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Catering Business Plan Template

Catering business plan.

If you want to start a catering business or expand your current one, you need a business plan.

Over the past 20+ years, we have helped over 5,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans to start and grow their catering businesses.

How to Write a Business Plan for a Catering Company

Below are links to each section of your catering business plan template:

Next Section: Executive Summary >

Catering Company Business Plan FAQs

What is the easiest way to complete my catering business plan.

Growthink's Ultimate Catering Business Plan Template allows you to quickly and easily complete your Catering Business Plan.

Where Can I Download a Catering Business Plan PDF?

You can download our catering business plan PDF template here . This is a business plan template you can use in PDF format.

What Is a Catering Business Plan?

A catering business plan provides a snapshot of your own business as it stands today, and lays out your growth plan for the next five years. It explains your business’ goals and your strategy for reaching them. It also includes market research to support your plans.

Why Do You Need a Business Plan for a Catering Company?

If you’re looking to start a catering business or grow your existing small business you need a business plan, especially if you are seeking financing for your business. A business plan will help you raise funding, if needed, and plan out the growth of your company in order to improve your chances of success. Your catering business plan is a living document that should be updated annually as your catering company grows and changes.

How Do I Write a Successful Catering Business Plan?

The best way to write a catering business plan is to follow a proven catering business plan template. This template should include the following information: Executive Summary, Company Analysis, Competitive Analysis, Industry Analysis, Customer Analysis, Marketing Strategy & Plan, Operations Plan, Management Team, Financial Projections & Plan, and Appendix.

What Are the Sources of Funding for a Catering Business?

With regards to funding, the main sources of funding for a catering business are savings and/or credit cards of the business owner, bank loans and angel investors. With regards to bank loans, banks will want to review your business plan and gain confidence that you will be able to repay your loan and interest. To acquire this confidence, the loan officer will not only want to confirm that your financials are reasonable. But they will want to see a professional plan. Such a plan will give them the confidence that you can successfully and professionally operate a business.

The second most common form of funding for a catering business or cafe is angel investors. Angel investors are wealthy individuals who will write you a check. They will either take equity in return for their funding, or, like a bank, they will give you a loan. Venture capitalists will not fund a catering business. They might consider funding a catering company with multiple locations or a massive footprint, but never an individual location. This is because most venture capitalists are looking for millions of dollars in return when they make an investment, and an individual or small location could never achieve such results.

What Are the 3 Types of Catering Service Businesses?

There are three types of catering service businesses: on-premise catering, off-premise catering, and event catering.

  • On-premise catering is when the caterer sets up a temporary commercial kitchen space at the client's location.
  • Off-premise catering is when the caterer provides delicious food for events such as picnics, weddings, cocktail parties, and other meetings off-site.
  • Event catering is where the caterer prepares food that is served at special events, corporate events, or family events.

What Are The 5 Steps to Starting a Catering Business?

Starting a catering business is not as difficult as one might think. Here are the five steps needed to get your catering business up and running:

  • Come Up With a Business Idea : This is probably the most important step, as it will lay the foundation for everything else you do. When brainstorming business ideas, make sure to think about what you’re good at and what you enjoy doing.
  • Do Your Research : This step is important to ensure your business is viable and has the potential for success.
  • Create a Catering Business Plan : A business plan is a document that outlines your goals, strategies, and financials. It’s a must-have for any business, but especially for a catering business.
  • Obtain Your Business License : In order to legally operate your catering business, you will need to obtain the necessary business licenses.
  • Secure Funding : If needed, you will need to secure funding in order to get your catering business off the ground.

Once your business is up and running, it’s time to start promoting it! Create a marketing plan and start spreading the word about your new catering business to potential clients.

What are the Benefits of Starting a Catering Business?

There are numerous benefits of starting a catering business, including:

  • Low Overhead Costs : One of the benefits of catering is that the overhead costs are relatively low, especially when compared to other food preparation businesses such as restaurants. This means you can make a profit with fewer customers and staff members.
  • Flexible Schedule : Typically have a flexible schedule, which is ideal for those who want to be their own boss and have more control over their time.
  • Variety of Services : Can offer a variety of catering services and menus, which gives you the ability to target a range of customers.
  • Repeat Customers : Typically have a high percentage of repeat customers, as people often use catering for specific events like weddings, business meetings, conventions, etc.
  • High Demand : Another benefit of catering is that there are typically high demands for this type of service during certain times of the year, including holidays and warm weather months when people are hosting events outside.

What are the Pitfalls of Starting a Catering Business?

While there are many benefits to starting a catering business, there are also some potential pitfalls that should be considered. These include:

  • Not Enough Demand : Before starting a catering business, it’s important to do your research and make sure there is enough demand for your services.
  • Lack of Experience : If you don’t have experience in the catering industry, it will be difficult to start and succeed in this business.
  • High Startup Costs : This type of business can have high startup costs because of the equipment needed, as well as all of the miscellaneous costs that come with starting any business.
  • Competition : Catering is highly competitive and there are many established catering companies already servicing your market. This means you need to do everything possible to set yourself apart from your competitors in order to be successful.
  • Time-Consuming : Catering is a time-consuming business and it can be difficult to balance it with other obligations.
  • Limited Scalability : Catering companies are limited in their scalability, meaning you can only expand so much before you hit a limit. This could be problematic if your goal is to grow your business significantly.
  • Unpredictable Income : Catering services can be very unpredictable when it comes to income, as they can vary greatly from one event to the next.
  • High Risk : As with any business, there is a certain amount of risk involved in starting and running a catering business. You need to be prepared for the possibility of not making a profit or even losing money.

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
  • 10. Appendix
  • Catering Business Plan Summary

Other Helpful Business Plan Articles & Templates

Use This Simple Business Plan Template

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Learning center series

10 free catering business plan templates and examples

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

business plan for events and catering company

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.

Catering Business Plan Templates

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.

10 Free Catering Business Plan Templates And Examples - Catering Business Plan Templates -

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.

10 Free Catering Business Plan Templates And Examples - Catering Business Plan Templates -

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.

10 Free Catering Business Plan Templates And Examples - Catering Business Plan Templates -

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.

10 Free Catering Business Plan Templates And Examples - Catering Business Plan Templates -

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.

10 Free Catering Business Plan Templates And Examples - Catering Business Plan Templates -

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.

10 Free Catering Business Plan Templates And Examples - Catering Business Plan Templates -

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.

10 Free Catering Business Plan Templates And Examples - Catering Business Plan Templates -

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.

10 Free Catering Business Plan Templates And Examples - Catering Business Plan Templates -

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

business plan for events and catering company

Every event or occasion calls for good food. And although the majority of people like good food, not everyone has the talent to cook the same.

And if you are someone who receives constant compliments for your cooking then you must have thought of having your catering business.

But having a catering business is much more than that. It all boils down to the quality of your service in the end, but before that, you need to have a strategy to attract your customers’ attention, build trust, manage your finances, and many more.

All of the above might sound a little overwhelming, but it doesn’t need to be. All you need is a catering business plan.

Catering Industry Highlights 2023

Here is an overview of the current state of the catering industry in 2023:

Market size and growth potential:

Employment scenario:, number of operational businesses:, major market drivers:, key market trends:, financial plan:.

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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.

The Quickest Way to turn a Business Idea into a Business Plan

Fill-in-the-blanks and automatic financials make it easy.

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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

business plan for events and catering company

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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Catering Business Plan: How to Make a Catering Business Plan

Starting a catering business can be an incredibly rewarding venture, but it also requires careful planning and organization to ensure success. The key to a thriving catering company is a well-constructed catering business plan, outlining everything from your financial goals to your unique selling points. This comprehensive document serves as a roadmap to guide you through the process of starting and running your catering business, providing clarity and direction every step of the way.

In this blog post, we will walk you through the essential steps for creating a catering business plan, ensuring you have a solid foundation for your catering enterprise. From developing a menu that sets you apart from the competition to crafting a marketing strategy that gets your name in front of the right audience, our guide will help you turn your passion for food and service into a successful catering business. So, let's dive in and start building the blueprint for your catering success!

business plan for events and catering company

Catering Business Plan

A catering business plan is a comprehensive document that outlines an upcoming catering venture's operational, financial, and marketing goals. It includes detailed plans for managing sales and expenses, a marketing strategy, customer service policies, and other important business components. The plan serves as a roadmap for starting and running a successful catering business.

How to Make a Catering Business Plan

A catering business plan should be comprehensive and cover all the key aspects of your business, from your target market and competition to your financial projections and marketing strategy. Here are the steps to help you create a catering business plan:

1. Write an Executive Summary

The executive summary should be a brief introduction to your catering business plan. It should summarize your company's goals, target market, financial projections, and unique selling points of your services. Keep it concise and compelling, as this section is often the first part investors or lenders will read.

2. Create a Company Overview

In the company overview section, describe your catering business in detail. Include your company name, restaurant mission statement , business structure, legal status, and ownership. This section should also provide a high-level view of your catering services and target market.

3. Develop Services and Menu Offerings

Provide a detailed description of the services you offer, including catering for weddings, corporate events, or private parties. Outline the types of cuisine you specialize in and provide a sample menu. Include any additional services your business provides, such as event planning, restaurant equipment rental, or wait staff . Discuss your pricing strategy and outline any special packages offered.

4. Design Branded Graphics

Create a consistent and professional visual identity for your catering business by designing branded graphics tailored for restaurant branding . This includes designing a logo, choosing color schemes, and selecting typography that reflects your brand's personality. These visual elements will be used on your website, social media, promotional materials, and other marketing channels to create a cohesive brand image specifically designed for the restaurant catering industry.

5. Conduct an Industry Analysis

Research the catering industry and identify trends, challenges, and opportunities. Analyze your target market and industry competition to understand your business's unique value proposition for restaurants . This analysis should also help you determine the most profitable catering services and event types.

6. Conduct a Customer Analysis

Understand your target customer base, including their demographics, preferences, and needs. This information will help you tailor your catering services and marketing strategy to effectively meet your customers' needs.

7. Analyze Your Competition

Identify your direct and indirect competitors and evaluate their strengths and weaknesses. Analyze how your business can differentiate itself and establish a competitive advantage in the market.

8. Develop a Marketing Plan

Outline your marketing strategy, including advertising, social media, website, public relations, and partnerships. Describe your target audience, key messages, and tactics you will use to reach your customers and achieve your business objectives.

9. Create a Business Operations/Operations Plan

Outline how you will manage your catering business's day-to-day operations. Include information on your equipment, kitchen facilities, staff, inventory management , and food safety practices.

10. Build Your Team and Management Structure

Introduce your management team, their roles, and their relevant experience. Include any advisory board members or mentors. Describe your company's organizational structure and how it supports the execution of your business plan.

11. Forecast Your Sales and Operating Expenses

Provide sales projections for your catering business, including a breakdown of revenue streams and potential growth areas. Estimate your operating expenses , such as rent, utilities, labor, marketing, and supplies.

12. Create a Financial Plan

Include financial statements such as profit and loss, cash flow, and balance sheets. Develop a break even analysis to show when your business is expected to become profitable. Include any funding requirements and a plan for how you will secure capital.

13. Prepare an Appendix

Include any relevant supporting documents or additional information, such as licenses, permits, contracts, or legal documents that may be helpful to readers. Use this section to offer context and support for the data and claims presented in your business plan.

By following these steps, you can create a comprehensive and effective catering business plan that sets you up for success. Remember to review and update your plan regularly to adapt to changes in the market and your business's growth.

Catering Business Plan Example

Here is an example of how a catering business plan might look like:

I. Executive Summary

Our catering business, 123xyz Catering, aims to provide exceptional culinary experiences for events ranging from intimate gatherings to large corporate functions. With our talented culinary team, diverse menu offerings, and focus on local and sustainable ingredients, we will quickly establish ourselves as a premier catering service in the industry. Our comprehensive business plan outlines our goals and strategies for success, highlighting our dedication to quality, customer satisfaction , and sustainability.

II. Company Overview

123xyz Catering is a full-service catering company based in [City, State]. Our mission is to create unforgettable events by exceeding our client’s expectations with innovative cuisine, exceptional service, and creative presentation. Our team of experienced chefs, event planners, and service staff work together to ensure a seamless and memorable experience for our clients and their guests.

III. Services and Menu

Our services include event planning, custom menu creation, and on-site food preparation and service for various events, such as weddings, corporate functions, and private parties. We offer diverse menu options, including appetizers, entrées, desserts , and beverages. Our cuisine ranges from traditional to exotic, focusing on incorporating fresh, locally-sourced ingredients whenever possible. We also accommodate special dietary needs and preferences, including vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options.

IV. Branded Graphics

Our branding strategy emphasizes clean, modern design elements that convey our commitment to quality and innovation. We will invest in professional graphic design services to create a logo, website, and marketing materials that reflect our brand's values and style. Our visual identity will be consistent across all platforms, reinforcing our reputation as a reliable and sophisticated catering service.

V. Industry Analysis

The catering industry is expected to grow steadily, driven by increasing demand for high-quality food services at events and a growing emphasis on unique, memorable experiences. Our market research has identified several trends shaping the industry, such as increasing demand for sustainable and locally-sourced ingredients, as well as a growing interest in diverse and international cuisines. 123xyz Catering is well-positioned to capitalize on these trends and differentiate ourselves from competitors.

VI. Customer Analysis

Our target customers include corporate clients, private individuals, and non-profit organizations hosting events that require catering services. We will focus on serving clients in [City, State] and surrounding areas, with the potential to expand our reach as we grow. We will target customers who value high-quality, unique culinary experiences and are willing to pay a premium for our services.

VII. Competitive Analysis

We have identified several local catering companies as our primary competitors. Through our research, we have determined that we can differentiate ourselves by offering a more diverse and innovative menu, emphasizing sustainable and locally-sourced ingredients, and providing exceptional customer service. Our competitive analysis will guide our marketing strategies and help us position ourselves as a top choice for event catering services.

VIII. Marketing Plan

Our marketing strategy includes online and offline initiatives to generate brand awareness and attract new clients. Key components of our marketing plan include:

  • A user-friendly, professionally-designed website that showcases our menu and services
  • Active engagement on social media platforms, sharing photos and stories from our events
  • Networking within the local event planning community, establishing Attending local food and business expos to showcase our offerings and generate leads
  • Offering special promotions and incentives to attract first-time clients and encourage repeat business

IX. Business Operations/Operations Plan

Our operations plan outlines the infrastructure and resources necessary to support our catering services. Key elements of our operations plan include:

  • Securing a commercial kitchen space equipped with the necessary tools and equipment
  • Developing relationships with local suppliers to ensure a consistent supply of fresh, high-quality ingredients
  • Implementing a streamlined booking and event management system to handle client inquiries and scheduling efficiently
  • Establishing standard operating procedures (SOPs) for food preparation, presentation, and service to ensure consistency and quality across all events
  • Implementing robust food safety and sanitation protocols to maintain the highest standards of cleanliness and compliance with local health regulations

X. Team and Management

Our team consists of passionate and experienced professionals, each bringing unique skills and expertise to the company. Key team members include:

  • Founder and CEO: A seasoned entrepreneur with extensive experience in the catering and hospitality industry
  • Executive Chef : A talented culinary expert with a diverse background in various cuisines and a commitment to innovation and sustainability
  • Event Planner: A detail-oriented professional with experience in coordinating and executing events of various sizes and styles
  • Service Staff: A team of dedicated servers and bartenders trained in providing exceptional customer service and ensuring a seamless event experience

XI. Sales Forecasts and Operating Expenses

Our sales forecast projects steady revenue growth as we establish our reputation and expand our client base. We expect to reach profitability within the first two years of operation. Operating expenses will include costs for food and beverage supplies, kitchen equipment and maintenance, labor, marketing, and general administrative expenses. We will continually monitor and adjust our financial projections as needed to ensure the business's long-term success.

XII. Financial Plan

Our financial plan outlines the necessary investments and financial management strategies to support our business operations and growth. Key elements of our financial plan include:

  • Startup costs, including kitchen equipment, initial inventory, and marketing expenses
  • A comprehensive pricing strategy that takes into account food and labor cost s, as well as competitive market rates
  • Detailed financial projections, including income statements, cash flow statements, and balance sheets
  • A break-even analysis to determine when our business will become profitable
  • Contingency plans for managing potential financial risks and challenges

XIII. Appendix

The appendix contains additional information and resources to support the main sections of our business plan. This may include:

  • Resumes and biographies of key team members
  • Sample menus and photographs of our culinary creations
  • Testimonials and case studies from previous clients
  • Copies of relevant licenses, certifications, and insurance policies
  • Market research data and industry reports
  • Detailed financial projections and assumptions

In conclusion, 123xyz Catering is poised to make a lasting impact in the catering industry. With our commitment to quality, innovation, and sustainability, we will provide an exceptional culinary experience for our clients and their guests, setting the stage for long-term success and growth.

BinWise

Frequently Asked Questions About Catering Business Plan

Starting a catering business requires careful planning and preparation. To ensure success, it is important to create a comprehensive business plan that outlines the goals and objectives of your venture, as well as how you intend to reach them. This section will answer frequently asked questions about creating a catering business plan, from what should be included to how profitable the industry can be.

What Is Included In a Catering Business?

A catering business typically includes event planning, menu creation, and food preparation. Depending on the size of the catering service, these services can also include staffing, equipment rental, and event coordination. Some catering businesses may also offer beverage services and party rentals.

How Profitable Is a Catering Business?

A catering business's profitability heavily depends on several factors, including the quality of food, efficient marketing strategies, and operational costs. Catering businesses can enjoy generous profit margins, depending on how well they manage their operations. 

To maximize profits, caterers must ensure that their food is of high quality, that they have an effective marketing strategy to reach potential customers and keep existing customers coming back, and that their operational costs are kept as low as possible. By doing these things, catering businesses can enjoy lucrative profits and remain competitive in the market.

Why Do You Need a Business Plan?

Writing a business plan is essential for any business. It provides direction and clarity, helps to focus resources and efforts, and provides a framework for decision-making. A business plan helps you determine a business idea's viability, set goals and objectives, identify potential risks and opportunities, and manage the resources you have available. It is also essential for securing financing, as it provides potential investors and lenders with an understanding of your business.

Start Your Catering Plan Today

Creating a catering business plan is an essential step towards starting a successful catering business. It is a detailed roadmap that outlines your business objectives, marketing strategies, financial projections, and operational plans.

By following the steps outlined above, you can create a comprehensive and effective plan that sets you up for success. Remember, your catering business plan is a living document that should be reviewed and updated regularly to adapt to changes in the market and your business's growth. Start your catering plan today and take the first step towards making your catering dream a reality.

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How To Write A Winning Catering Business Plan + Template

how to write catering business plan

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.  

Finish Your Catering Business Plan in 1 Day!

Other helpful articles.

Free Catering Invoice Template and FAQs

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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.

Executive Summary

business plan for events and catering company

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.

Introduction

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.

Company Description

business plan for events and catering company

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.

business plan for events and catering company

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.

Mission Statement

Dinner table with a spread of different foods such as grilled steak, potatoes, salad and bread sitting on a brown table.

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.

Company Concept

Woman tying an apron in a bow behind her back.

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.

Market Analysis

Plate, fork and knife advertising catering for all occasions.

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.

Target Market

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.

Industry Analysis

business plan for events and catering company

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.

Competitive Analysis

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.

Management Structure

business plan for events and catering company

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.

Product Line and Services

Italian burgers add that delicious Italian flavor to this American classic food

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.

Sales and Marketing

Grilled chicken from a barbecue food truck

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.

Financial Plan

fried chicken

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.

Funding Request

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.

Financial Forecast

business plan for events and catering company

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.

Operational Plan

business plan for events and catering company

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.

Download Templates

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.

If you liked this story, sign up for our newsletter that includes our food business startup kit and most popular interviews sent straight to your inbox.

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Corporate Catering Business: How to Find and Close More Leads

Corporate Catering Business: How to Find and Close More Leads

Wedding receptions: how to pull-off an unforgettable catering service guide.

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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.

business plan for events and catering company

business plan for events and catering company

San Jose Corporate & Office Event Planning Company

San jose, ca corporate and office event planning.

Let Handheld Catering handle your next corporate event. We provide comprehensive corporate event planning services to clients from San Jose to San Francisco. Whether you’re throwing together a last-minute office lunch or a full business event for several hundred people, Handheld Catering is here to help. We serve delicious, innovative, 100% fresh food to meet your exact specifications. Never underestimate the power of good food to influence the outcome of a business meeting; delicious, beautifully presented foods with memorable tastes and flavors always bring people together.

Our farm-to-fork approach to food is what sets us apart from the competition. Our hand-crafted homemade dishes are made with locally-sourced, hand-selected fresh ingredients. We can prepare our food on-site at your corporate event to create a memorable and exceptionally fresh dining experience. Our professional standards are as high as your own, which is why we’re certain you’ll be pleased with the excellent food our chefs prepare and the top-notch services our corporate event planners provide. Create a lasting impression at your next corporate event with Handheld Catering!

Handheld Catering is one of the leading corporate event planning companies in San Jose, CA, and the Bay Area. We offer a number of catering options, including the following:

CATERING OPTIONS

  • Full-service menu
  • Boxed and bagged lunches
  • Buffet service
  • Breakfast Service

OUR CORPORATE EVENT CATERING SERVICES ARE IDEAL FOR ANY NUMBER OF EVENTS, INCLUDING:

  • Lunches— We can provide served meals, a tasty buffet, or deliver box lunches for a quick grab-and-go lunch.
  • Dinner parties— Elegant events require elegant catering. Let Handheld Catering make your holiday party or award banquet the best it can be. Our varied menu lets you choose a menu style that’s perfect for your event.
  • Receptions— Happy hours, meet-and-greets, fundraisers, and casual parties are no trouble for Handheld Catering. We’ll provide tasty bites to thrill your guests; our selection of hors d’euvres, small dishes, and desserts are always fresh, always delicious, and always memorable.

Halibut topped with mango

Handheld Catering

business plan for events and catering company

Handheld Catering and Events is a local Bay Area Catering company that uses fresh locally grown produce and meat whenever possible for all their events. Servicing the Bay Area; Handheld Catering and Events can cater your next event in style.

  • [email protected]
  • (408) 692-4782
  • 1725 De La Cruz Blvd #1 Santa Clara CA 95050
  • 586 N 1st St #113 San Jose, CA 95112

Member of International Caterers Association

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Corporate, Special Event & Wedding Catering

Catering for the Bay Area , Palo Alto ,  Menlo Park , Mountain View , Los Altos,  San Jose Private Event Planning ,  San Jose Catering for Events ,  Business Event Planning San Jose ,  San Jose Wedding Catering , Saratoga, Silicon Valley , Sunnyvale , and other nearby areas. Corporate Event Catering Private or Special Event Catering Wedding Catering

Copyrights © 2024 Handheld Catering All rights reserved.

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Caterers near Mountain View, CA

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Cybersecurity Event Update

Note for Media: The statement below can be attributed "to an Ascension spokesperson". For updates, please visit about.ascension.org/cybersecurity-event

May 11 – 2:00 PM CT

We continue to diligently investigate and address the recent ransomware incident, working closely with industry leading cybersecurity experts to assist in our investigation and restoration and recovery efforts. Additionally, we have notified law enforcement, as well as government partners including the FBI, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the American Hospital Association (AHA). We remain in close contact with the FBI and CISA, and we are sharing relevant threat intelligence with the Health Information Sharing and Analysis Center (H-ISAC) so that our industry partners and peers can take steps to protect themselves from similar incidents.

While our restoration work continues in earnest, our focus is on restoring systems as safely as possible. While we expect this process will take time to complete, we are making progress and systems are being restored in a coordinated manner at each of our care sites. We will continue to share updates on our recovery process.  

On Wednesday, May 8, we detected unusual activity on select technology network systems, which we now believe is due to a cybersecurity event. At this time we continue to investigate the situation. We responded immediately, initiated our investigation and activated our remediation efforts. Access to some systems have been interrupted as this process continues.

Our care teams are trained for these kinds of disruptions and have initiated procedures to ensure patient care delivery continues to be safe and as minimally impacted as possible. There has been a disruption to clinical operations, and we continue to assess the impact and duration of the disruption.

We have engaged Mandiant, a third party expert, to assist in the investigation and remediation process, and we have notified the appropriate authorities. Together, we are working to fully investigate what information, if any, may have been affected by the situation. Should we determine that any sensitive information was affected, we will notify and support those individuals in accordance with all relevant regulatory and legal guidelines.

We are reaching out to our business partners to ensure they are aware of the situation so they can take appropriate steps to safeguard their systems. We encourage all business partners to coordinate with the Ascension Technology partners to address any specific questions.

This is an ongoing situation and we will provide updates on our website as we learn more. 

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Ascension Appoints Saurabh Tripathi as New Chief Financial Officer

Ascension Appoints Saurabh Tripathi as New Chief Financial Officer

Ascension publishes new report demonstrating its commitment to advancing maternal health

Ascension publishes new report demonstrating its commitment to advancing maternal health

Ascension’s Unwavering Commitment to Maternal and Infant Care

Ascension’s Unwavering Commitment to Maternal and Infant Care

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Biden, Announcing A.I. Center, Highlights a Win of His and a Failing of Trump’s

The president’s visit to Wisconsin celebrated the investment by Microsoft in a center to be built on the site of a failed Foxconn project negotiated by his predecessor.

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President Biden, wearing a blue suit, standing with other people behind a display of discs on carts bearing signs that read “Investing in America.”

By Erica L. Green

Reporting from Racine, Wis.

President Biden on Wednesday announced the creation of an artificial intelligence data center in Wisconsin, highlighting one of his administration’s biggest economic accomplishments in a crucial battleground state — and pointing to a significant failure by his predecessor and 2024 challenger.

At the Gateway Technical College in Racine, Mr. Biden said the $3 billion project, which will be built by Microsoft, was an example of how he has delivered on promises that former President Donald J. Trump did not.

The Microsoft data center will be built on grounds where Mr. Trump, as president, announced in 2017 that Foxconn, the Taiwanese electronics manufacturer, would build a $10 billion factory for making LCD panels. Mr. Trump promised that it would be the “eighth wonder of the world,” and visited the site with elected officials and golden shovels. But the project never materialized as expected.

On Wednesday, Mr. Biden took direct aim at the failed promise. “Look what happened — they dug a hole with those golden shovels, and then they fell into it,” Mr. Biden told the crowd.

“During the previous administration, my predecessor made promises, which he broke more than kept, left a lot of people behind in communities like Racine,” Mr. Biden said. “On my watch, we make promises and we keep promises.”

In his fourth trip to Wisconsin this year, Mr. Biden continued his aggressive campaign to paint a contrast with Mr. Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, who is in the fourth week of his criminal trial in connection with payments to a pornographic film star.

While in Wisconsin, Mr. Biden also attended a campaign event, where he spoke to Black voters about the 2024 election.

“I really think democracy is at stake here,” Mr. Biden told the crowd of about 100 volunteers and supporters. He also warned that another Trump administration would threaten his accomplishments, telling the crowd that “Trump means what he says.”

The Microsoft project is part of Mr. Biden’s “Investing in America” agenda , which has focused on bringing billions of private-sector dollars into manufacturing and industries such as clean energy and artificial intelligence. Microsoft expects that the new data center will create 2,300 union construction jobs and 2,000 permanent jobs.

Mr. Biden called Racine a “great comeback story,” after the once-booming manufacturing town lost the Foxconn project, and thousands of jobs, under Mr. Trump. Mr. Biden said Wisconsin had seen substantial job and manufacturing growth during his tenure. “We’re doing what has always worked in this country,” Mr. Biden said, “giving people a fair shot, leaving nobody behind, growing the economy from the middle out and the bottom up, not the top down.”

The Republican National Committee issued a statement during Mr. Biden’s visit calling it part of his “Bankrupting America Tour.”

“Joe Biden is trying to save face in Racine County as Wisconsinites feel the pain of Bidenomics,” Michael Whatley, chairman of the committee, said in the statement. “Manufacturing has stalled, family farms are shuttering, and costs are up for everything from electricity and gas to food and housing.”

The Foxconn factory was supposed to be one of Mr. Trump’s marquee domestic manufacturing victories: the first major factory run by the electronics supplier in Wisconsin, with a promised 13,000 jobs.

Instead, the company abandoned its ambitious plans and produced only a fraction of the promised jobs, even after receiving millions in subsidies and bulldozing homes and farms to build the factory.

In a statement issued Wednesday, Foxconn defended its record in Wisconsin, saying that despite “changes in market demand and other challenges,” the company “continues to grow with its community in Wisconsin.”

Microsoft plans to work with Gateway Technical College to develop a “Datacenter Academy” that trains 1,000 workers across the state for data center and science and technology roles by 2030, according to the White House. The company also said it would expand its “Girls in STEM” program to two additional middle schools.

Brad Smith, vice chairman and president of Microsoft, who is also a Racine native, said the project represented that “we are a country where people come together, where people work together, where they address hard challenges and we get great things done.”

Data centers can provide thousands of jobs to build, but they often do not require as many people to operate. The announcement’s focus on providing training, particularly for manufacturers, reflects a central anxiety over whether A.I.’s promise to boost productivity will kill more jobs than it can enable.

Microsoft has built a tight alliance with the White House, even as it has recently suffered damaging and embarrassing hacks by groups affiliated with China and Russia. The Biden administration has positioned Microsoft as a key partner to secure U.S. leadership in the race with China to develop A.I. Last month, it helped orchestrate Microsoft’s $1.5 billion investment in G42, an artificial intelligence giant in the United Arab Emirates, to put pressure on China’s influence in the Gulf.

(The New York Times sued OpenAI and Microsoft in December, claiming copyright infringement of news content related to their A.I. systems.

Karen Weise contributed reporting from Seattle.

Erica L. Green is a White House correspondent, covering President Biden and his administration. More about Erica L. Green

Our Coverage of the 2024 Election

Presidential Race

At a rally in Wildwood, N.J., former President Donald Trump declared that his campaign would “officially play” in a state he has lost twice by double digits .

Paul Manafort, who was the chairman of Trump’s 2016 campaign and also served time in prison, abruptly stepped aside from an unpaid role  advising Republican officials on the nominating convention.

Barron Trump, the former president’s youngest son, will not serve as one of Florida’s delegates  to the Republican National Convention, the office of Melania Trump announced.

Dodging the Question:  Leading Republicans, including several of Trump’s potential running mates, have refused to say flatly that they will accept the outcome of the election .

West Virginia Senate Race:  Gov. Jim Justice’s companies have long had a reputation for not paying their debts. But that may be catching up to them  as Justice campaigns for a seat in the Senate.

Ohio Senate Race:  Bernie Moreno, the Republican challenging Senator Sherrod Brown, tells a riches-to-rags-to-riches tale. But the reality isn’t so tidy .

Maryland Senate Race:  The Democratic Senate primary between Angela Alsobrooks, the Prince George’s County executive, and Representative David Trone has grown tighter  as they vie to take on Larry Hogan, the popular former two-term Republican governor.

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COMMENTS

  1. Catering Business Plan Template & Guide [Updated 2024]

    How to Write a Business Plan for a Catering Company. Below are links to each section of your catering business plan template: 1. Executive Summary 2. Company Overview 3. Industry Analysis 4. Customer Analysis 5. Competitive Analysis 6. Marketing Plan 7.

  2. 10 Free Catering Business Plan Templates and Examples

    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 ...

  3. Catering Business Plan (How to Write & Template)

    Create your catering business plan using a pre-designed template encompassing the essential sections. This template will help structure your plan effectively. Ensure that your plan includes the following key components: Executive Summary for Restaurant: Provide an overview of your catering business and its objectives.

  4. Free Catering Company Business Plan Template + Example

    Follow these tips to quickly develop a working business plan from this sample. 1. Don't worry about finding an exact match. We have over 550 sample business plan templates. So, make sure the plan is a close match, but don't get hung up on the details. Your business is unique and will differ from any example or template you come across.

  5. Catering Business Plan Template: A Step-by-Step Guide (2024)

    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.

  6. Catering Business Plan Template (2024)

    Catering Business Plan. You've come to the right place to create your catering business plan. We have helped over 1,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans and many have used them to start a new catering business or grow their catering company. Below are links to each section of a catering business plan template example:

  7. Catering Company Business Plan Example

    Explore a real-world catering company business plan example and download a free template with this information to start writing your own business plan. ... Facebook and Twitter, with useful posts offering information about Philadelphia, information about events, cuisine, and so forth. We need a consistent presence, with useful content, and no ...

  8. Catering Business Plan: How to Make a Catering Business Plan

    A catering business plan should be comprehensive and cover all the key aspects of your business, from your target market and competition to your financial projections and marketing strategy. Here are the steps to help you create a catering business plan: 1. Write an Executive Summary. The executive summary should be a brief introduction to your ...

  9. Catering Business Plan Template

    Use this free Catering Business Plan Template to create a detailed roadmap for your catering venture, covering aspects like menu development, pricing strategies, and marketing approaches. It's a crucial resource to ensure your catering business is well-prepared for success in the competitive food service industry. .

  10. Catering Business Plan Example

    The key alternative caterers are: Of Grape & Grain, which specializes in deli style boxed lunches and cafe-style dining. This is the caterer currently used by Bright Future. Cravings Fine Foods, which specializes in event planning and cafe-style dining but which also offers deli style corporate boxed lunches.

  11. How To Write a Catering Business Plan

    Define the scale of your catering business in your plan for potential investors or partners. Sample Menu. As a caterer, you will likely find yourself crafting custom menus for your clients from a list of recipes you've developed and tested - showcase both sample event menus and a larger recipe list in your catering business plan.

  12. How to write a business plan for a catering company?

    When writing the strategy section of your business plan for a catering company, you should detail your competitive advantage, pricing strategy, marketing plan, milestones and risks and mitigants (how to counter the risks). The competitive advantage should highlight how your services are unique from other competitors in the area.

  13. How To Write A Winning Catering Business Plan

    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.

  14. Free Catering Business Plan Template

    Download your free catering business plan sample to create a plan that will wow investors. And once you've started your business, use our free restaurant invoice template to start collecting payment from each event. Download Now. Use this sample catering business plan to outline the vision for your new catering company and share that vision ...

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

    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.

  16. Event Planning Company Business Plan (2024)

    Emily's Event Planning. Established in 2017, Emily's Event Planning is now a well-known event planner in the Des Moines, Iowa area. The company provides event planning services for large corporate events, weddings, and birthday parties. Emily's Event Planning is most well-known for its picturesque venue choices.

  17. Catering Business Plan 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.

  18. Event Catering in Santa Clara, CA

    Customized Catering. San Jose, CA. 510-427-0423. 1. There are 60 Caterers in and around Santa Clara at Eventective.com. Use the filter options to find your Perfect Santa Clara Caterer. Find Caterers in Santa Clara, CA for your wedding, party, or corporate event at Eventective.com.

  19. Handheld Catering and Events

    Handheld Catering and Events is the San Francisco Bay Area's premiere full service catering and event planning company. We specialize in corporate event catering, wedding catering, and private events. ... Whether you need corporate catering for important San Jose business meetings or school event catering for the students, having someone else ...

  20. San Jose Corporate & Office Event Planning Company

    Contact Handheld Catering in San Jose, CA for exceptional office and corporate event planning services. Call (408) 692-4782 Now!

  21. Events Business Plans

    The same applies to your business. Check out these sample business plans for event planning, wedding consultants, special event planners, and other event management businesses. Then use what you learn to write the plan for your own business. Explore our library of Events Business Plan Templates and find inspiration for your own business.

  22. Event Catering in Mountain View, CA

    Cazadores Catering. Serving the Mountain View, CA Area. 1. $15-$50 /person. Cazadores Catering Travels from Santa Rosa to Fresno doing multiple events daily. We have 5 vans and 14 kitchens. California. We have been in business for about 30 years and have opened 5 restaurants and two taco stands.

  23. Naples Chef launches full-service event planning company

    May 09, 2024. COURTESY PHOTO. In response to the growth of business, social and charity events in the Naples community, Chef Vincenzo Betulia has launched a full-service, bespoke events company: Tulia Catering & Events. The company is an evolution of Tulia Catering, which has created the menus for Southwest Florida events since 2022.

  24. Cyberattack disrupts operations at major US health care network

    CNN —. A cyberattack has disrupted "clinical operations" at major health care nonprofit Ascension, forcing it to take steps to minimize any impact to patient care, an Ascension spokesperson ...

  25. Cybersecurity Event Update

    The 1 in 50: Ascension Maternal Health Report offers an in-depth look into the current state of maternal health, spotlighting Ascension's pivotal role in delivering care to a significant portion of the nation's newborns and their mothers, particularly those from underserved communities as well as addressing the social determinants of health that often lead to disparities in care.

  26. Biden Announces $3.3 Billion Microsoft AI Center at Trump's Failed

    Biden, Announcing A.I. Center, Highlights a Win of His and a Failing of Trump's. The president's visit to Wisconsin celebrated the investment by Microsoft in a center to be built on the site ...