If you’re searching for how to make money with catering services, congratulations your search has come to an end. Because you’re about to discover the trending ways people are making thousands of dollars with catering services.
Catering is an excellent business to start if you want to work from home, set your own hours, and be able to stop working for the day whenever you want.
However, it is essential you know how to do it the right way so you can make the best out of it like many others who are already making a good living offering catering services.
Without much ado, so how can you make money with catering services?
1. Rent Out Your Catering Service Equipment
Whether you’re looking for additional revenue or looking to scale up to the next level, there are several ways to make money with catering services. One of the best ways to make money is by renting out your equipment.
Your catering equipment can generate a small to mid-size income, depending on the setup you have. People always want to host parties, events, and celebrations for their family and friends. When they plan such events they need equipment.
Over time, equipment can wear out or become outdated. Rather than spending money to replace the entire equipment, you can instead rent it out to people who are just starting out in the catering business.
2. Sell Special Wedding Catering Packages
If you provide wedding catering services, you already know that weddings are quite expensive affairs for most people. So why not offer affordable catering for weddings that will lower their total cost of the wedding … much like the special deals that bridal magazines encourage brides to look for.
When you offer people unique wedding catering packages they will feel very special and unique when it comes to their meal. They will appreciate you for offering such a great service and the food will taste much better when served with style.
You can add unique touches such as customized table favors, candy bars with the couples’ names and wedding dates embossed on them, personalized flowers, and other bridal novelties that will make this day even more special and memorable.
3. Offer In-home Party Services
In-home party catering services are a wonderful way to earn some extra cash while not being away from your family. If you have a talent for hospitality plus your exceptional catering skills, this may be the perfect option for you.
With your private in-home catering service, you will provide the food, the wait staff, the bartenders, and whatever your client needs to make their party one to remember. Just let them bring their friends and family, and share the fun.
Offer your customers one-of-a-kind in-home party catering services and make more money. This is a premium catering service that can earn you thousands of dollars a day if you can land a good deal.
4. Work In a Restaurant
Are you starting out and looking for how to make money with catering services? Work in a restaurant.
Working in a restaurant gives you valuable experience that will help you get your feet wet in the catering service business. You’ll learn skills like customer service, becoming familiar with health department regulations (which is necessary), and how to make different meals, among many other things.
Depending on where you live, some restaurants can pay upwards of $20 per hour. Keep in mind that these restaurants require hard-working individuals who are able to multitask and pay close attention to detail.
5. Offer Special Menus
As a good caterer, you are sure to have many special menus that are only used occasionally. If you are not using your special menu items, why not offer them to your customers for a special occasion.
They are fairly easy to make ahead of time, so it takes no extra effort on your part. Family dinners and birthday parties are completely different from those same events with the right food.
It makes no difference if you cater lunch or dinner as long as you do something different than what you usually serve. If you have high-paying customers, this is one of the best options to make money with catering services.
6. Offer Food From Your Home to Local Eateries
Spice things up in the restaurant business by offering food from your home to local eateries. This is another way to make money with catering services. It’s a cheaper alternative to opening a full-fledged restaurant and you get to have a flexible schedule.
Serving food from your home may sound unconventional, but don’t underestimate it because many restaurants find their suppliers through word of mouth.
Focus on your area of specialty—perhaps you’re known for a broccoli casserole—and have the ingredient list printed on an index card. Display the card next to your phone so local restaurants can place an order when they need a broccoli casserole for a party or a fundraiser.
7. Start a Food Truck Service
Catering services are becoming more prominent as people are trying to eat healthier, give up some of their bad habits, or are even trying to lose some weight. Starting a food truck service will make you stand out from the rest of the competitors out there and put more money in your pocket.
As a catering service provider who also runs a mobile food truck, you’ll have an upper hand compared to others because you can reach more clients and have more business opportunities.
With food truck service, you will have a wide variety of offerings that are easily accessible to your customers. In addition, you can also rent out your truck (to make more money of course) when you’re not using it.
In addition, it may interest you to know there are companies ready to pay you while you’re simply driving your food truck around doing your business. It is as simple as sleeping to get paid. It cost you nothing other than driving around doing your catering business.
SEE: How to Make Money Driving
8. Offer Event Planning Services
Add event planning to your service and enjoyed a steady business and more profits by using your catering business as a way to gain referrals and repeat business. You can offer to plan any kind of event, allowing you to take advantage of numerous opportunities.
Adding event planning to your catering services will keep you busy throughout the year without you having to seek out events solely for profit.
Whether it is a small shower, a child’s birthday party, or even a major fundraiser for a non-profit, people want to celebrate their special moments with inviting food and great company. You can offer an event planning service in addition to your catering services.
SEE: How to Make Money as a Wedding Planner
9. Provide a Food Delivery Service
Whether you’re a chef looking to augment your income or an entrepreneur ready for a new challenge, offering food delivery services from your home can be a pool of ever-flowing revenue.
If people would come to your house or your local eatery for food, why not save them the trouble and the money and provide the food directly to them?
Set yourself apart from other caterers by preparing food right out of your home and deliver to customers. That way, you don’t have extra equipment or employees to worry about. However, you need delivery men to make the deliveries.
10. Work As a Subcontractor
Are you just starting out or you have been in the business for some time? Whatever it is, one of the best ways to make money and expand your catering service’s reach into new areas is by working as a subcontractor.
Your first step is to locate catering companies in your area. This will be easy if you work in the service industry, as many times caterers do business with them. Talk to them about working as a subcontractor, and determine how much extra work you can get from them. You’ll be able to set your own schedule and make your own money.
This option is mostly perfect for you’re a beginner in the catering business. You’ll have hands-on experience, get to know how many orders you can handle, and learn where your skills are lacking.
11. Create a Catering Service Blog
What does blogging have to do with making money with a catering service? Well, it has everything to do with it. If you don’t know yet, blogging is one of the effective strategies businesses and companies are using to drive traffic to their business.
As a knowledgeable caterer looking for ways to make money with catering services, you can create a blog to market your catering service while also making extra money with your blog. There are a lot of people out there who are looking for help to prepare a particularly popular dish, your blog can help meet their needs.
Once your blog is getting a lot of traffic, your catering service will also get visibility and then you can monetize your blog in one of the ways below.
- Google Adsense
- Affiliate marketing
- Sponsored content
- Selling ads space
SEE: Ways To Monetize Your Blog
What Do You Need to Start a Successful Catering Business?
- Create a business plan
- Research your competition
- Write a mission statement
- Hire the best people
- Deliver value for money
- Keep improving your service
- Build a clientele from existing clientele
- Have regular office hours
- Offer several alternatives of services to cater to all needs
FAQs
What is the startup cost for a catering business?
According to Profitable Venture, it is estimated that the startup cost for a catering business is between $10,000 and $44,000 (based on research).
Nonetheless, you can start with much less than the figure stated above; if only you are willing to start from home, invest more sweat equity and rent, rather than buy your catering equipment.
How can I offer cheap catering services without sacrificing the quality of food and service?
The right way to offer cheap catering services is to create a two-tiered catering price structure that allows you to attract both small and large clients.
What is the best time to schedule a catering business?
The 3 best times to schedule a catering business are generally Sundays between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Saturdays 1 p.m.-4 p.m.
Scheduling your catering business for around these times is a smart way to help you and your guests enjoy the lighter fare and still receive your food in a timely manner.
What is the average catering fee?
While catering prices are based on some important factors like event size, event type, region (where you live), etc., the average catering fee is from $10 to $50 per guest.
Catering fees vary depending on what has to be provided at the site of the event. For example, a wedding reception will have a higher catering fee because it requires some equipment to be brought to the site of the wedding.
Do you need a business permit to operate a catering business?
In most cases, no. You can get a state license or permit from your local business authority, but few cities and counties actually require a separate permit for catering. However, you will need a permit to operate a food establishment but it does not have to be a catering company.
Conclusion
A lot of people like you are making big bucks by catering to both small and large events. You can do the same. You only need to employ one or more of the methods shared above.
As mentioned earlier, if you’re just starting out, the best option is to work as a subcontractor. Also, you start work in a restaurant to gain first-hand experience and develop your skills.
But if you’re experienced, you can rent out your equipment, provide a food delivery service, offer food truck service, double as an event planner, or offer in-home party catering services.
In addition to any of these options, I will encourage you to add blogging. This will drive more traffic to your catering business and you can monetize your blog later. You don’t have to be the one writing the blog posts, you can outsource them.
Finally, for more options to make money with food services, here are food business ideas you should check out.
