10 Catering Business Tips to Get More Clients and Save Time in 2026

1. Set up an online quote calculator

The most useful change many caterers can make is to put their pricing online. Not a price list, but a live calculator. Customers pick menu items, enter a guest count and see an estimate straight away.

This does three things. It filters out price-shoppers who were never going to book, because they leave before they enquire. It pre-qualifies the enquiries you do get, because those people already know your prices fit their budget. And it cuts the back-and-forth of “how much for 50 people with a buffet?”.

Tools like CaterWay let you set up your menu with per-head pricing and embed the calculator on your existing website. A well set-up calculator changes the quality of enquiries, not just the number.

2. Build a portfolio on Instagram

Food photos are easy to share, and many people look for caterers on Instagram. Photograph every event, even small ones. You don’t need a professional camera. A modern phone and good light are enough.

Post regularly. Use local hashtags (#londoncatering, #helsinkicatering), tag the venue and, when you can, tag the event organiser. Each post with a venue tag puts you in front of that venue’s followers.

The effect builds over time. A feed with a couple of years of events shows reliability, range and style in a way a website alone cannot.

3. Price for profit, not just to win bids

Underpricing is a common reason catering businesses stay small or burn out. Many caterers price as food cost times a rough multiplier. That method easily misses delivery and transport time, packing materials, equipment wear, staff briefing time, cleanup after the event and admin.

Build a proper cost per person instead. Include food (ingredients and packaging), labour (prep, service and cleanup hours times your hourly rate), transport, equipment and a share of overheads such as rent, insurance and software. Add your target margin last.

Margins in food service are thin, so every missed cost hurts. Statistics Canada reported an operating profit margin of 6.3% for caterers and other special food services in 2018. Labour is one of the largest costs. In Canadian food services and drinking places, salaries, wages and benefits were 33.6% of operating expenses in 2024, according to Statistics Canada. That figure covers all food service, not caterers alone.

When you price correctly, you will sometimes lose bids you could not have made money on anyway. That is not failure. It is discipline.

4. Automate your quote follow-ups

Many catering businesses never follow up on quotes. A customer gets your quote by email, gets busy, means to reply and forgets. You assume they went elsewhere. They assumed you would chase.

Set a simple follow-up rhythm. Send a confirmation as soon as the enquiry arrives. Follow up three days later if there is no reply (“Just checking this reached you. Happy to answer any questions.”). Send a final note at seven days (“This quote is still valid. We would love to help if you are still planning the event.”).

Speed matters too. In a Harvard Business Review study of 1.25 million sales leads (Oldroyd, McElheran and Elkington, 2011), companies that tried to contact a lead within an hour were nearly seven times as likely to qualify it as those that tried an hour later. The study covered 42 US companies that sell to consumers and to businesses, not catering bookings. Still, the lesson carries over: reply fast. Even without software, calendar reminders keep follow-ups from slipping.

5. Specialise in a niche

Corporate lunches, wedding receptions, private dinners, school catering and film set catering are not the same business. Each has different clients, buying decisions, margins and operations.

A caterer who specialises in corporate events can price with more confidence, build repeatable systems around one kind of event and win referrals within a defined professional network.

Pick one or two niches and become the obvious choice in your area. “Best corporate lunch caterer in [city]” is a position you can win. “General caterer for any event” is not.

6. Partner with event venues

A hotel, conference centre or event space that recommends you to its clients can bring you steady bookings without any marketing spend.

Approach venues directly. Visit in person, bring samples and ask about their preferred supplier list. Many venues want a reliable catering partner they trust. The relationship works for both sides.

Once you are on a preferred list, look after the relationship. Reply quickly to venue enquiries, be easy to work with on site, and now and then thank the venue coordinator for referrals.

7. Collect Google reviews after every event

People choosing between local caterers look closely at reviews, yet many caterers never ask for them. Ratings affect revenue. A Harvard Business School study of Seattle restaurants by Michael Luca (2011) found that a one-star increase in Yelp rating raised revenue by 5-9% for independent restaurants. That study covered restaurants, not caterers, but your customers compare you the same way.

Timing and ease are what count. Send a review request a day or two after the event, while the client’s experience is fresh. A direct link to your Google review form by WhatsApp or text message tends to work better than an email.

A short message is enough: “Really glad the event went well. If you have two minutes, a Google review means a lot to us: [link]”.

8. Build a repeat client programme

Keeping a past client is usually cheaper than finding a new one. Yet many catering businesses have no plan for repeat work.

Corporate clients are often the most valuable repeat buyers. A company that holds all-hands meetings, client dinners and team lunches can book you many times a year. Keeping them takes little marketing: good food, reliable service and the odd proactive message.

Keep the programme light. Add past clients to a quarterly check-in list, send seasonal menu updates and offer first access to popular dates. You don’t need software for this. A shared spreadsheet and calendar reminders are enough to start.

9. Use seasonal menus strategically

A new seasonal menu is a marketing event, not just a product update. Each launch gives you a real reason to contact past clients, post on social media, update your website and send a newsletter, without it feeling like a sales message.

“Our spring menu is live: lighter dishes, fresh herbs, garden-party options” is useful news for your contacts. It reminds them you exist, shows your offer stays fresh and often prompts bookings from people who weren’t looking.

Put menu launches in your calendar ahead of each season. Each launch keeps you in mind.

10. Track your busiest seasons and pre-book capacity

Most catering businesses have clear seasonal peaks, often around Christmas, summer parties and weddings, and the return of corporate events after the summer. The problem: by the time the season starts, the best clients have already decided.

Market your peak-season dates well before the peak. If December is your busiest month, start sending “December dates are filling up” messages in mid-October. This creates urgency, gives you advance bookings to plan around and lets you turn down low-margin jobs in favour of better ones.

A simple spreadsheet of events per month over a couple of years will show you patterns you hadn’t noticed.