Starting your own catering business: everything you need to know
Are you looking for a career change to the food and beverage industry? Perhaps you’re feeling inspired by a cooking show like Ugly Delicious, or you’ve simply spotted a gap in the market in your neighborhood.
Whatever the reason for your new ideas, make sure you check out the tips and advice we’ve outlined in this guide to successfully start your own catering business.
First things first
With total revenue in the Food and Beverage segment projected to reach over $26,000 million by the end of the year, the American love for eating and drinking is clear. If you start your own company, you could be part of it, but you need to know that start-ups have humble and sometimes difficult beginnings. Here’s some of the basic tips and information:
- Costs will be modest
Expect to cook for your friends and family at the start, especially if you don’t have any qualifications in culinary arts or food science. Try out recipes and flaunt your creativity by tweaking them so they taste just that little bit different. It will take some time before you start being offered bigger jobs, but that’s okay.
- Trial a pop-up
If you’re not sure if it’s the right time to buy a restaurant, a pop-up could be a great test. Find a temporary location to try out a menu concept and your skills under a similar kind of pressure you’d find in a restaurant setting. Plus, it’s a great way to make a start on your networking.
- Keep your menu flexible
Even if you have a set menu, being flexible and responding to individual special requests will boost not only your reputation but potentially your business. It’s so important to be someone your customers can trust, so being exceptionally attentive to individual preferences, allergies or intolerances will go a long way.
Check out the legal stuff
You’ll need to know that any formal operational Health and safety procedures if you’re going ahead with opening your own restaurant, including installing crucial electrical appliances including fire alarms, ovens, and refrigerators.
If your new appliances don’t come with quality thermistor temperature sensors, you’ll need to investigate. Thermistors are essential in food manufacturing and catering to control temperatures and preserve the condition of the product or sanitary environment in which it’s being stored.
Catering requires certain permits, licenses, and insurance, so make sure your business is protected. Setting off on the wrong foot could jeopardize your future success, so try to get through the logistics early.
Overall, you need to be prepared if you’re starting a catering business, and that includes following the right legal procedures. Once you’ve got that covered, you can cook up a storm!