Menu Planning for Successful Catering By Anthony Franco

Planning Principles for Successful Catering • Confirm from the client the date, time and venue of the event

• Quantify the number of people and budget.

• Clarifying everything with your client will eventually save time and make everything clear in planning and in executing the details of the event

Basic menu categories

• Catering events happen no matter what time of the day

• Your menus will have to depend on where you specialize at

• There are also different service styles to consider and you have to be familiar with this so when your client asks, you can offer him as many options as possible.

Seated, served meals.

• Pick menus that are ideal for serving at the table, either individually plated or from platters.

• Cocktail receptions may usually precede this type of service, where hors d’oeuvres may be served to guests.

Buffets

• Buffet service gives guests the freedom to select a variety of foods.

• Attendants are available to help them pick the food, although the need for wait staff is generally lesser compared to that of a seated-and-served event.

Food stations

• Food stations are ideal when the event happens in different floors of a building, when a variety of exotic cuisines are being offered, or when guests mingle and move from here to there

Stand-up cocktail parties

• In this type of service, hors d’oeuvres are usually served and may or may not follow lunch or dinner

Barbecues and picnics

• Perhaps the most laidback of all the types of food service, barbecues and picnics are usually held outdoors where staple foods include burgers, hotdogs, steaks, etc.

“As the Product Specialist of Better Cater, I’m working hard to develop catering software that will give the caterers power to control food cost and give you the ability, knowledge, and confidence to do your job perfectly and to your specification. ”

-Anthony Franco

Product Specialist, Better Cater

www.bettercater.com