practical. That way, you will be able to accommodate everyone on your guest sample list . You would not want to end up at the party running short on food.
- Lay out your payment process . The arrangement about the date is something that should be agreed on, and the security you get out of the payment it entails. You do not want to end up surprising your sheet client with another sizable bill at the last minute. It is important that they are aware of the total cost of the service and everything it includes. Customers should also be firm about knowing this straight up. Encourage your client to be honest about their sample budget because you do not want to be producing a buffet for a king’s court out of nothing.
- Communicate the terms properly with your clients . In doing so, ask them not to risk stretching their finances thin just because they want it to be perfect. Be honest. Let them know that they will still be able to have a wonderful printable menu with a package that is ideal for them and the number of guests they plan to have. You should be able to let them know what your options are or you can offer you something that will suit their needs while being realistic.
Importance of A Catering Business Plan
Top tips for catering business planning.
- Only Sell Dreams If You Can Make Them Real . Couples, especially brides have dream weddings, corporate leaders and guests on inviting company events have expectations, birthday celebrants have perfect birthday dreams and by all means, you can sell them dreams if you can live up to making it a reality on the day of the event. This is why your business plan format would matter. It’s something that will serve as your reference when the situation calls for it, and with weddings, that practically happens all the time. You’re selling dreams but you can still be realistic no matter how much you want to give them what they want. At the end of the day, you can really only give them what their simple budget allows, while you can still profit from it.
- Invest On Training And Experience . Before you start having a food catering business plan Word of your own, it is always better to learn the ropes by working with the area’s most reputable caterers. Firsthand exposure to this kind of business allows you to pay attention to small details, the challenges you’re likely to face, risks involved, bottlenecks, and a lot of grey areas without having to squander your hard-earned money at the first opportunity of opening your own. An experience like this will not only make you learn valuable tricks of the trade but will also be a good chance for you to assess your preparedness in embarking on this type of business venture. How badly do you really want this? Why do you want this? Is it to prove to others you can, or do you really see yourself thriving? Those are the important questions you need to ask yourself before making your investment templates .
- Write A Detailed description Of Your Catering Service . This would include the kind of food you want to prepare, especially the specialty of the house. Obviously, catering businesses are all about food, but it’s still important to define what your business goals are and how you plan to achieve them. In doing so, you’re giving investors a feeling of confidence that you’re serious about your business activity plan , no matter what it takes, and that you’re ready to take on the challenges of competition in such a tough market.
- Make A List of The Services You Provide . Some catering services have staff that serves guests at the table while others prefer to give meals buffet-style where guests are free to choose from a variety of food, depending on what they decided with the event coordinator or host. Usually, the menu planner would include beverages and desserts. Provide a list of specific types of food you can serve on specific occasions, celebrations with their specific themes. Be flexible. Tell them you can serve Asian, Italian, French, or Mexican cuisine and provide a modern menu to literally give them a taste of what you can cook.
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How to Create a Catering Business Plan (Plus Free Template)
Elizabeth started her career at a small local restaurant close to her home. She had big dreams of owning a large catering business.
Three years later, she learned the ropes, worked hard enough to save money and was ready to launch Chefdini Catering.
Hers is a tale of overcoming all odds.
Within five years, Elizabeth expanded her operations. She employed some staff and was raking in around $5 million in revenue annually.
In an era where 20% of new businesses fail within the first two years, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, how did Elizabeth pull this off?
Well, it may have taken five years, but one thing that helped her navigate her journey smoothly was:
…a Catering Business Plan.
And she’s not alone. About 70% of new businesses that manage to survive for five years follow a strategic business plan in the US.
So while several factors contribute to businesses failing within the first couple of years, there’s no doubt lack of a business plan is a major reason.
And this isn’t far-fetched.
Imagine building a house without floor plans. How long do you think it’s going to stand? Not long enough.
That’s precisely what happens when you operate your drop-off catering business without a solid plan. And this has nothing to do with how passionate you are.
Think of a business plan as a roadmap or a guide that outlines your goals and details how you intend to achieve them. It’s central to how you start and grow your business. Also, it turns your visions into a concrete action plan for success.
Having a plan is essential for drop-off caterers hoping to thrive in the current, highly competitive catering industry.
As you read this, over 12,000 establishments are vying for the same customer as you. So running a catering business without a solid plan will only give an opening for your competitors to be many steps ahead of you.
Take Abbey Duke, CEO of SugarSnap Catering, for instance.
From the get-go, part of her strategy was to always stay competitive by serving her customers how they prefer.
So when the pandemic hit and online ordering became the norm, she quickly leaned on HoneyCart’s order automation software to give customers the convenience they desired. And at the same time, to ensure she wasn’t losing sales to her competitors.
In her words:
“But I knew if we didn’t offer online ordering, we’d be losing sales to companies like Panera that make it easy to order. Busy customers expect convenience and will often choose it over quality.”
Making this kind of game-changing decision at a moment’s notice is one of the perks of having a solid business plan.
Now, you may be wondering:
“How do I create an effective catering business plan?” One that gives you an edge over your competitors and sets you on the path to success like Elizabeth.
Well, I got you covered.
We’ve developed a free catering business plan template you can customize to your specific needs. I know, creating a business plan, even with a free template, is still a daunting task for drop-off caterers.
Don’t worry.
As we progress through this article, I’ll guide you on how to create one step-by-step.
Download the free template to follow along with me:
Before we dive in, let’s take a look at some reasons why you must have a catering business plan.
1. It Shows You Mean Business
2. it increases your chances of securing investments, 3. it helps you understand your competitors, 4. discover new opportunities, 5. measure the success of your business, 1. confidentiality agreement, 2. executive summary, 3. business focus, client research, competitor profiling, swot analysis, 5. marketing plan, 6. financial plan, 7. appendix, conclusion: scale your catering business with an actionable business plan, five reasons why you need a catering business plan.
Today, technology has made it easy for anyone to start a catering business. Even amateurs can create an Instagram account, post some mouthwatering dishes and wait for orders to flood in.
But is this strategy going to cut it in the long run?
Absolutely not!
If you intend to scale your business, then it starts with a foolproof business plan. One that gives you insight into where your business is headed in the next five to ten years.
Having a business plan also emphasizes the commitment of you and everyone involved. It guides you in making smart decisions that will help scale your operations.
However, a catering business plan isn’t set in stone. This means you can change the plan as you progress. But the overall goals remain the same.
Take Elizabeth, the fictional character I used at the start of this article.
One reason she could expand her business within five years is that she secured investment and raised funds.
And what’s one crucial thing potential investors will ask before giving you funds?
Yep, that’s right – a well-detailed business plan.
Imagine she didn’t have one. She wouldn’t have been able to raise the funds needed to expand her operations.
Here’s why:
Investors like to see your plans for scaling the business, its financial projections, industry analysis, level of risk involved, and so on.
Not having a business plan shows you are not intentional about scaling. And this significantly reduces the chances of securing funds needed to expand.
To drive home my point, Tim Berry, founder of Palo Alto Software , did a survey asking his customers questions about their businesses, goals, and business planning.
The result?
From the above report, you’ll see that those who had business plans were almost twice more likely to grow their businesses by securing capital than those who didn’t write a plan.
This emphasizes the importance of having a business plan.
A business plan isn’t complete without researching and analyzing your competitors.
Because it helps you understand what they are doing, their offerings, pricing, and how you can improve on them.
Michele Levy , an independent brand strategy consultant agrees:
“Keeping track of who your competitors are, what people are saying about them, and what they are saying themselves can help you differentiate your business and stay ahead of trends that could impact your business.”
Furthermore, it’s a way to:
- Learn more about the latest market trends
- Recognize opportunities your competitors don’t offer
- Get an idea of your ideal customer persona
- Threats to your business
- Understand the catering industry better.
As a result, you can create a strategic plan that will improve your business.
Another benefit of creating a catering business plan is discovering new opportunities to boost your business in ways you never imagined.
Through research and competitive analysis, you may realize there are one or more niches that are underserved in your area.
So, instead of doing what every other drop-off caterer does, you can carve out a niche for yourself by doing something different.
For example, during the global pandemic that crippled catering activities, Chef Jolie of Low Country Quisine needed another source of revenue.
So she went back to the drawing board.
The result? She launched a Gourmet Takeaway Service.
By making it a habit to spot opportunities in market trends, she realized the need for an online ordering platform.
According to her:
“We needed to find new ways to generate revenue during the pandemic. We launched our Gourmet Takeaway Service and needed an online platform for customers to order.”
And if she didn’t do this, here’s what would have happened:
“We would not have been able to reach as many customers without the ability to accept orders and payments online.”
One of the goals of running a business is to hit milestones and achieve major goals.
And the only way to measure your success is to compare results with the actual plan. This way, you can see whether you’ve achieved your operational and financial goals within a specific timeframe.
For example, you set a goal of getting at least 150 customers within six months, expanding to at least four locations within 12 months, or like Elizabeth, hit $5 million annually.
By documenting these goals, not only does it make you committed to achieving them, but it also ensures you have something to measure your success against.
And it will give you a sense of fulfillment when you finally accomplish your goals. Without a doubt, a well-documented business plan fast-tracks achieving your goals.
Now that you know the importance of a catering business plan, let’s look at the essential elements of an ideal business plan.
Essential Elements of a Catering Business Plan
Creating a catering business plan may sound like a daunting task. But in reality, it isn’t. It’s not much different from the usual business plan.
However, it focuses on elements specific to the food and catering industry.
So what are these elements?
- Confidentiality Agreement
- Executive Summary
- Business Focus
- Market Research
- Marketing Plan
- Financial Plan
Let’s take a brief look at what each of these elements should contain.
Want to create yours as you go through this guide?
Don’t forget to download (and make a copy) of the template here .
How do you ensure anyone reading your business plan doesn’t disclose the content to other people?
That’s where a confidentiality agreement comes in.
It’s an agreement between you and anyone reading your business plan not to reveal the content to any other person without your permission.
And to be on the safe side, you should have a proper legal counsel review any agreement you use in your business.
So if they do reveal the content, you will have the right protections in place.
Here’s an example of a confidentiality agreement:
The undersigned reader of [Company’s Name] Business Plan acknowledges that the information provided is completely confidential. Therefore, the reader agrees not to disclose anything found in the business plan without the express written consent of [Business Owner’s Name].
It is also acknowledged by the reader that the information to be furnished in this business plan is in all aspects confidential in nature, other than information that is in the public domain through other means, and that any disclosure or use of the same by the reader may cause serious harm and or damage to [Company Name].
Upon request, this business plan document will be immediately returned to [Business Owner’s Name].
This is a business plan. It does not imply an offer of any securities.
Applicable Law
This contract shall be governed by the laws of the County of ________ in the State of _______ and any applicable Federal law.
________________________________
Printed Name
They say you only get one chance at a first impression. An executive summary is an opportunity to show anyone reading it what your catering business is about.
Chances are, if it lacks specific information or doesn’t capture the reader’s attention, they may not read further.
The executive summary should include a brief introduction to your catering business, your services, and who you cater to.
Here’s an example of an executive summary of Elizabeth’s fictional catering business.
Chefdini is a small catering business located in Georgia. It was founded by Elizabeth White six years ago. We specialize in Asian cuisine but also cater to Mexican and Italian dishes. Chefdini operates off-premise and on-premise catering with a focus on events, retreats, and social gatherings.
At a glance, this brief introduction shows what Chefdini is about, the kind of cuisines they specialize in, and who their audience is. Anyone who reads it can immediately get an idea of what to expect.
The business focus details how you’ll run your business, so anyone reading it will have a clear understanding of plans, goals, and priorities.
Information to include in your business focus are:
- Mission statement: an action-based statement that declares the purpose of your business, what you want to achieve, and how you intend to do it.
- Business details: a summary of your business, the founders, business location, services, and ethos.
- Professional support: details of any professional help you have received from an individual, an organization, or the government.
- Founders: history and background of anyone involved in starting the business
- Team members: details of those involved in the operations of the business and their roles.
- Aims & Objectives: as the name implies, here you include the details of what you hope to achieve with your business and the steps you’ll take to achieve it. Your aims and objectives can be short, medium, or long-term.
4. Market Research
Dan Zarrella , an analytical marketing leader and author of four books on marketing once said:
“Marketing without data is like driving with your eyes closed.”
And how do you get this data? Through Market Research.
Market research is the process of gathering information to understand your target market better. As such, it’s a fundamental part of a business plan.
Under market research, you’ll find:
Your clients are the set of people who need your catering services and are most likely to pay for them.
To have any chance of making sales, you need to understand your ideal customers, their pain points, challenges, and how you can take them from point A to their desired point B.
So, any information related to the ideal clients like age, location, gender, income, interests, pain points, or goals would add value here.
The goal is to ensure you are not targeting the wrong audience, which would result in wasted efforts.
But when you narrow down your target audience, you will be better placed to tailor your offerings to fulfill their needs.
As I mentioned earlier, competition in the catering industry gets tougher each day, with more caterers and restaurants springing up. But this doesn’t mean there isn’t enough space in the sky for birds to fly.
However, it’s important to know how to stand out.
And one way to do this is to research your competitors to learn more about their strengths and weaknesses. This way, you’ll discover things that will give you an edge over them.
In addition, well-detailed research about the competition will help you make a realistic assessment of your chances of success in the industry.
Some of the things to add under competitor profiling are:
- Competitor’s Name
- Products/services offered
- Target audience
The word SWOT is an acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.
A SWOT analysis is used to evaluate your business’s chances of success and develop a strategic plan. Here you analyze internal and external factors that may help scale your business or throw a wrench in your growth.
A comprehensive catering marketing strategy will be crucial to your success. After all, people will only patronize you if they know your business exists.
How do you plan to market your business? Where are you going to get catering clients from? Which channels do you plan to reach them? What’s your marketing budget?
All these are questions that need answers. So you must include your plans for marketing in your catering business plan. A solid marketing plan should contain:
- Unique Selling Point
- Pricing Policy
- Sales & marketing strategy
Don’t forget we have sections in our free template to fill all essential marketing points listed above. Download it here if you haven’t.
Without a doubt, you need money to finance your catering business. But if you don’t have adequate financing, your business will struggle.
Because you’ll need to pay for space, pay your staff, pay for equipment and so on. All these require a sufficient amount of funds.
And if you plan to take online orders, investing in online ordering software is a no-brainer. This will help you:
- Process orders faster
- Make it convenient for your customers to order
- Save more time
- Streamline operations without the need for hiring additional staff, thereby saving cost
- And generate more revenue for your business.
So if you want to finance your catering business yourself, a financial plan helps you understand how much funds you need, where to cut expenses and what you need to do to become financially sustainable.
And if you plan to source funds through investors, it will provide them with enough information to determine whether they’ll get their return on investment.
Some of the things you need to include in your financial plan are:
- Startup costs
- Sales forecasts
- Cash Flow forecasts
- Other financials
Want to know what to fill in these sections? We’ve got you covered. Simply download and make a copy of our free template to fill all essential financial plans listed above.
This is where you add additional information that is referenced in the business plan.
It can include things like:
- Financial charts / graphics
- CV’s / Resumes
- Images of work
- Partnership Agreements
As you’ve seen, creating a business plan is not as difficult as it sounds.
It doesn’t matter whether you’ve started your business or you are just about to start. A catering business plan is crucial to the success of your business.
It helps you understand your business, your customers, and your competitors. Also, it gives you more insight into the catering industry, market trends, threats, and opportunities.
Another advantage of a business plan is the opportunity to set a budget aside for investing in important things that will contribute to your company’s growth.
For example, investing in commission-free catering software like HoneyCart helps you manage your catering operations without hiring more staff.
This levels the playing field for small business caterers, helps you save cost, and generate more revenue. Just as Abbey Duke, founder of SugarSnap Catering, realized when she switched to HoneyCart.
It automates mundane tasks to allow us to use our time as efficiently as possible. HoneyCart truly enables small caterers to compete with larger companies by having a really professional and easy-to-use online ordering system.
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Catering Business Plan
Are you thinking of starting a catering business We have prepared a solid catering business plan sample that guides you on every stage of your business plan writing
Every event or occasion calls for good food. And although the majority of people like good food, not everyone has the talent to cook the same.
And if you are someone who receives constant compliments for your cooking then you must have thought of having your catering business.
But having a catering business is much more than that. It all boils down to the quality of your service at the end, but before that, you need to have a strategy to attract your customers’ attention, build trust, manage your finances, and many more.
All of the above might sound a little overwhelming, but it doesn’t need to be. All you need is a catering business plan.
Industry Overview
The catering industry stood at a whopping market value of 15.36 billion dollars in 2021 and continues to grow as it recovers from the setbacks due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The major growth of the catering industry is due to the increase in the disposable income of consumers. Due to that people like to host gatherings and serve a variety of food during that.
Especially, if you have a range of unique as well as traditional items on your menu, it can act as a big plus for your business.
How Can a Catering Business Plan Help You?
The catering business is one of the most rewarding careers as it not only lets you pursue your passion, it has the potential to grow into a huge business by size and volume if planned properly.
A business plan is helpful for a catering business because along with great cooking skills, great management skills are an integral part of a successful catering business.
A business plan can help you conduct your daily business activities without chaos, have good finances, help you in finding your desired customers, and in making your unique business idea a marketable one.
Things to Consider Before Writing your Catering Business Plan
Make a list of items you can serve.
Having a list of items you will serve, helps you organize your services better. It also helps your customers understand what you can offer and decide if your service is the right one for them or not.
Figure out your location and staffing coasts
Figure out from where you’ll provide services, what would be the amount of rent you’ll have to pay, which location would be good for your business , etc.
Figure out where you’ll get your supplies from
Make a list of important equipment.
Although many catering services work on the go and prefer to rent equipment, it is a good practice to have the basic equipment in case of contingency. It would also decrease your reliance on other people, and pose lesser challenges while gathering supplies for new orders.
Now that you have done the research, let’s learn how you can write a business plan for yourself.
How to Write a Catering Business Plan?
A good catering business plan consists of a clear description of your business’s functioning, your target market , the services you offer , the size of your company, a pricing strategy , and a well-designed employee management system.
Now you might wonder, where to start from, how to go about writing a plan from scratch, and most importantly how to know if you have written a good one?
Well, you need not worry.
You can easily write a well-rounded business plan either through a pre-designed template or through an online business plan software.
Moreover, an online business plan software can help you write a flexible business plan that grows alongside your business.
Catering Business Plan Outline
This is the standard catering business plan outline which will cover all important sections that you should include in your business plan.
- Keys to Success
- Financial Summary
- Legal Entity
- Locations and Facilities
- Facility Design
- Boxed lunches
- Buffet style lunches
- Alternative Providers
- Future Products
- Internal Bright Future Customers
- Nonprofit External Customers
- For-profit External Customers
- Market Analysis
- Market Trends
- Market Growth
- Value Proposition
- Competitive Edge
- Distribution Strategy
- Marketing Programs
- Pricing Strategy
- Promotion Strategy
- Of Grape & Grain
- Cravings Fine Foods
- Ariana’s Deli
- Fettuccini and Co
- Napoli Restaurant
- Brindiamo Catering
- Wild Duck Brewery
- Oregon Electric Station
- Local and national grocery stores chains
- Local and national sandwich fast-food chains
- Strategic Alliances
- Organizational Structure
- Management Team Gaps
- Personnel Plan
- Other General Assumptions
- Fundraising Strategy
- Fundraising Programs
- Funding Forecast
- Start-up Summary
- Income Statement (5 Year Projections)
- Balance Sheet (5 Year Projections)
- Cash Flow (5 Year Projections)
Although your plan would keep changing as your business grows, here are a few key sections that would form the foundation of your business plan:
1. Executive summary
This executive summary section would be the first one on your plan. It provides a summary of all that your business stands for. It can be divided into the following subsections:
- Objectives : This segment would consist of the chief objectives of your company. What it aims to achieve, who it wants to serve and where it wants to reach.
- Mission : This segment includes the mission statement of your business, it basically consists of what market gap do you plan on filling with your business.
- Financial Summary : This segment would give a summary of the past and present condition of your finances as well as projected gains of your business.
A clear executive summary can come in handy if you need funding.
2. Operational Strategy
The operational strategy section helps you plan how to work towards achieving your business goals. It can be divided into the following subsections:
- Day-to-day activities : In this segment, you’ll write an overview of the best way of carrying out your business from onboarding clients to fulfilling the services.
- Long-term goals : This section would consist of long-term goals like serving a certain number of clients, growing your business to a certain size, and expanding to a certain number of branches, etc.
A good operational strategy would make your business activities less chaotic and prevent them from being all over the place.
3. Market Analysis
In this segment you’ll write down every single detail you can find out about the market. It would include the following segments:
- Market trends : Knowing about all the prevailing market trends can help you design a plan that would change as per the evolving market, and also help you maintain the foundation your company stands on. It would also give you an overview of what your competitors are doing.
- Target Market : This segment would describe everything about your target market . The locations they prefer, the kind of cuisines they are into, how and when they procure catering services, etc.
This segment helps you understand what you are getting yourself into.
4. Services
This section consists of a detailed description of the services you offer . For example, the events you cater to, the volume of people you can serve, the food options your services have, what additional services you offer, etc.
This segment helps your target audience understand your services better, it helps them in deciding whether you are the right fit for them or not. So, make sure you describe your services in a clear and precise manner.
5. Financial Plan
The financial plan segment includes everything starting from the funds you need to start your business, the funds you need for procuring supplies and employing people, the projected cash flow of your business, expected profit and loss of your business, pricing strategy , etc.
Catering Business Plan Summary
All in all a good business plan helps you understand everything about your business better. It helps you run a company that focuses equally on all the aspects of a business and has the least possible number of angry and disappointed customers.
Moreover, it also helps you in setting a realistic goal and in devising strategies that would help you in achieving it.
After getting started with Upmetrics , you can copy this sample catering business plan into your business plan and modify the required information and download your catering business plan pdf or doc file.
It’s the fastest and easiest way to start writing your business plan.
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We have plenty of free business planning resources available to help you with your planning. You can download our resources to learn all about business planning.
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Catering Business Plan Template
Business Plan Outline
- Catering Business Plan Home
- 1. Executive Summary
- 2. Company Overview
- 3. Industry Analysis
- 4. Customer Analysis
- 5. Competitive Analysis
- 6. Marketing Plan
- 7. Operations Plan
- 8. Management Team
- 9. Financial Plan
Start Your Catering Plan Here
Executive Summary
Business overview.
Fine Foods Catering is a newly established company that will provide catering services for a variety of events and clients in the Seattle, Washington area. Fine Foods Catering will provide catering for all types of corporate and social events, non-profit fundraiser events, business meetings, luncheons, and weddings. Our services will include menu creation designed for every clients’ tastes and requirements, bar services, food preparation, delivery, service, and cleanup. Fine Foods Catering is a full-service catering company who will deliver exceptional service at an unbeatable cost. Clients will receive ultimate value when choosing Fine Foods Catering for their next event.
Fine Foods Catering will be owned and managed by local Chef Dominic Gardea. Chef Dominic has over 20 years of culinary and hospitality experience and is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Academy. After apprenticing under some of the most world-renowned chefs in Paris, Dominic made his way back to Seattle and led the kitchen and catering departments of a large hospitality company as an Executive Chef. Chef Dominic’s attention to detail, creativity, and passion make him a popular and often-referred Chef for local catering events of all types and sizes.
Product Offering
The following are the list of services that Fine Foods Catering will offer:
- Corporate & social event catering
- Bar catering
- Corporate catering for meetings and luncheons
Customer Focus
Fine Foods Catering’starget customers are businesses of all sizes, government entities, local non-profits, and individuals in search of catering services for their wedding, birthday, reunion, etc. Businesses are the main client of a catering company as they require catering services that range from small meetings and luncheons to large corporate gatherings, galas, and holiday parties.
Management Team
Fine Foods Catering will be led by Owner and Head Chef Dominic Gardea. Chef Dominic will manage client communication, pricing, menu creation, staffing, marketing, inventory, and personnel. Chef Daniel has recruited an employee that has worked under him at the hospitality company for the past seven years, Matthew Knowles. Matthew is a certified Sommelier and Lead Bartender. Matthew is exceptionally skilled at mixing fresh and exotic cocktails and cultivating an elegant wine menu that includes selections to satisfy all wine palates. Matthew will be in charge of leading the bar program for Fine Foods Catering.
Success Factors
Fine Foods Catering will be able to offer the following advantages over the competition:
- Professional and friendly catering service at affordable pricing.
- Owner who will meet one-on-one with each client to have them taste sample menu items and be able to create a unique menu based on their event.
- Uniquely tailored bar program. Find Foods Catering will employ a certified sommelier who also has bar experience that can recommend and provide wine options upon request. He is also able to create professionally crafted cocktails for every type of event.
- A training program for each employee to ensure they are fully qualified and capable to deliver the highest standard of customer service while paying attention to detail.
Financial Highlights
Fine Foods Catering is seeking $136,500 in debt financing to open the catering business. The funding will be dedicated to secure the commercial kitchen lease, professional insurance for bonding, working capital to cover supplies and personnel, marketing costs, van, inventory, and supplies. The breakout of the funding is below:
- Commercial kitchen lease (3 months): $4,500
- Kitchen Equipment, Supplies, and Inventory: $50,000
- Utility van with Fine Foods Catering logo: $50,000
- Bonding Insurance: $10,000
- Working capital (3 months to cover hourly wages of staff, food, and supplies): $12,000
- Marketing (includes print ads and website design): $10,000
The following graph below outlines the pro forma financial projections for Fine Foods Catering.
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Catering Business Plan Template [Updated 2023]
Catering business plan template.
If you want to start a Catering business or expand your current Catering business, you need a business plan.
You can download the Catering business plan template (including a full, customizable financial model) to your computer here.
The following catering business plan template gives you the key elements to include in a winning plan for your own catering company. In addition to this template, conducting market research for your local customer base will help you identify potential market trends and customer segments to better understand the viability of your catering business.
Sample Business Plan For a Catering Company
Below are links to each of the key sections of a successful catering business plan:
I. Executive Summary II. Company Overview III. Industry Analysis IV. Customer Analysis V. Competitive Analysis VI. Marketing Plan VII. Operations Plan VIII. Management Team IX. Financial Plan
Download the Catering business plan template (including a full, customizable financial model) to your computer here.
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Catering Business Plan Outline
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Catering Company Business Plan
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Fressen Catering
Executive summary executive summary is a brief introduction to your business plan. it describes your business, the problem that it solves, your target market, and financial highlights.">, opportunity.
The Philadelphia kosher catering market is an interesting one. Recently they have discovered they really like and need kosher food. It’s healthy its organic and its a “clean” way to eat. It helps keep people healthy. People are in need of really good food.
Fressen will occupy a niche in the kosher catering market that offers new, creative menu items, broadening people’s conception of kosher food. This market consists of two target segments that are differentiated by household income.
The kosher catering business in Philadelphia is fairly unique. At the low- to mid-price point of the cost spectrum, there are four other kosher caters. These caterers tend to serve the part of the market that must have kosher food served at an occasion due to religious beliefs, but struggle to able to afford the cost variance between standard and kosher catering. All four of these caters have fairly standard menu offerings. There is a fifth caterer that also serves the lower end of the market (defined as middle class) but serves the high end of the market as well. Although there is a large wealthy population in Philadelphia that follows the laws of kashrut, they have been underserved.
Competition
Fressen Catering’s competitive edge is its attention to servicing customers and inventive approach to kosher cuisine. Fressen’s customer attention differentiates them in the world of kosher catering which is dominated by several companies that have plenty of demand. The consequence of market demand is a decreased pressure to accommodate customers. Fressen is approaching the market as if there was significant competition between the different service providers. By making customer satisfaction a priority, over time, local customers will come to appreciate the attention that their needs are given and form a long lasting relationship with Fressen Catering.
Fressen Catering’s mission is to provide the customer with the finest kosher catering. We exist to attract and maintain customers. When we adhere to this maxim, everything else will fall into place. Our services will exceed the expectations of our customers.
Expectations
Fressen Catering is forecasted to make a profit by year 3. It will be up and running and well-staffed and able to sustain employees and Susan. By year 4 Susan will be able to repay the loan of 90,000 back to friends and family
Financial Highlights by Year
Financing needed.
This business needs $130,000. Susan will put in $40,000 and friends and family will kick in $90,000.
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FREE 10+ Food Catering Business Plan Samples in MS Word | Google Docs | Pages | PDF
Are you an expert in cooking Chinese stir-fry dishes like sweet and sour pork? Or do you like cooking savory Mexican tacos with crispy pork carnitas? Perhaps you are fond of baking several French desserts such as croissants, crepes, and many more? If you have an exceptional skill in culinary arts, why not use your ability in sharing your unique food creations in providing sumptuous and hearty meals to the people? It’s a great thing for you to plan on establishing your food business. But first, you need to prepare your business plan. A comprehensive yet appealing business plan will help you become organized in opening a restaurant or food catering business. In this article, we have some downloadable plan samples to guide you. Read the whole article below!
Food Catering Business Plan
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The book “ The Successful Business Plan: Secrets & Strategies ” said that the ultimate purpose of developing a business plan is to have a successful business. While creating a plan for your food business, ensure well to concentrate on the long-term needs of your business and formulate effective strategies that level up both the overall performance of your business and your personal satisfaction.
Your business plan will be the financial structure on how you are going to handle and manage your business. Having a business plan is integral if you want to apply for a loan or a government grant. In this section, we provide some useful tips and ways that you should do in creating a food catering business plan:
“In judging a business concept, by far the easiest and first place to start is, ‘Do I want to use this myself?’ If I’m not sold that I would want to use it? if I can’t look at my partners and say, ‘I know this fills a need because I know no one else does this; I would use it myself’?it’s not going to go anywhere.” These words are said by Andrew Anker, a venture capitalist. It is vital to define your business concept. You can bring a new or better product or service to an identifiable but underserved market.
You must also have a market that is adequately huge, accessible, and responsive. If your market isn’t enormous enough, you can’t reach it efficiently, or it isn’t ready for you, your business will fail, no matter how great your business concept is.
Evaluate whether market demand is sufficient to support your business .What evidences are there that the market will be receptive to you? One of the most difficult aspects to measure is market readiness. If you don’t have the funds to launch extensive market research, a little amount of analysis can help you guess the receptivity of a particular market to your idea.
An article explained that an organizational chart or organogram is a visual aid used to clarify different kinds of employee roles and responsibilities in your company . It commonly shows the business owner at the top with subordinates below, in the format of a diagram, drawing, or flow chart. Also, it is important to make planning easier and defining the organizational style, structure, and culture.
Create an outline of your business, describing your company’s key players. This is suggested by the book “ Catering: A Guide to Managing a Successful Business Operation .” The authors added that you must emphasize their special talents. Then, include your food catering setup. If you have made capital investments in kitchen equipment, list them here. Next, lay out a specific operational plan . For example, write down your three-month schedule of events of your catering business.
The importance of having a food catering business plan is to create a vision of your food business. It is a beneficial tool that you can use to measure and improve your performance. It offers a basis for making decisions, defines your collaboration work with others if possible, and allows you to share your vision with your team employees or workers.
The basic elements in writing a business plan for your food catering are the following:
- Cover sheet
- Statement of purpose
- Table of contents
- Information about your proposed business (description of your business, marketing, competition, operating procedures, personnel, business insurance, etc.)
- Financial data (loan applications, capital equipment and supply list, break-even analysis, etc.)
- Appendices (tax returns, personal financial statements, copies of licenses and other legal documents, etc.)
Know your guest profile and their preferences. Provide a wide array of menu choices. You should expect that there will be customer special needs. So, try combining seasonal and fresh items. Plus, consider ethnic or regional menus in accord to the type of cuisine you’re cooking with. Select a menu that fits the event schedule.
To profit greatly from catering, be conscious and careful in managing your packaging costs. There are times that the packaging cost appears to be a neglected portion of a menu item’s total price. Incorporate your own twist on foods, drinks and desserts. Continue producing what you already have and exert greater effort. If it’s possible, try minimizing your labor expenses.
Establishing a brand new business venture is like traveling into a mysterious tropical forest while hunting for treasures. There are rewards you can obtain, both in material wealth and in self-gratification. When writing your plan, you should manifest your personal goals and resources which are based on the strategy you will follow and apply in showcasing your food menu items and service to everyone. This consistency plays a significant role for the major success of your business. Remember that careful planning is involved in this matter. So, here are some of our downloadable and printable business plan samples available in various formats. Start downloading them now!
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A catering business plan provides a snapshot of your own business as it stands today, and lays out your growth plan for the next five years. It explains your
How much capital, if any, are you seeking for your business? Sample from Growthink's Ultimate Catering Business Plan Template: Company Name], located at [insert
Elements of A Catering Business Plan · Executive Summary. Make a good first impression with a concise introduction to your concept and a summary of the
13+ Food Catering Business Plan Templates – PDF, Word, Docs · Go realistic with the budget proposed · Lay out your payment process · Communicate the terms properly
I know, creating a business plan, even with a free template, is still a daunting task for drop-off caterers. Don't worry. As we progress through this article, I
Things to Consider Before Writing your Catering Business Plan · Make a list of items you can serve · Figure out your location and staffing coasts · Figure out
Catering Business Plan Template · 1. Executive Summary · 2. Company Overview · 3. Industry Analysis · 4. Customer Analysis · 5. Competitive Analysis · 6. Marketing
Download our catering business plan template to quickly & easily create a business plan to start, grow and/or raise funding for your
Fressen Catering. Executive Summary. Opportunity. Problem. The Philadelphia kosher catering market is an interesting one. Recently they have discovered they
11. Restaurant Catering Business Plan · 10. Small Catering Business Plan Template · 9. Food Catering Business Template · 8. Startup Catering Business Plan · 7.