sample business plan for a catering business

Learning center series

10 free catering business plan templates and examples

• Published on February 8, 2024
• by Patricia Fernandes
• Last updated: 1 week ago

When starting a catering business, it’s essential to have a well-structured business plan in place. A comprehensive business plan not only helps you outline your goals and strategies but also serves as a detailed roadmap for success. However, creating a business plan from scratch can be a daunting task. That’s where catering business plan templates come in handy. Understand the importance of a well-devised plan for your catering venture , as it can significantly improve your chances of overcoming challenges and achieving long-term success.

Once you’ve found a suitable template, the next step is to customize it to fit your unique catering business. This involves filling in the specific details of your business, such as your target market, menu offerings, pricing, marketing strategies, and financial projections. Customizing key elements of the template allows you to tailor it to your specific goals and vision, ensuring that your business plan accurately reflects catering businesses. Understanding the challenges that come with taking on the catering industry, developing a strategy through a tailored catering service business plan from the onset can significantly influence your path towards achieving long-term success and stability.

Why Creating a Catering Business Plan is Essential

In the catering industry, having a well-thought-out business plan is crucial for success. It provides a roadmap for your business and helps you make informed decisions. Here are some key reasons why creating a catering services business plan is essential:

Defining Your Goals: A business plan allows you to clearly define your goals and objectives. It helps you identify what you want to achieve with your catering business.

Understanding Your Target Market: By conducting market research and analysis, you can gain valuable insights into your target market. This information will help you tailor your services to meet the needs and preferences of your customers.

Outlining Strategies: Your business plan serves as a guide to outline the strategies you will implement to achieve profitability. It includes details on your menu, pricing, marketing tactics, and financial projections.

Setting Yourself Up for Success: By carefully considering all aspects of your business and planning for potential challenges, you can set yourself up for long-term success in catering companies.

If you’re dreaming of starting your catering biz, you’re in the right place. We selected 10 catering business plan templates to help you get from daydreaming to doing. We’ve broken them down into three categories: Basic, Intermediary, and Complete, so you can find just what you need, no matter where you’re at in your catering business planning process.

Basic Catering Business Plan Templates

Template 01: the quick start guide.

This business plan template is like the fast food of business plans – quick, easy, and gets the job done. It’s perfect if you’re just getting your feet wet. Considering launching a catering service? Ensure you have a robust plan for your catering venture by understanding the essential components and pitfalls to steer clear of.

Use the Quick Start Guide Template

Template 02: The Budget Buddy

Focused on the numbers, this one helps you figure out your starting costs and financial plan for how you’ll keep the lights on.

Use the Budget Buddy Template

Template 03: The Startup Planner

This template helps you outline your business concept’s initial needs, legal structure, and pricing strategy.

Use the Startup Planner Template

Intermediary Catering Business Plan Templates

Template 04: conscious catering strategy.

Focusing on the growing trend for healthy and dietary-specific menus, this sample menu template is perfect for caterers wanting to market and specialize in health-conscious catering industry food offerings. Learn to adapt and enhance your catering business plan to cater to health-conscious consumers, ensuring the long-term growth and success of your business.

Use the Conscious Catering Strategy Template

Template 05: Full-Service Catering Plan

Designed for established catering services and catering companies ready to expand, this template focuses on operational and pricing strategies, detailed menu planning, and advanced, marketing strategies and techniques. It’s ideal for caterers looking to scale their operations and refine their service offerings. Discover strategies on constructing a lucrative catering business plan , with guidance on enhancing operations, menu selections, and marketing approaches. Visit Metrobi’s website to delve deeper.

Use the Full-Service Catering Plan Template

Template 06: Catering Growth Accelerator

Unless you’re planning to do everything yourself (spoiler: not a good idea), this template helps you plan out your dream team.

Use the Catering Growth Accelerator Template

Complete Catering Business Plan Templates

Template 07: the full feast.

This is the big one – a comprehensive marketing plan for a full catering company template that covers everything from A to Z. If you’re ready to dive deep, this is for you. Planning to launch or manage a catering service? Ensure you have a detailed catering service business plan to guide you through every step.

Use the Full Feast Template

Template 08: The Event Ace

Specializing in events? This template focuses on planning for different types of clients at events and managing bookings at networking events.

Use the Event Ace Template

Template 09: The Growth Guru

Thinking ahead? This template helps you map out marketing strategy detailed plan for how you’ll expand and grow over time.

Use the Growth Guru Template

Template 10: The Risk Wrangler

Every serious business owner faces challenges. This template helps you identify potential risks to business goals and plan how to handle them.

Use the Risk Wrangler Template

Taking Action and Customizing Your Business Plan

Now is the time to take action and start creating your catering business plan. While examples and templates can be helpful starting points, it’s important to customize them to fit your unique business needs. Remember, your catering business plan template is a living document that can be updated and adjusted as your business grows and evolves. Learn how you can adapt and refine your catering business plan to ensure it aligns with your goals, enabling sustainable growth and success in the competitive catering landscape. Explore strategies to advance and update your catering business plan , positioning your venture for enduring prosperity and distinction in the bustling catering market.

Turning Your Catering Company Dreams into Reality

Starting a catering business is super exciting, but it can also be a bit overwhelming. That’s where the catering business plan template comes in. They’re like your road map to success, whether you’re just starting to sketch out your catering equipment ideas or you’re ready to launch. So, grab the first operations plan template that fits your stage and start cooking up your new catering business and plan!

Why you must have a solid catering business plan

How will your catering business plan evolve as you grow your catering business

How to create a profitable catering business plan

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Catering Business Plan

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 find your desired customers, and make 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.

It also becomes important that you design your menu as per your target audience’s tastes and preferences.

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.

Apart from that, you also need to figure out staffing costs, the size of your team, the skills required, and so on.

Figure out where you’ll get your supplies from

Getting good supplies is essential for a catering business. Because you need to pay attention to quality as well as the taste of the food you’ll offer. Having a fixed supplier helps you maintain consistency in the quality of your food.

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 fewer challenges while gathering supplies for new orders.

Having your equipment also makes it easier for you and your team to prepare orders as you get familiar with how to use those tools.

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 online business plan software.

Moreover, 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 will 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 consists of what market gap you plan on filling with your business.
• Financial Summary : This segment will 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 toward 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.

Download a sample catering business plan

Need help writing your business plan from scratch? Here you go; download our free catering business plan pdf to start.

It’s a modern business plan template specifically designed for your catering business. Use the example business plan as a guide for writing your own.

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Write your business plan with Upmetrics

A business plan software like Upmetrics is the best way to draft your business plan. This incredible tool comes with step-by-step instructions, customizable templates, and 400+ sample business plans to help you get started.

So, whether starting a catering business or planning to grow an existing one, Upmetrics is the tool you need to create a business plan.

So what are you waiting for? Start planning today!

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Frequently asked questions, how do i write a business plan for catering.

Writing a catering business plan from scratch requires a lot of research, but you can report it most effectively with the help of a catering business plan example. Using our business plan software, you can also quickly finish your plan in just a few hours or less.

What should be included in a catering business plan?

These are the key components of a business plan your catering plan must include to stand out to investors:

• Executive summary
• Business Overview
• Products and services
• Sales and marketing strategies
• Operations plan
• Management team
• Financial plan

Where to find business plan writers for your catering business?

While many business plan writers are available to help you, believe it or not, no one knows your business better than you. So we recommend you write your catering business plan and outline your vision as you have in your mind. You can use AI business plan generators like Upmetrics to speed up the writing process.

What are some common mistakes to avoid when writing a catering business plan?

Following are some of the common mistakes to avoid when writing a catering business plan:

• Poor market research and ignoring industry trends.
• Inadequate and inaccurate financial projections.
• Undefined goals and lack of details.
• Including outdated and irrelevant information.
• Not proofreading the document for typos and grammatical errors.
• Not regularly updating your business plan.

About the Author

Upmetrics Team

Upmetrics is the #1 business planning software that helps entrepreneurs and business owners create investment-ready business plans using AI. We regularly share business planning insights on our blog. Check out the Upmetrics blog for such interesting reads. Read more

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How To Write a Catering Business Plan w/ Templates (PDF, Word Doc)

Whether you’re starting a catering business full-time or planning to operate out of your house initially , writing a business plan is essential to getting clear on the type of catering business you want to open. After all there’s some pretty important stuff covered inside of what can seem like a stuffy document.

For the purposes of starting a catering company, think about the business plan as the one place you put your operation details. Things like the cooking equipment you need to purchase and the total cost, tentative catering menu, food costs, and who your target customer is. These are all super important details you need to understand before opening! This document provides a place for you to organize everything.

By the end of this guide, you’ll be able to draft your plan and start on that first catering gig you’ve been planning to open. We also provide templates you can use in PDF and Word Doc you can download and edit. Let’s get started.

Page Contents

Executive Summary

Introduction, company description, mission statement, company concept, market analysis, target market, industry analysis, competitive analysis, management structure, product line and services, sales and marketing, financial plan, funding request, financial forecast, operational plan, download templates.

Catering spread for a Mexican food concept.

Start your business plan with an executive summary. This is a way to introduce your catering business so whoever is reading your business plan will know what to expect. This will include a brief introduction of your catering business, a description of your company, the services your catering business will be providing, and the customer focus.

A quick introduction helps the reader get a bird’s eye view of your catering business. Here you’ll be talking about what to expect and what you can offer as part of your catering service.

This section isn’t considered lengthy. This usually has two to three sentences. What you need to focus on when writing this down is by the end of it, your reader will more or less understand what your catering business is all about.

Here’s an example introduction you can use as a guide:

The Big Spoon is a small catering business headed by Lydia Smith. She specializes in Italian cuisine but can cater to American, Mexican, and Asian dishes as well. The Big Spoon can accommodate an intimate dinner for 2 up to a large party of 50 accompanied with table settings and chafing dishes to complete that delicious home-cooked meal experience.

Just by the introduction, the reader will know how big your catering business is, what cuisine they can expect to order, and how many people the business can cater for. It also gives them an introductory glance about your catering style wherein you already provide more than just food but also a table setting so they don’t have to look for a supplier for this separately.

Keep your introduction informative but also short enough. You will be able to add in more to the details later on.

Some food trailers make more than 50% of their annual revenue from catering gigs.

A little background on your catering business is needed in the company description part of the business plan. Here, you can describe the meaning behind the name for your catering business, who the owners are, and what their roles are going to be. Who will be in charge of cooking? Who will be in charge of accounts and marketing?

This may just be brief but this is a way for you to introduce what’s going to happen behind the scenes of your catering business.

Catering works great for food trucks and restaurants.

Although your catering business may sound self-explanatory, it would still be of great help to you if you mentioned the services you’ll be offering.

For example, The Big Spoon already mentioned in their introduction that they’ll be catering food and offering table settings. They could also add that they will be offering an ice cream station and even a cocktail bar.

You will describe more of this in detail later on but you can summarize it and mention it here already.

Customer Focus

For a catering business to flourish, you must know your target market early on. And though a thorough explanation of that can be found in the Market Analysis section, you can briefly state them in this portion as well.

Also, remember that your customer focus would also have to coincide with your skills. You can’t be targeting customers who are vegans if your culinary skills and knowledge do not include cooking vegan food. This is why it’s important to write this early on so you can narrow down the customers you are planning to cater to.

What’s your mission statement?

Businesses with clear goals stated from the start lead to a successful operation. Why? Because every decision you make revolves around these goals which will lead you closer to success.

Here’s a sample mission statement to picture it out clearly:

The Big Spoon aims to cater delicious home-cooked meals to its customers. Every dish that is served will contain natural and fresh ingredients. We see to it that the service we provide is top-notch so that our customers will feel as if they are being served in a fine restaurant in the comforts of their own home or wherever they choose to have us cater them.

By writing this down in your business plan, you and your staff will have to stand by the standards you’ve set for yourselves. For instance, as stated in The Big Spoon’s mission statement, no fast food will be served and no artificial ingredients will be used so you and your staff will always remember this by heart.

By following this and revolving your decisions around your mission statement, you will be able to keep such standards which will lead to pleased and returning customers.

This is the section of the business plan where you can finally put in detail the concept you’ve been planning for your catering business. Remember the things you’ve been holding back in saying in the introduction? This is the time to write them all down now.

Related Reading: 7 Powerful Ways I Promote and Market My Catering Business

You can start by answering the following questions:

• What cuisine will you be offering?
• How many people can you cater to?
• Will you be offering healthy options such as vegan, keto, or paleo meals?

You may also add in other concept ideas that are not mentioned above. Just make sure to cover everything so you can have a basis for your product line and services to be tackled later on.

A compelling catering business logo.

Planning to put your business out there means you also have to know the industry you’ll be diving into. This is to help you analyze your potential customers, the growth of the catering business in your area, and the competition.

As mentioned above in the customer focus, your skills will have to match your target market. You’ve already written a brief introduction about it so in this section, all you have to do is to explain it in detail.

The catering business has been going on for a long while now so it’s important to gather in as much information as you can regarding this industry. This is to help you figure out if there is a potential market for your business and how to put your plans into action.

Another helpful guide is to look into the type of cuisine most people in your area look for. You can then incorporate it into your business and offer it as part of your menu.

The bottom line is that analyzing the industry around you helps you plan better for the future of your catering business.

You will not be the only catering business in your area. You’ll have to consider restaurants as your competition too. Check their prices and set menus. Do a competition check by tasting their food once in a while. Knowing who the players are in this competitive business game gives you the upper hand because you’ll be aware of their strengths and weaknesses and how to deal with them on the field.

Determine the key players in your business.

A catering service is run by a few people. In this section of the business plan, you’ll list down everyone who is working on this business alongside you as well as the roles they possess in your business. This includes:

• Business Partners
• Accountants
• Co-chefs (If you’re not the only one doing the cooking)

Why is this so important, you might ask? Stating clear business roles and laying out the management structure keeps everyone in check and helps avoid any misunderstandings. Most businesses that don’t define this early on end up having a messy workflow. So make sure to state each duty clearly for everyone to follow.

Burgers are a proven catering option.

This section of the business plan goes hand in hand with your company concept. Here you can present your different sample menus for all the cuisine you wish to cater to. Be sure to include the prices for the set menus per head.

You can also write down the services you plan to offer. Here are some you can consider for your catering business:

• Out of town catering
• Cocktail station
• Set up style (buffet or plated)
• Table setting (formal or casual, rustic or summer feel)
• Wait staff or food display only

Writing them all down in this section will keep your business more organized which is very important when you start on your catering business.

Grilled chicken is another popular option for caterers.

How are you going to market your catering business? Do you plan to have an ad out in your local newspaper and on social media? Both strategies are fine but you need to find more ways to get your catering business out there.

One way to market yourself is to partner up with rental spaces such as function halls that do not provide food. Give them a proposal that when there are inquiries regarding the rental of their halls, they would present your set menus to the guests as well so they don’t need to trouble over finding a caterer.

Related Reading: How I Started a Legit Catering Business Out of My House

Partnering with several event coordinators is also a way to get your business known. People these days hire event coordinators to do all the planning for them. They expect these coordinators to answer all their questions from food, music, and decorations. By partnering up with an event coordinator, they’ll be the ones to pitch in your catering business to their customers.

Remember to uphold your mission statement as well. By providing good food and high-class standards during your catering event, you’re already marketing your products and services to the number of people you’re catering to. So always make an exceptional first impression because that will stay with the guests long enough for them to remember hiring you on their next and succeeding events.

Plan your financial future.

Knowing where you’re going to get the funds to start your catering business is a must. This is how you’ll know if your plans are going to be achievable or not. Besides, having a solid financial plan will also allow you to go through with your ideas without any interruptions.

In this section, break down your financial plan into two categories which are your plans to request for funding and your financial forecast.

Some business owners are ready to put up their catering business due to having saved enough money through the years. But what if you lack the funds to do it? Don’t fret. You can still loan from the bank and invite investors.

Whatever your plan is that deals with requesting for funding, include it here so you can document it.

Make conservative and best case scenario financial forecasts.

Reaching break-even is the ultimate goal when you’re putting up a business. You can compute how long it will take you to reach it early on in the planning stage.

You can also list down all your proposed expenses here which include the following:

• Pots, pans, and other large kitchen appliances and tools for cooking
• Chafing dishes
• Dessert displays and trays
• Table cloths, plates, glasses, and utensils
• Uniforms for you and the staff
• Storage boxes and food warmers

You may also add in tables and chairs if you do not want to keep on renting these. But sometimes, the venue where you’ll be catering can provide these as well.

Download Now: Bakery Business Plan Templates for 2021

Be sure to include your staff’s payroll expenses. Since catering events are not done daily (unless you’ve already made a name for yourself and you’re booked every day), you can just have your wait staff be on call and pay them per catering event rather than a daily wage.

By computing these, you’ll know just how much you should allot for your startup capital and how much should your goals be to reach during every catering gig in order to profit off of it.

What’s your operation plan?

Put your plan into action by making a timeline of your operations. Here is an example:

Date Plan [Insert Date Here] – Finalize the business documents you need such as permits and registrations for your catering business.[Insert Date Here] – Start marketing your business on social media and the local news. Send out proposals for partnerships with event coordinators and function halls.[Insert Date Here] – Hire and train staff.[Insert Date Here] – Start catering when booked.[Insert Date Here] – Achieve goals and reach break-even.

The appendix section of the business plan is where you can put all your documentation. This includes photos of your food and table setting and your copies of the permits and registration for your catering business.

Here are the catering business plan samples in PowerPoint, Word Doc, Google Doc, and PDF. These are ideal for commercial or home-based catering businesses.

• Catering business plan template Google Doc
• PDF catering business plan sample
• Catering PowerPoint template
• Catering businesses are ideal because there is no space for you to rent which is considered one of the main expenses that can be quite heavy on the pockets. You will be cooking in the comfort of your own home. Just make sure your place can handle heavy cooking and there is enough space for you and your staff to move about.
• It would be nice to learn more about the different cuisines as you go along so you can cater to a wide variety of audiences.
• Include a checklist of all the equipment you need to operate at the start. These equipment requirements make up the bulk of your startup costs. You can download a checklist of frequently used catering equipment here .

Throughout this entire guide, we have been referring to your readers as one of the main reasons why you should make your catering business plan easy to understand. But in truth, making this business plan is for you as well. You will need this plan when you’re requesting for financial assistance in banks and this would also serve as your work guide. So remember to keep it detailed and easy to comprehend because you will be using this on the road to putting up your business.

While opening a catering business can be extraordinarily rewarding there are a few factors you should consider before deciding to push ahead. Creating a business plan lets you understand what the factors are, what’s going to make this business become a success, and how you can profit from the venture.

If you’re serious about starting a catering business, don’t forget to sign up for our Food Business Startup Kit . This free community will give you access to exclusive interviews with catering professionals you can use to help grow your own business.

Want to start your own food business?

Hey! 👋I’m Brett Lindenberg, the founder of Food Truck Empire.

We interview successful founders and share the stories behind their food trucks, restaurants, food and beverage brands. By sharing these stories, I want to help others get started.

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How To Write A Winning Catering Business Plan + Template

Creating a business plan is essential for any business, but it can be especially helpful for catering businesses that want to improve their strategy and/or raise funding. This begs a question: what elements appropriately belong in your catering business plan.

A well-crafted business plan not only outlines the vision for your company, but also documents a step-by-step roadmap of how you are going to accomplish it. In order to create an effective business plan, you must first understand the components that are essential to its success.

This article provides an overview of the key elements that every catering business owner should include in his or her business plan.

Download the Ultimate Catering Business Plan Template

What is a Catering Business Plan?

A catering business plan is a formal written document that describes your company’s business strategy and its feasibility. It documents the reasons you will be successful, your areas of competitive advantage, and it includes information about your team members. Your business plan is a key document that will convince investors and lenders (if needed) that you are positioned to become a successful venture.

Why Write a Catering Business Plan?

A catering business plan is required for banks and investors. The document is a clear and concise guide of your business idea and the steps you will take to make it profitable.

Entrepreneurs can also use this as a roadmap when starting their new company or venture, especially if they are inexperienced in starting a business.

Writing an Effective Catering Business Plan

The following are the key components of a successful catering business plan:

Executive Summary

The executive summary of a catering business plan is a one to two page overview of your entire business plan. It should summarize the main points, which will be presented in full in the rest of your business plan. Follow these tips:

• Start with a one-line description of your catering company
• Provide a short summary of the key points in each section of your business plan, which includes information about your company’s management team, industry analysis, competitive analysis, and financial forecast among others.
• Form a line-up of evaluators to whom you will give your catering business plan and have them be heartless in their criticism.

Company Description

This section should include a brief history of your company. Include a short description of how your company started, and provide a timeline of milestones your company has achieved.

If you are just starting your catering business, you may not have a long company history. Instead, you can include information about your professional experience in this industry and how and why you conceived your new venture. If you have worked for a similar company before or have been involved in an entrepreneurial venture before starting your catering firm, mention this.

You will also include information about your chosen catering business model and how, if applicable, it is different from other companies in your industry.

Industry Analysis

The industry or market analysis is an important component of a catering business plan. Conduct thorough market research to determine industry trends and document the size of your market. 

Questions to answer in the catering business plan  include:

• What part of the catering industry are you targeting?
• How big is the market?
• What trends are happening in the industry right now (and if applicable, how do these trends support the success of your company)?

You should also include sources for the information you provide, such as published research reports and expert opinions.

Customer Analysis

This section should include a list of your target audience(s) with demographic and psychographic profiles (e.g., age, gender, income level, profession, job titles, interests). You will need to provide a profile of each customer segment separately, including their needs and wants.

For example, a catering business’ customers may include:

• Wedding receptions
• Corporate luncheons and events
• Private parties
• Cocktail parties

This information will help you determine your marketing strategy later on. It is important to remember that your target market may not always be the same as your actual customer base. In other words, you may have to market to a different audience in your catering business plan than the one you eventually want to sell your services to.

You can include information about how your customers make the decision to buy from you as well as what keeps them buying from you.

Develop a strategy for targeting those customers who are most likely to buy from you, as well as those that might be influenced to buy your products or catering services with the right marketing.

Competitive Analysis

The competitive analysis helps you determine how your product or service will be different from competitors, and what your unique selling proposition (USP) might be that will set you apart in this industry.

For each competitor, list their strengths and weaknesses. Next, determine your areas of competitive differentiation and/or advantage; that is, in what ways are you different from and ideally better than your competitors.

Marketing Plan

This part of the business plan is where you determine and document your marketing strategy. Your plan should be clearly laid out, including the following 4 Ps.

• Product/Service : Detail your product/service offerings here. Document their features and benefits.
• Price : Document your pricing strategy here. In addition to stating the prices for your products/services, mention how your pricing compares to your competition.
• Place : Where will your customers find you? What channels of distribution (e.g., partnerships) will you use to reach them if applicable?
• Promotion : How will you reach your target customers? For example, you may use social media, write blog posts, create an email marketing campaign, use pay-per-click advertising, launch a direct mail campaign. Or you may promote your catering business via word-of-mouth.

Operations Plan

This part of your catering business plan should include the following information:

• How will you deliver your product/service to customers? For example, will you do it in person or over the phone only?
• What infrastructure, equipment, and resources are needed to operate successfully? How can you meet those requirements within budget constraints?

The operations plan is where you also need to include your company’s business policies. You will want to establish policies related to everything from customer service to pricing, to the overall brand image you are trying to present.

Finally, and most importantly, in your Operations Plan, you will lay out the milestones your company hopes to achieve within the next three-to-five years. Create a chart that shows the key milestone(s) you hope to achieve each quarter for the next four quarters, and then each year for the following four years. Examples of milestones for a catering business include reaching $X in sales. Other examples include:

Hiring a certain number of new employees

Opening a second location

Rolling out a new product or service line

Management Team

List your team members here including their names and titles, as well as their expertise and experience relevant to your specific catering industry. Include brief biography sketches for each team member.

Particularly if you are seeking funding, the goal of this section is to convince investors and lenders that your team has the expertise and experience to execute on your plan. If you are missing key team members, document the roles and responsibilities you plan to hire for in the future.

Financial Plan

Here you will include a summary of your complete and detailed financial plan (your full financial projections go in the Appendix). 

This includes the following three financial statements:

Income Statement

Your income statement should include:

• Revenue : how much revenue you generate.
• Cost of Goods Sold : These are your direct costs associated with generating revenue. This includes labor costs, as well as the cost of any equipment and supplies used to deliver the product/service offering.
• Net Income (or loss) : Once expenses and revenue are totaled and deducted from each other, this is the net income or loss

Sample Income Statement for a Startup Catering Business

Balance sheet.

Include a balance sheet that shows your assets, liabilities, and equity. Your balance sheet should include:

• Assets : All of the things you own (including cash).
• Liabilities : This is what you owe against your company’s assets, such as accounts payable or loans.
• Equity : The worth of your business after all liabilities and assets are totaled and deducted from each other.

Sample Balance Sheet for a Startup Catering Business

Cash flow statement.

Include a cash flow statement showing how much cash comes in, how much cash goes out and a net cash flow for each year. The cash flow statement should include:

• Cash Flow From Operations
• Cash Flow From Investments
• Cash Flow From Financing

Below is a sample of a projected cash flow statement for a startup catering business.

Sample Cash Flow Statement for a Startup Catering Business

You will also want to include an appendix section which will include:

• Your complete financial projections
• A complete list of your company’s business policies and procedures related to the rest of the business plan (marketing, operations, etc.)
• Any other documentation which supports what you included in the body of your business plan.

Writing a good business plan gives you the advantage of being fully prepared to launch and/or grow your catering company. It not only outlines your business vision but also provides a step-by-step process of how you are going to accomplish it.

A well-written business plan is critical for any catering business looking to start or grow. In addition, be sure to include a detailed financial plan and supporting documentation in your appendix. This will give investors and lenders the confidence they need to believe in your company’s long-term success.  

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Catering Business Plan Template

NOV.11, 2016

If you are planning to start a catering company, you need to have a professional catering business plan. OGS Capital can help you with that; we have a team of professional business personnel and writers who work with us on a daily basis to ensure that clients get customized plans for their business. We strive to make sure that we deliver the final copy of the business plans for catering companies  to the customer on time, and this has so far helped us to get referrals and returning customers.

Tips for Succeeding in Writing a Mobile Catering Business Plan

The quality of your catering company business plan will determine whether you will get capital from investors and financial institutions. Hence, it is important to make sure that every detail in the plan is factual and verifiable before presenting it to the investors or banks.

Here are four tips for writing a good business plan for your catering company.

• Carry out an intensive study to understand the hospitality industry
• Convey information about the firm in a professional, cohesive, conscious language
• Layout the various sections clearly using headings and sub-headings
• Proofread the catering business plan to ensure that it is free of any grammatical errors and typos

Adhering to these four tips will help you to come up with business plans for catering companies  that you will not be afraid to present and defend when pitching the business idea to the financial institution. Let us proceed and discuss the primary benefits of having an expertly written small catering business plan.

Assist in Decision Making

Every decision that you make will have a positive or negative impact on your catering business. It is, therefore, important to make sure that you consider all the plausible direct and indirect effects that a resolution may have on the enterprise before implementing it to avert regrets.

A good catering company business plan will act as a blueprint that will guide you through the decision-making process. Our team will work hard to make sure that each recommendation made is right for your business. Without a catering company business plan , rest assured that you would be prone to making hasty decisions that could plunge your business in deep financial crisis.

Proper Management of Funds

Unknown to most people is that a catering company business plan does not aim to discuss the business idea only. It goes an extra mile to provide precise details of how the funds will be spent at every stage of the business growth. For instance, it describes the total amount of money that will be used to acquisition equipment. Hence, it will be instrumental in helping you manage your funds correctly. Note that it only takes one financial mistake to compromise the financial stability of the business.

Fosters Transparency and Management

Transparency and proper management are the two primary virtues that set professional catering companies from their counterparts. Poor or lack of transparency results in losses and unnecessary disagreements. All this information will be included in the plan to not only increase your chances of getting funding but also to help you make informed managerial decisions.

Facilitate Setting of Sales Targets

The marketing teams need to have sales goals that they want to achieve after a given duration. Without these goals, they will be operating in a void, and you will also not be able to monitor their performance.

Our marketing professionals will not only help you to come up with a marketing strategy but also provide ideas on how you should set sales targets and objectives.

If you are looking for professional business plans for catering companies that will enable you to enjoy these four benefits, get in touch with us by filling this form. One of our customer care business consultants will get in touch with you to discuss our services in details.

Catering business plan for starting your own building firm

Catering is a business in which you provide food to remote locations to serve people at parties, ceremonies, events, filming sites, and hospitals, etc. The service can sometimes also include the provision of furniture, tables, chairs, utensils, and crockery.

If you are a person who wants to start a business that holds minimum risks, takes a small team and a little investment, then catering is the right choice for you. Besides, another good thing about this business is that it starts yielding profits as soon as it is launched.

What you need to do is just ensure that you manage and market your business plans for catering companies properly. For that purpose, the first step to take is making a business plan for catering. If you need any help regarding how to start a catering business plan, you can have it from here. Here we are providing a business plan for a catering startup, Marlon Caterers.

Executive Summary

2.1 the business.

Marlon Caterers will be a registered and licensed catering business in Atlanta. The business aims to help people celebrate their memorable events with an unforgettable dinner. Moreover, the business will also take care of the needs of patients in hospitals by offering them healthy and nutritious food according to their doctors’ advice.

The business will provide several types of catering such as buffet catering, sit-down catering, hospital catering, corporate catering, and more.

2.2 Management

Management is a very important factor in the catering business. It’s only through efficient management that you can ensure

• The quality of your servings is intact
• The food prepared fulfills the dietary and hygiene requirements of your clients
• The order is delivered and served timely and perfectly

To maintain a good reputation among your customers, you must know all the difficulties and risks you can encounter. The risks may include budget disruptions due to sudden cancellation of orders, or any small/ large mistake during the business operations.

Before starting a catering business, you should study many catering business startup plans and then prepare a set up catering business plan for your business.

2.3 Customers

Our target customers belong to various niches. They will include the residential community, business organizations, film studios, government institutions, and hospitals.

2.4 Target of the Company

In this how to start a catering company sample business plans for catering companies we are enlisting the business targets set by Marlon Caterers.

• To reduce our customer acquisition cost by 20% by the end of five years
• To keep our customer churn rate below 5% throughout our service years
• To achieve a net profit margin of $22k per month by the end of the third year

Company Summary

3.1 company owner.

Marlon Redford will be the owner of Marlon Caterers. Marlon has acquired a degree in Business Administration from McDonough School of Business. Marlon has been serving on a managerial post in New York’s top luxury wedding planner company, Colin Cowie for four years. But a few months back, he decided to quit the job and start his own business.

3.2 Why the Business is being started

Marlon always wanted to have a career in which he could utilize his creative ideas to serve his community. He loved food and had an interest in cooking as well. So he decided to make a small team and start a business plans for catering companies .

3.3 How the Business will be started

The first step before starting a catering business is creating a description of catering business plan. Your catering company business plan should cover all aspects such as startup expenses, market analysis, sales strategy, personnel plan, and an extensive financial plan for your business.

In this catering company business plan example, we have listed the business strategy created by Marlon Caterers. Marlon devised his start a catering company business plan himself as he had adequate knowledge to do so. If you don’t know how to write a business plans for catering companies , you should either take help from this sample business plan for catering service. Or you should hire a professional person.

Marlon will rent a facility in Atlanta to set up his office there and keep the inventory. He will purchase luxurious crockery, flatware, tableware, chairs, tables, and sofas to host high-end events. To serve the other categories of target customers, inventory that comes in reasonable rates will also be acquired.

Besides, Marlon will hire the general staff, chefs, waiters, and some supervisors to help him run the business.

The start-up requirements, start-up expenses, total assets, funding, liabilities, planned investment, and other parameters for the successful launch of the business are given below.

Before you start a business plans for catering companies , you must identify the services you can provide under the catering domain. Including your services in your business plan about catering, can help you in acquiring the right licenses, required inventory, and relevant staff.

In this template of a catering business plan we are enlisting the services provided by Marlon Caterers.

We’ll offer on-premise and off-premise catering in the following categories.

• Plated Sit-down catering

In this catering, our waiters will lay out the food on individual tables. So, the guests will have to eat whatever is laid out on the plates for them.

• Buffet Catering

In this type of serving we will serve the dishes and food in one place. The guests will have to prepare their plates themselves according to their needs and wants.

• Cocktail Reception

Our wedding or party dinner will be preceded by a cocktail hour. Our cocktail servings will include Manhattan cocktail, Daiquiri, Margarita, Bloody Mary, Mojito, and Hurricane.

• Snacks & Drinks For Production Sets

We will supply food, snacks, and drinks to film studios, production sets, and shooting sites located near us. As the film crew works on a particular site on a weekly or monthly basis, so we’ll offer them various weekly and monthly packages.

• Hospital Catering

We’ll offer fresh, healthy, and nutritious foods to hospitals for patients. Our nutrient-rich meals will help them recover fast.

Marketing Analysis of Catering Business

If you are starting a business plan for catering companies , you should focus on doing accurate marketing analysis. Through market research, you can identify local trends and expectations. Besides, you can also select the most suitable location to launch your startup.

Marketing analysis should be completed before you create a business plans for catering companies . Because it will help you in recognizing your customers and setting your prices accordingly while also making sure that you are not running at a loss.

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5.1 Market Trends

The demand for the catering business has been high in the last few years. Due to a boost in average household income, more people had started utilizing private catering services to hold events. However, there is a slight problem these days. Due to the coronavirus pandemic mass gatherings aren’t allowed. So, your business might suffer a loss in the initial phases if you only provide catering for wedding ceremonies and parties. Marlon found the solution to this problem as he decided to offer hospital and film catering too.

Overall, business is surely profitable. According to First Research, catering industries in the U.S. make up above $11 billion in revenue on annual basis. More than 12000 catering industries are running in the U.S. Moreover, Statista also reports that the market size of this business has reached $12 billion in 2020.

5.2 Marketing Segmentation

Before you think how to write a business plan for a catering business, you should consider who will be your customers. Knowing your customers will enable you to devise customer-oriented pricing and sales strategy.

In this sample of business plans for catering companies , we have listed the market segmentation done by Marlon Caterers.

The detailed marketing segmentation of our target audience is as follows:

5.1.1 Residential Community

The biggest consumer of our services will be the residents of Atlanta. They are expected to avail of our catering services whenever they host birthday or anniversary parties, gatherings, wedding ceremonies, etc.

5.1.2 Corporates & Film Producers

The second category includes business organizations that will need our catering for their business meetups, events, and parties. They are also expected to contact us for arranging just a cocktail party as that contains light refreshments and drinks to boost the energy level of workers.

Moreover, film studios that happen to shoot in Atlanta will also be needing our services. This group usually spent weeks and months on a particular site and thus need catering service continuously for days. So to compel them to hire us, we’ll offer them various weekly and monthly packages.

5.1.3 Hospitals

The last category of our target customers include hospitals based in Atlanta. They are expected to contact us for making nutritious and healthy plated foods for patients.

5.3 Business Target

Our business plans for catering companies targets to be achieved within a specified time are listed below

• To maintain an average rating above 4.75 on our website

5.4 Product Pricing

Our prices are almost within the same range as that of our competitors. However, we’ll be offering several discounts on our initial stage to attract as many customers as possible.

Marketing Strategy

Sales strategy is also an important component of a catering business plan proposal. Through this, you can reach your qualified customers and make them comprehend that you are better than all your competitors. To give you an idea of what to include in sales strategy, we are providing the sales strategy of Marlon Caterers in this example of marketing plan for a catering business.

6.1 Competitive Analysis

Our biggest competitive advantage lies in our customer service. We are highly customer-oriented and are always willing to go the extra mile to satisfy our customers. Secondly, we have developed a user-friendly mobile app that will allow our customers to

• Make online bookings
• Choose venue
• Select dishes from our menu

Third, we provide on-premise catering in which we prepare the food on site. This will be a competitive edge for us as just two to three competitors are offering it.

6.2 Sales Strategy

• We will offer a 35% discount on our services for the first month of the launch
• We will develop an SEO website to show our business in the top results on searches
• We will establish a strong social media presence
• We will advertise ourselves through Google Local ads service, local magazines, and newspapers

6.3 Sales Monthly

6.4 Sales Yearly

6.5 Sales Forecast

Personnel plan

While writing business plans for catering companies you should also create a list of your required employees along with their job responsibilities.

7.1 Company Staff

Marlon will manage the business himself. However, he will hire the following people

• 1 Quality Manager to ensure the quality of service by active supervision
• 1 Inventory Manager to manage and maintain the merchandise
• 1 Accountant to maintain financial records
• 2 Sales Executives to market and to discover new ventures
• 5 Catering Assistants/ Catering Chefs to prepare the food
• 4 Waiters to serve the guests
• 2 General Assistants to bring ingredients daily
• 1 Web Developer
• 2 Drivers to provide transport
• 1 Front Desk Officer to act as a receptionist

7.2 Average Salary of Employees

Financial plan.

As you make a catering business plan, you should also start analyzing your finances. Crafting a financial plan is an absolute need for a business as it maps the ways to minimize or even avoid loss. A good financial plan comprises a strategy to cover startup expenses with earned profits. Moreover, it also proposes a systematic approach to managing employees’ salaries, cost of business operations, and costs to cater for unexpected events.

To give you an idea of how a financial plan should look like, we are giving here the financial plan of Marlon Caterers.

8.1 Important Assumptions

8.2 brake-even analysis.

8.3 Projected Profit and Loss

8.3.1 profit monthly.

8.3.2 Profit Yearly

8.3.3 Gross Margin Monthly

8.3.4 Gross Margin Yearly

8.4 Projected Cash Flow

8.5 Projected Balance Sheet

8.6 business ratios.

Download Catering Company Business Plan Sample in pdf

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OGSCapital’s team has assisted thousands of entrepreneurs with top-rate business plan development, consultancy and analysis. They’ve helped thousands of SME owners secure more than $1.5 billion in funding, and they can do the same for you.

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Catering Business Plan Template [Updated 2024]

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 sample business plan for a successful catering business.

I. Executive Summary – The Executive Summary provides an overview of your business opportunity and summarizes the business plan.

II. Company Overview – The company analysis includes information about your business concept, catering services and legal structure.

III. Industry Analysis – The industry analysis includes market research that supports your business and provides insights into market trends and the catering industry.

IV. Customer Analysis – The customer analysis provides an overview of your target market.

V. Competitive Analysis – The competitive analysis should identify your direct and indirect competitors and highlight your competitive advantage.

VI. Marketing Plan – The marketing plan includes your marketing strategy, pricing strategy and search engine optimization plan.

VII. Operations Plan – The Operations Plan includes information on your company’s day to day operations and processes.

VIII. Management Team – The management team section includes a profile of the business owner and business management, their experience and company responsibilities.

IX. Financial Plan – The financial plan includes financial projections, a cash flow statement, profit and loss statement and balance sheet.

Download the Catering business plan template (including a full, customizable financial model) to your computer here.

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Catering Business Plan Outline

Catering Business Plan [Sample Template]

By: Author Tony Martins Ajaero

Home » Business ideas » Food Industry » Catering Service » Catering Business Plan

Do you want to start a catering company and need to write a business plan? If YES, here is a sample catering business plan template & feasibility report.

You see, planning to cater for guests doesn’t come easy. It is one thing to plan for a party or want to host some guests in the comfort of your home; and it is yet another to have them well catered for . This is where adequate organization and projections come to fore.

This means that if you were planning for a party for instance, you have got to be sure about the number of guests you are expecting, the type of food that appeals to them, as well as how you intend going about the preparation. Indeed having to go through all these steps, might be a bit tasking, however, good news is that there are folks who can take away the burden.

You will need to do plenty of research work, so as to arrive at the best of templates that can help guide you through the type of business that you are into. Below is a sample catering business plan template which you can use to get started with your own business plan.

A Sample Catering Service Business Plan Template

1. industry overview.

Have you ever wondered how difficult it really gets for people who host parties to cope when they have to cook all the meals that the guests get to eat? Without a doubt, it is quite a difficult task to accomplish this, especially if the number of guests attending the event is much.

As such, if the host attempts to personally cook the meals for her guests; particularly when the number is on the high side, chances are that they may likely breakdown due to fatigue. It is for this reason that caterers are in hot demand.

There is hardly any country in the world where one may not find caterers who are into full – time catering businesses. Professional caterers do not only cater for big organizations, government agencies, institutions and parties, but they can also be contacted to handle home catering services for people who can the luxury.

This means that people who host a huge number of visitors per time in their houses can relax and allow the burden of cooking to be taken off them.

In the united states of America alone, there are well over 10,000 registered catering businesses that employ about 150,000 people ( both contract and full time employees ), and most of them are thriving pretty well in the business because there are loads of business opportunities available to caterers in the United States of America, as well as in other parts of the world.

The United States of America’s Catering Industry generates well over 7 Billion US Dollars annually through events such as; weddings, holiday parties, corporate functions ( Annual General Meetings and Anniversary et al), funerals and birthday parties amongst others, and the figure is still on the increase.

Catering business is considered to be amongst the delicate industries, this is because they are involved in cooking food for consumption for a large number of guests per time. It is the reason why this business is subjected to regular inspection by relevant health officials from different local health departments.

As one who runs a catering business in the United States of America, you are expected by law to comply with the laid down rules and regulations for the industry.

There is ample room for any entrepreneur who is interested in running a catering business in the United States of America to start in any capacity and still maximize profit in the business. You can start by catering for 20 people or less, conversely, you can as well start your catering business by catering for a large crowd.

The bottom line is that catering business is known to be a very lucrative business in all parts of the world, and not just in the United States of America.

2. Executive Summary

Appealing Delight® Catering Services Company is a catering business that will be based in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Our intention of starting a catering business in Chicago is to deliver the best quality catering services at an affordable price to a wide range of customers.

Our services will involve catering for parties, outdoor events, weddings, holiday parties, birthday parties, corporate events, picnics, anniversaries and special events et al.

Work will always be on going when it comes to working with our clients to give them the best. We have perfected our plans on how to execute that. At Appealing Delight® Catering Services Company, we are going to take pride in working with our clients to deliver high quality and nutritious meals and excellent services while working with their budget. Our customers don’t need to break the bank to get the best of foods and services from us.

As part of our plans to make our customers our number one priority, we have perfected plans to work with our clients to provide customized services based on their budget. We will be involved in delivery services for our clients, rentals services, event management and consultancy services.

At Appealing Delight® Catering Services Company, we will go the extra mile to give our esteemed customers value for their money irrespective of the size of their budget. As such, we do not intend to turn any one down, because of the meager amount of cash they may have.

Appealing Delight® Catering Services Company is own and managed by Mrs. Sharon Miller, a notable and award winning cook in the United States of America. She will be bringing her experience to fore, to help Appealing Delight® Catering Services Company grow to become the number one choice in the whole of Chicago and environs and also a one – stop – shop when it is about catering services.

3. Our Products and Services

At Appealing Delight® Catering Services, we will be involved in cooking both local foods and intercontinental foods for our clients. Our intention is not to restrict our services to only cooking of foods, but we are also going to be involved in spreading our tentacles to cover all aspects of the ideal catering business.

In as much as cooking meals will be our number one priority as a catering business, we will also be involved in event management, rental services, consultancy and trainings. Here are some of the products and services we will be offering our clients;

• Corporate Catering
• Wedding Catering
• Holiday Catering
• Breakfast Catering
• Picnic Catering
• Box Lunch Catering
• Cocktail Party Catering
• Pig Roast Catering
• BBQ Catering
• Canteen Management
• Event Management
• Sales of Cakes
• Rental Services
• Consultancy Services

4. Our Mission and Vision Statement

• To become the number one catering service provider in the whole of Chicago, Illinois.
• To establish a standard catering business that will meet all the catering needs (cooking, event planning , rentals, trainings and consultancy services) of people in Chicago and neighboring states.

Our Business Structure

Our catering business will be structured in such a way to accommodate all the aspects of our business offering. We are setting up a catering business that will not only be involved in cooking and serving foods on behalf of our clients, but a business that will also be involved in rental services ( renting of cooking wares, table cloths, tables, chairs, marquee tents et al ), consultancy services and trainings ( run a catering school ).

So, in setting up the structure for Appealing Delight Catering Company, our business structure will be slightly different from what is obtainable in an ideal catering business that majors in cooking and serving foods on behalf of their clients.

We are going to run a full-fledged office in Chicago, a place where people can come in and make inquiries. In view of the above, we have made provision for the following position in our organization;

• Chief Executive Officer

Cooking Assistants

• Admin and Personnel Manager
• Front Desk Officer
• Sales and Marketing Officer

Servers (Contract Staff)

• Cleaners / Dish Washers

5. Job Roles and Responsibilities

Chief Executive Officer – CEO:

• Responsible for providing direction for the business
• Creating, communicating, and implementing the organization’s vision, mission, and overall direction – i.e. leading the development and implementation of the overall organization’s strategy.
• Responsible for the day to day running of the business
• Responsible for handling high profiled clients and deals
• Responsible for fixing prices and signing business deals
• Responsible for recruitment
• Responsible for the payment of salaries
• Responsible for signing checks and documents on behalf of the company
• Evaluates the success of the organization
• Reports to the board

Bakery Manager:

• Responsible for managing the daily activities in the restaurant
• Ensures that the bakery facility is in tip top shape and conducive enough to welcome customers
• Interfaces with third – party providers (vendors)
• Reports to the Chief Executive Officer
• Attends to Customers complains and enquiries
• Prepares budget and reports for the organization
• Any other duty as assigned by the CEO

Chief Chef:

• Responsible for preparing different meals as requested by our clients
• Makes lists and budget for cooking supplies
• Oversees the entire coking process
• Responsible for training new cooks
• Makes sure that quality is maintained at all times
• Assists the chief chef in the kitchen
• Runs errands for the chief chef
• Responsible for purchasing food ingredients for the organization
• Ensures that the kitchen is kept clean at all times
• Ensures that all kitchen wares are kept at their proper position after use.
• Any other duty as assigned by the Chief Chef

Admin / Personnel Manager

• Receives payments on behalf of the restaurant
• Handles all HR concerns for the organization
• Supervises employees during events
• Issues receipt to customers
• Prepares financial report at the end of every working week
• Handles all financial transaction on behalf of the company
• Interfaces with our bankers
• Responsible for payment of tax, levies and utility bills
• Any other duty as assigned by the CEO / restaurant manager

Sales and Marketing Officer:

• Sources for clients for the company
• Responsible for promoting the company’s image
• Responsible for creating marketing and sales strategies, etc.
• Represents the organization in some strategic business meetings
• Any other duty as assigned by the Chief Operating Officer / Bakery manager
• Delivers customers’ orders promptly
• Runs errand for the organization
• Transports employees and goods to and fro event venues
• Assists in setting up cooking and serving stands during events
• Any other duty as assigned by the personnel manager
• Take orders from guests
• Serves guest during events / parties
• Assists in cleaning dishes after events / parties
• Assists in the movement of cooking utensils, plates, spoons and other relevant wares

Cleaners / Dish Washers:

• Responsible for cleaning the office facility and kitchen at all times
• Ensure that toiletries and supplies don’t run out of stock
• Responsible for washing dishes before and after events
• Cleans both the interior and exterior of the building

6. SWOT Analysis

We are quite aware that is a stiffer competition when it comes to the catering trade in Chicago, which is why we decided to take our time to perfect our strategies before launching out. Our goal is to become a leading all – round catering services company in the whole of Chicago and the only way to achieve that is to out – perform our competitors. In order to outperform our competitors in Chicago, we hired a business consultant to help us conduct SWOT analysis .

In view of that, we were able to take stock of our strengths, our weakness, our opportunities and also the threats that we are likely going to be exposed to in establishing our catering business in Chicago, IL. Here is a summary from the result of the SWOT analysis that was conducted on behalf of Delicious Delight® Catering Services.

We are a complete catering business that does not offer outdoor catering services alone, but offer consultancy services, rental services and trainings. The truth is that, people will prefer to engage a client that can provide them with all they would need to make their events a memory one.

It means that the need to sign different contracts with different providers (vendors) will not arise once they engage our services. Another positive for us is that we will be working with the best of caterers in the US; they are going to be guest lecturers in our Catering School and our CEO is an award winning caterer in Chicago who is widely celebrated.

Our weakness could be the challenge of hiring and keeping the best cooks / chefs in our payroll since most of them may want to work for themselves. This challenge applies to almost all catering business owners . Yet another weakness is that we are new in Chicago, IL.

• Opportunities

When it comes to catering services, the opportunities that are available cannot be quantified. Any entrepreneur can start his or her own outdoor catering business anywhere in the world and still make huge returns on his or her investment.

At Appealing Delight Catering Company, we take pride in the fact that we are one of the few catering services companies in Chicago that offer a wide range of related catering services; hence we are likely going to maximize the opportunities available for catering business in Chicago, IL.

There are a couple of first class catering services companies in Chicago IL, and they are a huge threat to us. They pose a threat to us because they are already established, and their brand is well accepted. Also, most of them can boast of a have huge clientele base.

Our competitors are able to develop expensive new marketing and sales campaigns and that will mean that we will have to struggle to catch – up.

7. MARKET ANALYSIS

• Market Trends

There is hardly any organization or individual who intends organizing any party or event that will not engage the services of caterers. One of the high points of parties, weddings and events generally is the time for refreshments with foods.

Most people who attend parties look forward to when food is served, that is to tell you that a party will not be complete if there is nothing to eat and drink.

It is the norm for most corporate organizations to also give out the management of their canteens to vendors (caterers) because they know that it will be a distraction if they decided to handle it themselves. This is one of the major areas catering companies leverage on in building their businesses to generate steady income.

Outdoor catering services is supposed to be the core offering of catering businesses, but outdoor events don’t happen every day these days. As a matter of fact, caterers compete for the available weddings and parties that are organized during the weekends because weekends and holidays appear to be the busiest periods for catering business.

In order to compete with the big wigs in the catering industry in Chicago, we have decided to create a niche, which is why we want to run an all – round catering business; a catering business that is not just restricted to cooking and serving of foods, but a catering business that will offer rental services, consultancy services, as well as run a standard, government approved / licensed catering school in Chicago IL. Appealing Delight® Catering Company will adopt the following marketing and sales strategies;

• Introduce our business by sending introductory letters alongside our brochure to all the corporate organizations in Illinois
• Neighborhood, door to door and mouth to ear mode of adverts to introduce our business in our community
• Engage in road shows ( make some open air noise) to introduce our business
• Create different packages for different category of clients in order to work with their budgets and still deliver quality foods and services
• Encourage and reward referral marketing.
• Leverage on the internet to promote our business
• Start a TV show in line with our business goal and objectives
• Sponsor relevant community events, such as cooking competitions and cooking reality shows on TV et al.

8. Our Target Market

No doubt, the target market for catering businesses cut across people of all walks of life and organizations. The need to celebrate and call for a party will always arise and it is not restricted to only a group of people or organization, it cuts across people of all walks of life.

Yes, our catering services is within the reach of everybody and we intend serving available clients, but in order to effectively make plans and take actions towards meeting our sales and marketing goals, we have been able to pencil down the category of people and organizations that will be our main target market. Below is a list of the people and organizations that we have specifically designed our products and services for;

• Families (Homes)
• Schools (boarding house and campus et al)
• Wedding Ceremonies
• Event Planners
• Sport Centers
• Corporate Organizations
• Aspiring Entrepreneurs (Those who want to learn how to cook and run their own catering businesses)
• Managers of public facilities
• Carnival Organizers
• Caterers ( for our consultancy services and perhaps renting of our catering wares)

Our Competitive Advantage

Appealing Delight® Catering Services is coming into the catering industry knowing completely well that there are other competent and well established catering companies in Chicago. However, we have decided to critically study the industry and have realized that in order to have a competitive advantage over our competitors; we must do what they are not doing.

In view of the above stated fact, we have decided to offer a wide range of catering services that will meet the needs of a wide range of clientele base. We want to be the one stop shop when it comes to catering services in the whole of Illinois.

Our clients should be able to sign just one contract with us and we will deliver nearly all they would need to make their events a memorable one. This is the competitive advantage that we are bringing to the market in Chicago, IL.

9. SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGY

• Sources of Income

Appealing Delight® Catering Services Company is established with the aim of maximizing the catering business, hence our service offerings. With the nature with which we intend building our business, we are not going to lack continuous inflow of cash.

There are several sources of income for our business and we will ensure that we do all we can to maximize them. Below are the sources of revenue generation for Delicious Delight® Catering Services Company;

• Offering outdoor catering services to a wide range of clients
• Engage in Party rental services (renting of catering wares, chairs, tables and tents et al.)
• Manage Canteens for corporate organizations.
• Running a top notch government approved catering school in Chicago, Illinois
• Offering consultancy services in line with our business offerings

10. Sales Forecast

It is important to state that our sales forecast is based on the data gathered during our feasibility studies and also some of the assumptions readily available on the field.

This sales projection is based on our business offerings which involve outdoor catering services, rental services, event management, canteen management, our catering school and consultancy services et al. On the Average, we look forward to;

• Handle about 4 Outdoor Catering Events in a Month
• Secure contract to manage 5 canteens for corporate organizations within the first 3 months of launching the business
• Sell a minimum of 20 Standard Cakes in a Month
• Manage a minimum of 2 Events a Month
• Consult for a minimum of 4 clients in a month
• Train a minimum of 50 caterers within the first 6 months of launching the catering school
• Rent our catering wares / party stuffs to a minimum of 4 clients per month

N.B-: Please note that we could not put a specific amount to the projection above because the prices may differ for different services and for different clients. Part of our business strategy is to work within the budget of our clients as stated earlier.

Also, to deliver quality catering services hence it will be difficult to project what we are likely going to make from such deals. But, the bottom line is that we are definitely going to make reasonable profits from any business deal that we execute.

• Marketing Strategy and Sales Strategy

Appealing Delight Catering Services Company intends to become the number one catering services company in the whole of Chicago and the only way for us to achieve this is to engage in guerilla marketing. Our plan is to ensure that we get our own fair of the existing market in Illinois.

Our sales and marketing team will be recruited based on their vast experience in the industry and they will be trained on a regular basis, so as to be well equipped to meet their targets and the overall goal of the organization.

Our goal is to become a one-size-fits- all kind of service people when it comes to catering services in Chicago, Illinois and its environs. This is why we must explore all the marketing tactics available to us if indeed we want to fulfill our mandate. In nut a shell, we will explore the following marketing and sales strategies to promote our catering business;

• Direct Marketing
• Marketing via Our Sponsored TV Programs and Community Based Events
• Erect Our Billboards in Strategic locations around the city
• Online Marketing (via our official website, social media platforms and blog et al)
• Referral Marketing
• Promotion of our products during our training sessions in our catering school

11. Publicity and Advertising Strategy

We have been able to work with our consultants to help us map out publicity and advertising strategies that will help us walk our way into the heart of our target market. First and foremost, we want our brand to visible and well communicated which is why we have created a logo with attractive colors.

All our publicity materials and jingles are done by some of the best hands in the industry. We have created a budget to take care of our publicity and advertising need and here are the platforms we intend making use of to promote and advertise our business;

• Place adverts on both print and electronic media platforms
• Sponsor relevant community programs
• Sponsor relevant TV shows
• Leverage on the internet and social media platforms like; Instagram, Facebook ,Twitter, LinkedIn, Badoo, Google+ et al
• Install our Bill Boards on strategic locations
• Engage in road shows from time to time
• Distribute our fliers and handbills in targeted areas from time to time

12. Our Pricing Strategy

Launching a new business is not an easy task especially if you are launching a business / idea that is not entirely new from what is obtainable in the location you intend launching it. So, part of our strategy for entering the market is to leverage on pricing to gain a good percentage of the available market.

Of course we will attract clients by offering quality catering services for rock – bottom price. A price that probably will be the lowest in the industry.

Although prices for our catering services and other related services will be lower than what is obtainable in the industry, but it wouldn’t remain so for a long time. As a matter of fact, we intend jacking up the prices gradually until it falls at par with what is obtainable in the industry. We aim to achieve this within a year of launching the business.

• Payment Options

Our payment policy is all inclusive because we are quite aware that different people prefer different payment options as it suits them. Here are the payment options that we will make available to our clients;

• Payment by cash
• Payment via Point of Sale (POS) Machine
• Payment via online bank transfer
• Payment via
• Payment via Mobile money

In view of the above, we have chosen banking platforms that will help us achieve our plans without any itches.

13. Startup Expenditure (Budget)

• The Total Fee for Registering the Business in Florida: $750.
• The budget for Liability insurance , permits and license: $5,000
• The Amount needed to acquire a suitable Facility with storage space for 6 months in Chicago, Illinois (Re – Construction of the facility inclusive): $70,000.
• The Cost for the purchase of furniture and gadgets (fridges, TVs, Sound System, tables and chairs et al): $15,000
• The Cost for Catering Equipment (Standard commercial oven, Industrial Gas Cooker, Baking Sheets and Racks, Mixers, Work Tables, Sinks, Slicers, Scales, Cake decorating Tools, Ingredient Bins and kitchen utensils et al) : $15,000
• The Cost of Launching a Website: $600
• The cost for our opening party: $5,000
• Additional Expenditure ( Business cards , Signage, Adverts and Promotions et al): $5,000

Going by the report from our research and feasibility studies, we will need an average $150,000 to set a catering business in Chicago, IL.

One good thing about catering business and perhaps other related services that we render, is that you are definitely going to make profits from any business deal that you handle. You are expected to submit quotations that will be enough to cover your expenses and profits as well.

Generating Funding / Startup Capital for Delicious Delight® Catering Services Company

• The CEO Mrs. Sharon Miller will generate 40 percent of the start – up capital from her personal savings
• She will source for soft loans from family members and friends
• Her bankers are willing to give her loan facility to the tune of 80,000 US Dollars

14. Sustainability and Expansion Strategy

Our CEO Sharon Miller has plans to implement succession plans hence the introduction of her daughter Ms. Stacy Miller to join her in building the business from the scratch . She has made plans to train her on the job and also attend training courses. Ms. Stacy Miller will be understudying her mother with the sole aim of taking over the business once she retires.

As part of the plans to sustain the business and also to expand the business, we will continue to invest in the training of our employees and also continue to explore new opportunities to generate income for the business. We are certain that if we get things right and we work hard; we are likely going to triple our income in the second year of our operations.

Check List / Milestone

• Business Name Availability Check: Completed
• Business Registration: Completed
• Opening of Corporate Bank Accounts: Completed
• Securing Point of Sales (POS) Machines: Completed
• Opening Mobile Money Accounts: Completed
• Opening Online Payment Platforms: Completed
• Application and Obtaining Tax Payer’s ID: In Progress
• Application for business license and permit: Completed
• Purchase of Insurance for the Business: Completed
• Renting of Facility and Construction of our Commercial Kitchen: In Progress
• Conducting Feasibility Studies: Completed
• Generating capital from family members and friends: Completed
• Application for Loan: In Progress
• writing of business plan: Completed
• Drafting of Employee’s Handbook: Completed
• Drafting of Contract Documents and other relevant Legal Documents: In Progress
• Design of The Company’s Logo: Completed
• Graphic Designs and Printing of Packaging Marketing / Promotional Materials: In Progress
• Recruitment of employees: In Progress
• Purchase of the Needed furniture, electronic appliances and catering equipment: In progress
• Creating Official Website for the Company: In Progress
• Preparation of our catalogue and price list: Completed
• Creating Awareness for the business both online and in the neighborhood: In Progress
• Health and Safety and Fire Safety Arrangement: In Progress
• Kitchen Approval by Inspectors from Local Health Office: Done
• Opening party / launching party: In Progress
• Compilation of our list of products and detailed recipe : Completed
• Arrangement for trainers and training facility: In Progress
• Establishing business relationship with vendors – suppliers of all our needed food ingredients: Completed
• Purchase of delivery vans: Completed.

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Catering Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Catering 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

Catering 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 and Ballroom Rental Business Plan

Start your own catering and ballroom rental business plan

Sumptuous Cuisine 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.">.

Sumptuous Cuisine Catering is a local catering company serving both business and private clients in Doeuvreville and the surrounding towns within a ten mile radius. Established in 2005, the business has operated a catering kitchen and specialized in full-service catering and event planning for upscale events in the region. The business event management, event staff, a variety of cuisine for breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and appetizers, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage service, floral design, space design and decor, musicians and DJs, event equipment and furniture rentals, and other event services. Sumptuous Cuisine Catering seeks to expand its operations to a dedicated venue, called The Sumptuous Ballroom, located in Doeuvreville, with a mortgage on the space, its own cash reserves and the issuing of a convertible debt to angel investors.

The addition of The Sumptuous Ballroom to the services provided by Sumptuous Cuisine Catering will enable gross margins to rise above their previous levels and industry averages as rentals of space provide high gross margins. Both existing and new clients will be interested in using this space, and in the additional services Sumptuous Cuisine Catering provides. Top line sales will grow from their current level in 2009 to more than double in 2012. Net profits will rise three-fold from 2010 to 2012 after this acquisition, even with the expected increases in operating expenses. Sumptuous Cuisine Catering will seek to utilize the space on at least 40% of days by the end of year 3 to achieve these results.

Sumptuous Cuisine Catering has set the following objectives for the first three years of the launch of its ballroom:

• Renovate and upgrade the interior of the ballroom
• Hire and retain a facilities manager to run the logistics of the new space
• Produce a positive return on investment for the ballroom acquisition by the end of the second year
• Utilize the ballroom on 40% of days by the end of the third year

Sumptuous Cuisine Catering offers top-class event experiences with flawless execution to business and private clients in the Doeuvreville area. With Sumptuous Cuisine Catering running your event, the food will be delicious, the service will be excellent and the guests will be wowed.

Keys to Success

Keys to success in the catering and event business include:

• Managing and exceeding client expectations
• Balancing expert opinions and advice with care for the client’s preferences and vision
• Exhibiting a sense of professional showmanship on the day of the event – the show must go on
• Protecting the client’s interests and liability even when it requires unpopular decisions

Sumptuous Cuisine Catering keeps these keys in mind through all events they have managed and catered in the past and will renew their efforts as they open their own catering venue.

Company Summary company overview ) is an overview of the most important points about your company—your history, management team, location, mission statement and legal structure.">

Sumptuous Cuisine Catering is a local catering company serving both business and private clients in Doeuvreville and the surrounding towns within a ten mile radius. Established in 2005, the business has operated a catering kitchen and specialized in full-service catering and event planning for upscale events in the region both at client sites and at event spaces and halls. The business became the in-house caterer at Corporate Hall, a corporate meeting space, in Doeuvreville in 2008, and has developed expertise related to managing client events and event planning. For most events, Sumptuous Cuisine Catering provides referrals to additional vendors, manages client rental equipment needs, and provides event management expertise on the day of the event.

Company Ownership

Sumptuous Cuisine Catering was founded by partners Rudy Electrum and Tosca Cabrini. Built from the ground up by these partners, Rudy owns 49% of the business and Tosca 51%. The business is established as an LLC.

10% of shares will be given to angel investors who purchase $270,000 in convertible debt to help to finance the expansion of Sumptuous Cuisine Catering. This will dilute Electrum’s shares to 44% and Cabrini’s shares to 46%.

Company History

Over the past three years, Sumptuous Cuisine Catering has made significant advances, developing its core business significantly after somewhat slow growth for its first two years of operation. Gross and operating margins have steadily improved and the business has continued to invest in kitchen and delivery equipment, as well as some of its own event furniture.

Sales have grown due to increasing partnerships with venues, like Corporate Hall, and event planners, like Jackie Lyman Associates and Your Perfect Event LLC which refer clients and subcontract work to Sumptuous Cuisine Catering. These referrals and partnerships have accounted for 75% of growth in the past three years. Corporate Hall alone accounted for 15% of sales in 2009. The remaining growth has been due to new client acquisition through marketing and referrals to clients directly.

Inventory has historically included raw materials for food as well as beverages and liquor. These have been accounted for as inventory and attributed to cost of sales for each job. Cost of sales has also included hourly wages to cater-waiters, event managers and other event staff, fuel for delivery, and supplies for the event (paper napkins, etc). Cost of sales also includes vendor subcontractors who the client pays through Sumptuous Cuisine Catering (generally rental equipment, florists, designers and musicians/DJs). Sumptuous Cuisine Catering lets clients contract directly when they prefer and recommends they contract directly with audio-visual and lighting providers.

Operating expenses have dropped from 45% of sales to 40% of sales over these previous three years, while they have grown by $150,000 in absolute value.

Products and Services

Sumptuous Cuisine Catering currently offers the following products and services:

• Event management
• Coat-check, door check, and restroom attendants
• A variety of cuisine for breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and appetizers
• Non-alcoholic, wine, beer, and liquor beverage service
• Wait service

Through subcontractors, Sumptuous Cuisine Catering offers:

• Floral design
• Space design and decor
• Musicians and DJs
• Event equipment and furniture rentals

Through referrals, Sumptuous Cuisine Catering offers:

• Audio-visual rentals and support
• Event security
• Valet service

Future plans include the following additions with the opening of The Sumptuous Ballroom:

• Ballroom rentals for half-day or full-day timespans
• Space rental with a per-head full-service catering fee or as a fee separate from catering and beverage
• Facility management service

Market Analysis Summary how to do a market analysis for your business plan.">

The catering industry serves private, corporate, and non-profit events with food, drinks, event management and other services. Events are generally held by clients in order to celebrate, communicate, or both.

• Celebration: Parties and banquets as part of key events in life (birthdays, weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs, engagements, bridal and baby showers, retirement parties, etc.) or for a business (holiday or end-of-year parties, retirements, honoree galas, etc.)
• Communication: Events to communicate a message for the benefit of attendees or the press (product launches, press events, trade shows, conferences, presentations, lectures, fundraisers) or to stimulate discussion (corporate meetings, summits, etc.)

The U.S. market for caterers was estimated at $6.9 billion in 2008 by IBISWorld. The market is prone to economic cycles, as events, especially corporate events, are one of the first expenses cut during a downturn. Celebratory events may be scaled back a bit, but are generally not canceled during a downturn (i.e., spending on weddings, bar mitzvahs, etc., continues). The industry contracted by 1.5% in 2008 due the economic downturn and a similar decline is apparent for 2009. In 2010 the industry is expected to return to positive growth. The industry is relatively mature, as 33,000 catering companies serve the U.S., or one company for every 9,000 Americans.

There is a movement towards horizontal integration in the greater event industry, with some full-service event providers growing to provide entertainment, audio-visual and technology, catering, rentals, decor, venues and more. Businesses that provide these additional services may take on assets that are not as fully utilized as a specialist’s would be, but they can earn greater margins on the sales they make. With its opening of The Sumptuous Ballroom, Sumptuous Cuisine Catering will become part of this integration movement.

Market Segmentation

The market analysis chart is provided for the Doeuvreville area in a radius of ten miles.

The corporate market is defined as businesses which hold at least one off-site event each year. Businesses often have A/V and public relations needs in concert with their events which may serve a marketing function for the business. Whether entertaining the press, clients, or board members, businesses require professional execution, delicious food and drinks, and alignment between the event managers/caterers and their business’s objectives for the event.

The private market includes households with a combined household income of over $80,000 per year (those most likely to throw an upscale event in a rented venue). This group puts a great deal of pressure on caterers and requires added attention, as lavish events may be uncommon for them. They require hands-on work and planning as well as expert advice and referrals throughout the process.

The non-profit  market is defined as non-profit organizations which hold at least one off-site event each year. Very price conscious, the non-profit market looks for in-kind donations and discounted services whenever possible. Some non-profits realize the benefit of paying for great events which lead, in kind, to improved perception of the organization and donations, while others will take the lowest price available at the minimal quality level acceptable.

Target Market Segment Strategy

Sumptuous Cuisine Catering has, traditionally, targeted the private and corporate markets primarily. They will continue this focus with the launch of The Sumptuous Ballroom. Private clients, although requiring additional labor and handholding, can be charged somewhat higher rates than corporate clients. Furthermore, they help to “recession-proof” the business by providing steadier revenue streams in economic downturns.

Corporate business can lead to repeat engagements with clients who have annual or even quarterly events and are more valuable as clients to acquire than private clients, even though the margin percentages are lower on each event.

Non-profit clients generally seek lower cost providers and venues and, while they do seek out Sumptuous Cuisine Catering without much marketing to that group, the company’s bids are generally does not accepted. Sumptuous Cuisine Catering will continue to choose specific non-profits to sponsor events for to create visibility for strategic purposes or based on the charitable interests of the owners, but will not market directly to non-profits.

Service Business Analysis

The catering industry is extremely fragmented, with 33,000 companies across the United States. Customers find caterers through referrals, online searches, Yellow Pages, and through businesses which run restaurants they are already familiar with. They will generally contact the catering company by phone to discuss the details of their events directly.

Some businesses and private clients hire event planners or producers to handle the details of their event, including choice of caterer. In this case, these firms, which are more familiar with the industry, may act as a buffer between the end client and the caterer, sometimes making the process of planning smoother.  

Competition and Buying Patterns

Key competitors of Sumptuous Cuisine Catering include:

• Fancy Fetes: An upscale caterer which is the in-house caterer at the King’s Room, a Doeuvreville area private event space (weddings, bar mitzvahs, etc.)
• Food For Thought: An American cuisine caterer which provides simple drop-off service as well as full-service catering
• Pandora’s: An upscale Italian restaurant which caters a variety of events primarily for private clients

Doeuvreville area customers choose caterers for their events based on the following characteristics:

• Cuisine Options: Private clients will often seek out caterers who can offer, or specialize in, specific cuisine. Businesses looking to use a caterer multiple times are more likely to seek a caterer who can serve many different cuisine so they can vary the options from event to event (or even within a given event) to better please their clients or guests.
• Quality: Quality is determined through reviews and references as well as through tastings of the food. Basic quality is a must, but high-quality is sought out for once-in-a-lifetime private events and the fanciest of business functions.
• Added Services: Private clients and businesses/non-profits who are relatively new to event planning will prefer caterers who offer a wide range of event services (one-stop shops if possible) rather than working with half a dozen separate event vendors.
• Price: Especially for corporate and non-profit customers, price is a key factor. Businesses seek discounted rates for a higher volume of events, which private clients cannot provide.

Sumptuous Cuisine Catering offers a range of cuisine options, high quality, and added services based on the one-stop shop model. The business does not compete on price and offers services at prices higher than average for caterers in general and on the upper side of options for the Doeuvreville area.

Strategy and Implementation Summary

Sumptuous Cuisine Catering intends to open The Sumptuous Ballroom, an event venue in Doeuvreville. The ballroom will be purchased from the previous owner, the city of Doeuvreville, which used the space as a community center until it was abandoned one year ago. After renovations, the ballroom will create synergy with Sumptuous Cuisine Catering’s business by offering a location to bring in current and future clients who will also utilize both the catering and event planning services of Sumptuous Cuisine Catering.

Sumptuous Cuisine Catering will:

• Target high net-worth private clients and corporate clients
• Take on dedicated facility management and salespeople for The Sumptuous Ballroom
• Use a combination of existing and new marketing tactics to promote the space

Competitive Edge

Sumptuous Cuisine Catering will create a competitive edge in Doeuvreville by becoming a true “one-stop-shop” for all-inclusive events with the purchase of The Sumptuous Ballroom. Clients will not have to work with multiple vendors, but can work directly with their assigned Sumptuous Cuisine Catering account executive for all of their event planning and vendor coordination needs.

Currently, competitors in the Doeuvreville area do not offer the same combination of upscale catering, track record, flexibility of cuisine, and a beautiful venue which Sumptuous Cuisine Catering will be able to offer.

Marketing Strategy

Sumptuous Cuisine Catering will focus its marketing for their new ballroom on the corporate and private upscale event markets. The business will use the following media and tactics to reach this audience:

• Advertise in Doeuvreville Magazine , a local luxury-focused magazine with half-page color ads showing a photo of the new space
• Develop a website for The Sumptuous Ballroom which is separate from, but linked to, the Sumptuous Cuisine Catering site
• Promote the website through search engine optimization and search engine marketing around event and rental keywords for the local area
• Revise the Sumptuous Cuisine Catering brochure to include the new ballroom in a featured location
• Email campaign of an e-brochure announcing the new space to all past and current clients
• Create and send press kit with information and details on the new space to key clients and press
• Create a featured listing on BizBash.com, a website devoted to event resources and venues focused at the corporate market
• Promote introductory spring and summer rates to encourage early rentals (the normal rate of $2,500 will be discounted to $2,000 during this period)
• Promote the space at local summer business fair
• Sponsor 4 non-profit events per year, all chosen for the exposure they receive to the press and to high net worth individuals

Sales Strategy

Traditionally, the sales strategy of Sumptuous Cuisine Catering has been spearheaded by Rudy Electrum and two staff account managers who each handle a portfolio of clients. Rudy focuses on new business development and relies on the account managers to service, retain clients, and develop their business by encouraging them to use Sumptuous Cuisine Catering for more events.

This sales strategy will continue with the opening of The Sumptuous Ballroom. Rentals at the ballroom will be promoted by all staff when they work with clients. An additional salesperson will field inquiries made directly about The Sumptuous Ballroom rentals to handle the additional volume of work required to increase the utilization of this space. Salespeople will be added for The Sumptuous Ballroom over the first three years of its operations as business grows. These salespeople will have the same training and knowledge of all of Sumptuous Cuisine Catering’s services, but will work only with clients interested in events at the ballroom.

Sales Forecast

Renovation of The Sumptuous Ballroom will occur in the first three months of 2010, preparing for a March 15 opening of the space.

Off-site food and beverage has traditionally been the largest revenue stream for Sumptuous Cuisine Catering, as this is the driver behind all of the other revenue streams. Subcontracted services, staffing, referral fees, and event planning are only offered when there is a core food and beverage package sold for an event. The F & B for The Sumptuous Ballroom events has been separated out for separate tracking, going forward, as have venue rentals of The Sumptuous Ballroom.

A typical event is a $10,000 food and beverage package with $5,000 in subcontracted services, $8,000 in staffing, and $1,500 in event planning fees. Typical events at The Sumptuous Ballroom will also incur a ballroom rental of $2,500 as a base fee.

The F & B cost is low, at 25% of the combined off-site and The Sumptuous Ballroom F & B revenues. Ingredients are purchased in bulk whenever possible at wholesale rates. A high markup can be earned on food and an even higher markup on liquor, which can sometimes cost as little as 15% of sales.

The cost of hourly event staff (bartenders, waiters, coat check, door check, restroom attendants, event managers, etc.) is recognized on the P & L statement under other cost of sales.

The Sumptuous Ballroom revenues will scale up sharply in the first year as the space is better utilized, but this growth will level off in years 2 and 3 as not all event dates are as desirable to clients and the most popular dates will book first. This projection incorporates the objective that the ballroom be utilized on 50% of days by the end of year 3.

Sumptuous Cuisine Catering expects that the existing line of business events at Corporate Hall will continue even with the addition of its own space, The Sumptuous Ballroom, because Corporate Hall hosts primarily smaller meetings than can be accommodated at The Sumptuous Ballroom. Sumptuous Cuisine Catering considers the two spaces to not be in direct competition. The relationship with Corporate Hall will allow Sumptuous Cuisine Catering to refer smaller meetings to that space, perhaps helping to build business at Corporate Hall through new inquiries.

The milestones listed are the key steps to launching The Sumptuous Ballroom.

Renovation of the space will be directed by CEO, Tosca Cabrini, with insight from all staff. The work will be directed by a renovations contractor who will subcontract work to electricians, plumbers, painters, floor specialists, etc

The other activities come under the marketing umbrella of Antero MacDougal, Sumptuous Cuisine Catering’s marketing director. The preparations will be made while the venue is being renovated, although finished photos of the new space will not be available until renovation is complete.

Introductory rates will reduce the rate of 100 events by $500 to encourage first-time rentals of the ballroom.

Management Summary management summary will include information about who's on your team and why they're the right people for the job, as well as your future hiring plans.">

Sumptuous Cuisine Catering is directed by CEO Rudy Electrum. Second-in-command is COO Tosca Cabrini.

Electrum heads sales and strategy for the business, in close consultation with Cabrini. Cabrini manages the operations of the kitchen, human resources (hiring and training) and finances.

Marketing is directed and executed by Antero MacDougal. MacDougal is the liaison to outside graphic and Web designers and other marketing service firms used by Sumptuous Cuisine Catering. MacDougal reports to the CEO.

The Facility Manager will be hired to act as a manager of the hall. This will include providing information to vendors setting up in the space, providing access to the clients for set-up, light maintenance and repairs, contracting vendors for heavier repair work, and setting up cleanings of the space. The Facility Manager will have a small office at The Sumptuous Ballroom and will work during the daytime. Event managers from the catering staff will be present during the events. The Facility Manager will be trained by and report to the COO.

Personnel Plan

The personnel table shows full-time personnel only.

A full-time administrative assistant keeps the books for the business and process A/R and A/P.

Sales staff, beginning at one, are managed by the CEO. A salesperson will be added in year 2 and again in year 3. The new salespeople will be dedicated to sales of The Sumptuous Ballroom and will work on salary plus a 3% commission on sales.

The kitchen is staffed by a salaried head cook and one assistant cook paid by the hour.

Events are staffed by a roster of 30 event managers, cater-waiters, bartenders, and other staff. Most staff are cross-trained between the various roles.

Financial Plan investor-ready personnel plan .">

Sumptuous Cuisine Catering will fund its expansion largely though its own cash reserves and a loan for the purchase of The Sumptuous Ballroom.

The funds needed include:

• $2 million for purchase of The Sumptuous Ballroom
• $100,000 for improvements
• $50,000 for equipment for the ballroom
• $82,500 for marketing devoted to The Sumptuous Ballroom acquisition

Sources for the funds include:

• $1.6 million mortgage
• $270,000 in convertible debt from investors for an equity stake of 10% in Sumptuous Cuisine Catering (diluting the current ownership equally) and 10% interest paid over three years. Likely investors include family and angel investors interested in lower risk than in a start-up firm, along with some guaranteed returns
• $300,000 in cash reserves of Sumptuous Cuisine Catering
• Cash flow surpluses in the later half of 2010 to make up the remainder

The business will return to stronger profits and gross margins after the acquisition.

Important Assumptions

The table below presents the assumptions used in the financial calculations of this business plan.

Break-even Analysis

Due to the high fixed costs of the venue, the monthly break even is rather high, as shown below. This would be approximately 9-10 events at $10,000 per event. Revenue is higher for The Sumptuous Ballroom events due to the ballroom rental fee and greater leverage to provide additional services to clients, than for revenue from off-site events.

Projected Profit and Loss

Gross margins will improve for the business as ballroom rentals build as a revenue stream. Facility rentals do not have a direct cost of sales, although higher fixed costs are associated with The Sumptuous Ballroom than with the core business.

Subcontracted services are the other major cost of sales category, and incur a higher cost of sales, at 80% of subcontracted services sold, than other categories. These services (like floral design, rental furniture, etc.) are discounted by the vendors because of their relationship with Sumptuous Cuisine Catering. The effect is that Sumptuous Cuisine Catering bills these services on to clients at the vendor’s advertised rates and takes their margin of 20% on those revenues.

Marketing will be higher in the first year to accommodate the additional marketing activities described in the marketing strategy and milestones table. Depreciation will be for the existing equipment in the catering kitchen and for the installed sound and networking equipment in the venue.

Rent is for the catering kitchen and office only, as the ballroom will be purchased by the business. Utilities will be much higher than previously due to the high electric, heating, and air conditioning costs of the new space compared with the kitchen and office alone. Insurance also must increase significantly from previous levels due to the need for general liability for the space and guests.

Payroll taxes are 15% of payroll (which includes the event staff cost of sales) and employee benefits (including health insurance, 401K contributions for employees who with tenure over 2 years, vacation and sick pay) are 10% of payroll and event staff costs.

Office expenses cover maintenance of computer equipment and sundry supplies for the office. Facility cleaning and maintenance includes a budget for $200 of maintenance and an estimate for cleaning which will grow as use of the ballroom scales up. Cleaning will be provided by an outside vendor and managed by the Facility Manager.

Projected Cash Flow

The projected cash flow table and chart show the business’s investment in The Sumptuous Ballroom, a $2 million purchase. The asset will be purchased with 20% down and a $1.6 million 15-year mortgage. An additional $270,000 in convertible debt will be raised at 10% interest for three years.

In addition to this investment, $50,000 in depreciable assets will be purchased (sound system, office set-up for the facility). Small investments in replacing these assets and augmenting them with strategic purchases will be made in future years. Current assets ($100,000) purchased will include signage and improvements to the venue.

The business will reach cash flow break-even in July 2010.

Projected Balance Sheet

The balance sheet shows the increasing strength of the business as its mortgage is paid off and profits are earned from the expansion of the business. Accounts payable will rise significantly from previous levels due to the added expenses taken on by the business when The Sumptuous Ballroom opens.

Business Ratios

The table compares the business ratios of Sumptuous Cuisine Catering to caterers in the $1 million to $5 million revenue category. Caterers with banquet halls are covered by NAICS industry code 722320, or SIC code 5812.

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