With every job you do, even with a structured and strict menu, you'll need to adjust your costs for food due to a number of factors including prices, transportation, deliveries, labor, equipment, etc. Another part of your business that gets revisited with each order is the amount of food per person. Here are some things to keep in mind as you're trying to figure the amount of food you're working with and how much to feed the guests.
This careful calculation is important because you'll be stuck with an angry and very hungry mob of people if the food wells run dry. Likewise if you make a mistake and prep too much food, you wind up eating the cost of that waste. Professional Catering Equipment -
Step 1 - Make sure you discuss the menu with your client.Catering Equipment - Go over the selected dishes so you understand the popularity of each dish with the majority of guests. This is especially important with a buffet setup. If you know which dishes are more popular, you'll know where to make extra portions in order to cover the interest of the group.
Step 2 - In some cases you'll have to help your clients determine which type of event they want - full service with waitstaff, a self-serv buffet or a full-service buffet. With a self-serv buffet you'll need to have more food on hand for those who take larger portions of main dishes and return for several plates of food. This can increase the cost of the event and the overall probability of having waste.
Step 3 - The actual agenda and structure of the event, by the hour, will actually play a part in how much food is needed. Starting a CateringBusiness- An event with multiple servings of appetizers and cocktails typically requires smaller servings of the main course because guests are "grazing" during the beginning of the event.
Step 4 - Clients should remember that the restaurants we usually visit for meals will increase portion sizes beyond the traditional serving. A usual serving per person is 6 to 8 oz for meat. Catering Equipment- In a restaurant you'll see servings of 10oz or more. Communicate the need for smaller portions to the client so they know what to expect and can make an adjustment to portion sizes if they like.
Step 5 - It's not uncommon for a client to want to add additional food items or a large number of selections to a buffet in order to have a diverse offering that will appeal to a lot of guests. If this is the case, reduce the amount that is served, shrinking chafing dishes and overall portioning to account for people taking less in order to try more.
Professional catering equipment isn't enough; you need to have a full range of catering supplies and more if you're interested in starting a catering business. Contact us today and check out our blog to learn tips and trips to help your catering business succeed. Visit CateringEquipment.com for more info.