Catering - what is it and how to succeed in this direction? Catering as a business with great prospects.

Detailed review-guide. Part No. 1

Section No. 1. Introduction. Catering or catering?

Creating your own business, field service special occasions should be considered as a very promising idea. By spending time and energy on quality study of your own business, you can count on decent dividends in the future.

Moral and material satisfaction will be an excellent reward for hard work. Proper organization of a catering business for special events is important for successful work.

Catering Wikipedia explains literally: “This is an industry Catering related to the provision of services at remote locations.”

Literal catering translation or self catering translation from in English means the following: “Supply provisions”!

People often ask: “Self catering food, what is it?” - self-service in nutrition. All these concepts are associated with our management and with the business, which can simply be called in Russian: “Field event services.”

Some people mistakenly write "Catering" instead of "Catering".

We evaluate the relevance of the chosen direction

When choosing an area in which your business could thrive long years, it is necessary to focus on consumer demand. Priority is given to those areas that are vital for people:

• – Nutrition (in any conditions a person needs food);
• – Housing (for a full-fledged existence, everyone needs living space);
• – Clothing (an item that no one can do without);
• – Ritual services (sooner or later, everyone will have to die).

The food sector remains the most in demand, since food cannot be replaced with anything. However, it can be sold in different ways. There are several ways to sell food: in stores, retail outlets in markets and in public catering establishments.

Restaurant or catering?

Catering establishments are the most interesting. This industry is a synthesis of the sale of gastronomic products and the provision of services. For a business to be successful, it is necessary to understand what exactly will be of interest to the consumer. It is difficult to surprise anyone with a restaurant or cafeteria.

There is too much competition in this direction and there is a possibility of going down the drain, failing to attract the required number of visitors. Therefore, every catering owner tries to make his establishment special and different from the others.

Interior, service, music, menu - all this should be original and interesting.

Since opening a restaurant does not guarantee a stable and high income, it is worth considering catering for special events as a safer business. This type of service provision has a number of advantages:

• – You work only when there are orders, so you can plan your schedule;
• – Products are purchased strictly as needed and in the quantities required for the event. Therefore, there is no chance that the food will spoil and be thrown away;
• – Hired personnel receive payment only when there is work. Consequently, you will insure yourself against loss on days when there are no clients;
• – There is no need to purchase or rent premises and renovate them. This allows you to reduce the start-up capital for opening a catering business for special events.

Catering- a relatively new direction in the field of service and catering, therefore it is likely that the competition will not be too high.

However, we should not forget that even the monopolization of a certain market segment does not exempt a businessman from providing quality services. Improving staff performance, expanding the range of services and constant development will help make the company successful and in demand.

A simple and fairly accurate way to determine the demand for a particular service is the Yandex search engine. It is enough to look at the level of competition and frequency of requests in a particular city and you can imagine the first picture: whether such a service is used in your city or not. It is clear that the more requests Yandex users make per month, the more in demand the service is and the lower the competition among these requests, then... it’s time to start.

We write in the search bar: “catering Saint Petersburg, catering Yekaterinburg, catering in Novosibirsk, catering St. Petersburg, catering Nizhny Novgorod, catering Kazan, catering in Krasnodar, etc. and you get search results that speak for themselves: the service is in demand in many cities of Russia!

Section No. 2. Catering business plan. Catering prices or advance preparation

Opening a catering company for special events requires preliminary preparation.

For the successful functioning of the company, you must calculate the budget required to start work, develop a name and slogan, register your enterprise in accordance with current legislation and decide for which audience your services will be designed.

Budget calculation.

It is necessary to calculate the budget, taking into account all the nuances associated with opening a company. It is worth paying attention not only to the main costs, but also to those that may be unexpected.

Therefore, starting capital should be planned with a reserve. Ongoing payments that must be made before opening a business include:

• – costs for paperwork;
• – purchase of equipment;
• – purchase of work equipment;
• – rent or purchase of storage space;
• – investments in advertising campaigns.

Unforeseen expenses or those that may increase during the preparation for the opening should also be taken into account. It can be:

• - fare;
• – additional payment for prompt processing of documentation;
• - “gratitude” to officials.

It is possible to reduce the starting budget by saving on equipment and inventory. In order not to spend money on the purchase of expensive household appliances, dishes and textiles, you can use rental services. There are companies that provide everything needed for catering services for rent.

Creating a name and slogan.

To register a company, you need to give it a name. You can take on the naming yourself, thereby reducing the costs of starting a business.

But if you are not sure own strength, it is better to turn to professionals who develop sonorous and bright names. Your company name should be easy to spell, pleasant to sound, attractive to consumers, and inspiring trust.

The slogan is also of great importance in successfully building a business. It will reflect the main direction of the company. It would be preferable for it to be short, but meaningful phrase, which is widely heard.

Legal registration.

Registration of a company providing catering services for special events must be carried out in accordance with all current laws. You can do the legal registration yourself or entrust this task to specialists.

A limited liability company (LLC) is considered the most convenient form for registering a catering business. The list of documents required for legal registration includes:

• – a receipt for payment of the state duty for opening an LLC;
• – – application for registration of an LLC, which will contain all the data of your future company: types of activities, legal address, contact phone number, name of the organization, information about the authorized capital;
• – – documents from the founders. Copy of passport, if applicable individuals. If the founder is a legal entity, it is necessary to provide: a certificate from the tax authority on registration (copy); certificate confirming registration legal entity; a copy of the general director’s passport and his TIN;
• – – if the director and chief accountant of the company are the same person, one copy of the passport is required. If it's two different people, everyone must provide a copy of their document.

Development of pricing policy.

After successfully registering a catering company for special events, you need to decide on a pricing policy. If you are counting on VIP segment clients, you need to take care proper quality services provided. High prices must be justified by impeccable service.

Focus on middle class may be more beneficial to get started. By choosing loyal prices for your services and counting on a less demanding audience, you can save money on initial costs, but leave room for further development and improvement.

Proper preparation of a company for opening minimizes problems with legislative bodies, allows you to plan all expenses and provides a solid basis for the development of a successful, profitable business.

Section No. 3. Catering vacancies. Recruitment

The success of your event catering business directly depends on the team you build. High-quality and well-coordinated work of the team will be the key high level services provided. When selecting personnel for a company, you should pay attention to the following factors:

• - Experience. Waiters, managers and cooks without experience will not be able to become you good helpers. If in an ordinary restaurant there is time to prepare staff by training them, then you will not have such an opportunity. In a catering business, it is important that all employees are ready to begin their duties from the first day of work;
• – Availability of a health certificate. This is very important document, which certifies that your workers are physically fit and qualified to work with food and people. Each employee’s medical record must be checked for expiration date; if it has expired, it is worth sending the employees to the clinic for a re-examination. In case of an overdue medical examination, the SES may impose a fine on you;
• – Appearance and stress resistance. It is very important that your staff have a pleasant appearance and was neat. Since the work involves communicating with people and providing services, all employees must be friendly, non-conflictual and stable in their work. stressful situations. This will ensure a healthy environment in the team and high-quality functioning of the company.

Manager.

Section No. 4. Catering equipment. Purchase of inventory. Renting or buying?

In the event catering business, it is very important to purchase quality equipment. Your team's work tools should be easy to use and durable. This will ensure a continuous workflow, hence your stable profit.

Equipment.

The most expensive equipment is kitchen equipment. It differs from restaurant food in its portability, which is why it costs more. Now there are mobile kitchens on wheels, which contain everything necessary for preparing and storing food.

Buying this working tool right away is problematic because of its high price, so you can use the rental. Some organizations rent out everything needed for catering services. A catering kitchen may include:

• - trailer, aka workplace for organizing food preparation;
• - all household appliances(stoves, blenders, combi ovens, refrigerators, food warmers, ice makers, thermoses and other accessories);
• – kitchen utensils;
• – waste tanks.

A complete mobile kitchen will save you from unexpected expenses, since buying everything separately can leave you missing several tools. Having discovered their shortage during the work process, you will have to quickly solve the problem, and this is very unpleasant.

Dishes, cutlery.

A necessary part of organizing a catering business for special events is the purchase of dishes and cutlery. This is a big expense item, since it costs a lot to acquire cutlery.

The number of serving plates should be twice as large as the number of guests you can serve. The same goes for devices. But don't forget about the dishes on which the food will be served.

It is necessary to purchase at least four times more shared plates than portioned plates. Take care of dispensing utensils (tongs, spoons), trays and carts for serving food and drinks.

It is also necessary to acquire glasses, glasses, shot glasses and other glassware. There should also be twice as many of her as the expected guests. Please note that fragile plates and glasses may be damaged during transportation or during use.

Calculate this probability and make a purchase with a reserve.

Textile.

You must provide your employees with the textile products necessary to organize on-site catering for special events.

Napkins.

It is better to sew fabric napkins, also known as knee pads, from natural materials. The ideal color is white. Light-colored napkins best show stains that have not come off after washing.
The number of knee pads should be 20-30 percent more than the number of expected guests. The stock is made so that it is possible to replace damaged napkins.

Tablecloths.

Tablecloths should be made of material that is easy to clean and does not wrinkle. Their color should be in harmony with the tone of the napkins and dishes. The size of tablecloths must be selected according to the size of the tables.

Please note that according to the standard, the tablecloth should hang 20 centimeters from the table. However, you can use skirts that are attached to tabletops. In this case, the tabletop should be 5-10 cm larger at each edge than the surface of the table, and the length of the skirt should be equal to its height.

Form for employees.

Service personnel must be provided with the same uniform. Best option– white shirts, black trousers and long black aprons. Each item must be tailored to measure and fit the workers perfectly.

It is better for each employee to have two sets of uniforms.

It is very expensive to purchase all the equipment at one time. If your budget does not allow for colossal expenses, you can rent a catering kitchen, dishes, glasses and tablecloths.

However, workwear for staff must be purchased immediately, since this item must be sewn individually for each employee.

Section No. 5. Development of an advertising campaign

Some businessmen begin to advertise their companies after they open. This is a big omission, because to get a good start you will need clients, and you need to attract them even before the business starts operating.

Having completed all the documents, you need to take care of high-quality advertising for the company providing catering services for special events.

Website creation.

This will help you acquire new clients and familiarize them with all the services your company provides. The site must include:

• - service list;
• – approximate cost your work;
• -contact phone number;
• – guest book for reviews and suggestions.

It is also necessary to describe your company colorfully and vividly so that consumers pay attention to it. The possibility of customer feedback must be taken into account. If suggestions for improvement or comments appear in the guest book, they must be responded to immediately.

This way, customers will know that they are cared about and their opinions are taken into account.

Banners and billboards.

Outdoor advertising is also important for successful business. Take care of placing banners and billboards with offers of your company's services. To ensure that your money is not wasted, think about where such advertising will work best.

These could be stops public transport, historical places of the city, parks, underground passages or streets where traffic is often difficult.

Flyers and leaflets.

It is best to distribute flyers and leaflets advertising a catering company in the busiest places. Ideally, your offer will fall into the hands of a client who is heading to the restaurant or has just left it.

While waiting for a meal or at the end of it, consumers are inclined to perceive information of similar content. They focus their attention on your flyer, and it is more likely that your promotional items will not be thrown into the nearest trash bin.

Yours the main task– make advertising work. If the number of clients interested in your services increases every day, then your work was not in vain.

It is worth noting that advertising is beneficial not only at the stage of business development. It should be unobtrusive, but often repeated. With this approach, your company will always be heard and noticed a large number of potential clients.

Start. Continuation.

Catering in Russia today is one of the fastest growing business areas. This is confirmed by statistics: in 2009, 7% of the Russian population used the services of catering companies, today 12% use such services. Opening a catering company is a promising business idea because office lunch orders allow clients to choose lunches from a wide variety of dishes that will be delivered at a specific time. Catering is convenient because the price of lunch includes delivery, disposable tableware, bread, toothpicks, and napkins.

Today, many office workers do not have enough time to have lunch in a cafe, so the catering company will always have clients.

A catering company should be opened in large cities with a population exceeding 500,000 people, it should be noted that in megacities such as Moscow and St. Petersburg, there is very high competition in this segment. In this regard, it is very important to draw up a detailed plan, and a plan that will cover all aspects. You must immediately be prepared for the fact that catering is a difficult type of business, but it is possible to succeed in it.

Before starting such a business, you need to decide on a niche; it is preferable to choose one in which there is high demand and relatively little supply. It is best to focus on supplying lunches for mid-level employees to offices. The cost of such a lunch on average is 100 rubles (the first course costs on average 30 rubles, the second costs 50 rubles, the price of a salad is 10 rubles, the cost of bread and tea is 10 rubles). The cost of such a lunch does not exceed 40 rubles. By targeting such an audience, you can get a large number of clients. The biggest challenge to overcome is competition. There is no point in dumping here, because cheap lunches will be prepared from not the most quality products, which will negatively affect the company's image.

To stand out from your competitors, you should offer a wide variety of lunches; if you also offer vegetarian dishes and dishes for diabetics, the number of customers will grow rapidly.

Financial plan

In order to open a business such as catering, you need to draw up a detailed financial plan. Catering is a business that requires special premises for production. When choosing a premises, you should take into account that the requirements for it are practically no different from those that apply to the production of a food service enterprise with a service area. A business such as catering requires a special room, which should be divided into production, utility and office areas. In turn, the production area is divided into hot and cold shops and a confectionery shop. The plan provides for the rental of premises of 200 sq. m. m, on average it will cost 100 rubles per month. Now you need to take care of the equipment; purchasing it will cost from 200 to 400 thousand rubles (imported equipment will cost more).

You will need cooking stoves, ovens, microwave ovens, and refrigerators. The business plan of a catering company provides that the purchase of expensive imported equipment does not always guarantee high profits. It is best to choose a production facility that is located close to major transport interchanges.

The business plan includes obtaining permits. Such documentation includes: a certificate of state registration, a sanitary and epidemiological conclusion, a certificate of inclusion in the Unified State Register. You will also need a number of standard documents; it is best to order the collection of documents and registration of the company from a law firm, which will significantly save time, which can be spent more efficiently. On average, the cost of registering a limited liability company will cost 10,000 rubles.

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Hiring staff for a company

A very important aspect of the successful functioning of a catering company is the competent selection of personnel. The business plan provides two options: you can contact a recruiting agency and order all the staff there. On initial stage two or three cooks and four couriers should be hired. In order for cooks to work faster and not be distracted, you can hire an assistant cook who will do work that does not require great qualifications (washing and peeling vegetables and fruits, and so on). You need to be especially careful when choosing chefs, because the quality of food largely determines how successfully the company will function. Recruiting agency services can be expensive, but nothing is as expensive as cheap staff.

Catering is a business in which reputation plays a very important role, so before hiring a chef, you should make sure of his qualifications. It should be noted right away that it is difficult to find a good chef, and a business such as catering largely depends on his culinary abilities.

As for couriers, they must know the city well, be attentive, efficient and responsible. It is best to choose couriers with experience in this particular area, since delays may cause the client to simply refuse the company’s services. Before delivering orders, they should make a delivery plan, which will make things much easier. When drawing up a business plan, you should take into account that in order for staff to work better, you need to create an incentive for employees. In this regard, the best incentive for employees will be that, as a bonus, they will dine on the dishes provided by the company. In this case, there is no doubt that the chefs will try to cook as best as possible. And for couriers, you can set the following bonus: whoever delivers meals faster and receives fewer complaints from customers receives a bonus at the end of the month.

To maintain accounting records for a start-up company, it is not practical to hire an accountant; it is better to use the services of an outsourcing company to provide accounting services.

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What to consider when creating a menu

Since a business such as catering is highly competitive, it is necessary to think through the menu to the smallest detail. It should be taken into account that in the cold season, hearty dishes are in great demand, and in the summer, emphasis should be placed on lighter dishes and salads. It is very important to offer your customers a varied menu, that is, the same dish should appear on the menu no more than once a week, which will significantly increase the number of customers.

When all organizational issues have been resolved, you can begin searching for clients. The simplest and most the right way is for hired promoters to go around all nearby office buildings with advertising brochures and offer employees inexpensive and delicious lunches. It is very important to stimulate customer demand with various promotions, for example, you can offer a company that orders 10 lunches a large bottle of soft drink or a free dessert as a gift. Such actions are low-cost, but bring great benefits.

What is catering: history of origin + 9 types of catering + 7 types of off-site catering.

If you ask any of us, what is catering, then it will not be easy to answer right away.

In fact, many have come across this definition, and may have even used a service such as catering.

The demand for services is constantly growing, and customers are becoming more and more demanding. This is probably why we can answer the question in one word: “what is catering?” - it’s difficult, because there are many varieties of it, which we will now introduce you to.

No. 1.

Indoor catering.

Indoor catering is used by large companies, because it is also important for them to feed their employees.

As a rule, the agency prepares food on the customer’s premises every day. Cooks and waiters work in separate rooms equipped with everything necessary: ​​stoves, refrigeration units, furniture, utensils.

A catering agency also supplies products.

In this way, organizers save time on food delivery and hall decoration.

No. 2.

Off-premise catering.

This type of catering appeared due to the fact that many restaurants are designed for a relatively small number of people (an average of 200 people).

Therefore, we have to look for places where many clients could fit.

Food for catering and delivery is prepared in the restaurant kitchen and then delivered to the event venue.

No. 3. Catering social.

Social catering provides its services at the customer’s premises. Typically this type of service is ordered for family celebrations.

Restaurant workers agree with the client on the menu, date, location, etc. Chefs arrive and prepare the banquet using the client's equipment. In this case, the catering company is responsible not only for the quality of food and drinks, but also for the decoration of the premises and cleaning after the event. According to the rules, the client can ask the catering company to provide everything

necessary equipment

for a banquet.

No. 4.

VIP catering.

An event that has VIP status must correspond to its level.

For high-level catering, clients hire the best chefs, sometimes even foreign ones, and look for highly qualified waiters.

Only rich people use such services. The entire process, from the delivery of products to the presentation of dishes, is managed by the customer himself or his trusted person. No. 5.

For this purpose, retail sales of finished products are used.

Chefs from a catering agency prepare fast food, sandwiches, pastries, confectionery, which can be sealed and eaten without additional equipment.

Only non-alcoholic drinks are allowed, as public place Drinking alcohol is prohibited.

No. 6.

Catering of drinks and cocktails.

The outdoor bar has long become a separate branch in this business.

This type of restaurant service allows you to prepare a variety of drinks at any celebration using a mobile bar.

The main emphasis of beverage catering is, of course, on alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails, juices, fresh juices, etc.

The employees must, first of all, be experienced bartenders who can prepare any drink and also demonstrate skill in flaring (juggling bottles).

The traveler must always have with him dishes, equipment, ingredients for drinks, and refrigeration equipment.

No. 7.

Air and yacht catering.

Catering companies also provide on-board catering and service for people on yachts.

The menu is determined by the customer.

The agency must agree on the supply of food, provide utensils, and organize the work of personnel on board the aircraft or yacht.

It is imperative to ensure that when preparing dishes, the cooks make the portions the same. The fruits should also be the same size.

In aviation catering, this is very important, because passengers sit next to each other and see each other’s plates during lunch.

No. 8. Catering with supply contract. This type of off-site restaurant is also called “lunch delivery to the office.”

The catering agency enters into a contract for

a long period

with the customer company.

They mainly use the services of the company's off-site restaurants, which are located in remote locations where there are no cafes or shops.

• According to the agreement, every day at lunchtime the catering agency must bring lunch according to a pre-agreed menu.
• Dishes consist of first, second, sometimes desserts, as well as drinks.
• Catering with delivery to the office can be of the following types:

catering with delivery of ready-made meals;

preparing lunch on site using fresh ingredients;

preparing dishes from semi-finished products in the customer’s office.

Nutrition is one of the most important points for a rider. This is where catering companies come into play.

They are responsible for preparing dishes according to the artist’s requirements, providing dishes, and hiring staff to serve the star during meals.

7 types of catering

Over the years, everyone has become tired of the same type of events in restaurants. Another thing is to have a delicious meal in nature or to combine lunch with work in order to conclude a good deal with a business partner during the meal.

No. 1.

Buffet.

A convenient type of catering is a buffet. This type of outdoor restaurant is characterized by the separation of tables for rest from tables with food.

Snacks, desserts, hot dishes, etc. are displayed under one wall. On the other side of the hall there are tables with chairs where you can have a snack and chat with friends.

Waiters from the catering agency ensure that guests' glasses are filled with drinks as needed.

They are also required to clear tables and bring items from the buffet menu upon request.

No. 2.

Buffet.

At a buffet reception, informal communication between guests usually reigns, although it is arranged after the signing of important business contracts or after business meetings.

The duration of such a lunch is usually limited, a maximum of 2 hours.

There are no chairs or tables at the buffet; all guests eat standing.

The hall is decorated as follows: there are separate tables with food, and in another place there is a small mini-bar for guests.

The buffet menu consists only of appetizers and cold dishes that can be eaten freely with a fork, without even sitting down at the table.

No. 3. Banquet catering.

The most familiar type of service for many of us is a banquet.

Guests sit at tables where cold snacks and drinks are already waiting for them.

The service is handled by waiters, and dishes are served in turns. First - hot, second, and the very last from the banquet menu is dessert.

It is very important that the catering banquet does not feel crowded. 1.5 square meters should be allocated per person. meters.

No. 4. Coffee break. Coffee breaks are arranged at business meetings and meetings that are held before lunch or in the morning before the start of the event.

The coffee break menu is the simplest: tea, coffee or others without

alcoholic drinks , as well as canapés, sandwiches and desserts. This catering takes no more than 30 minutes.

The problem is that due to time constraints, it is difficult for chefs to create a menu for such catering that will satisfy all the guests and not leave them hungry.

No. 5.

Cocktail.

Cocktail catering is carried out in the middle of the event (it lasts 1 hour) or after its end (can last 2 - 3 hours).

It is usually held at exhibitions or presentations.

At a cocktail party, guests are served by waiters who serve appetizers or desserts on trays and drinks separately throughout the room.

The bar menu includes light alcoholic cocktails, fresh juices, coffee and tea.

No. 6. Lunch delivery. Most

operational view

Off-site catering is the delivery of lunches to the customer.

The client makes an order by phone or on the website of the organizer company. Within the shortest possible time (minimum 18 hours from the moment the order is placed), lunch is delivered to the address specified in the client’s application.

Food is usually delivered in disposable containers along with plates and cutlery for further serving to guests. No. 7. Picnic.

Catering under

open air

carried out only in favorable weather.

We all associate a picnic with cooking meat over a fire. The classic menu for outdoor catering includes hot dishes, such as grilled meat, fish or vegetables, a variety of cold appetizers, okroshka, and canapés.

This type of catering simply cannot be accommodated within an hour-long timeframe.

The big disadvantage of this type of field service is the unpredictability of the weather. In case of rain, the organizers must prepare tents that will shelter guests from bad weather so as not to spoil their vacation.

It is very important that the organizers prepare refrigeration units, because food can spoil during the heat.

Do you want to open your own catering agency?

The nuances of the business are revealed by the owner of the field service company:

How to choose a catering agency?

1. On-site service may be needed in any situation.
2. If this is your first time choosing a catering agency, then our tips will help you do it right and not spoil any type of event.
3. Catering companies are assessed according to the following criteria:
4. The number of people the catering agency is willing to serve.

It’s good if the catering company has its own website with a list of all services with prices indicated on them.

To understand what high-level catering is, pay attention to the quality of services provided by the agency:

Setting the price for catering includes many items: the cost of food, drinks, decoration, salary for service personnel, etc.

For example, in Moscow average price per person – 3,000 rubles.

You must pay for agency services before the event itself so that the organizers can cover all costs.

There are discounts and bonuses for regular customers.

Understand, what is catering, you can only personally experience the visiting professionals restaurant business that will help make any event unforgettable and bright.

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- is young and promising business.Catering services are used mainly by various companies, firms that can afford not only food delivery but also service, serving, decoration...

This is a great business idea that works great in large cities; you can order delivery, serving, and food preparation services anywhere, be it a corporate event, a party, a picnic. Catering is also carried out in various forms: buffet, bar, restaurant, cafe, dining room, picnic, coffee break, tea ceremony, business breakfast, night club cocktailing...

Let's consider the types of Catering:

Cooking food at the customer's premises. Outdoor cooking - offsite service maintenance. Delivery to the office. Social catering. Retail sale of finished restaurant products. VIP catering. Catering of drinks and cocktails (off-site bar).

Off-site restaurant service is a more promising direction than lunch delivery, because serving and preparing dishes is an entire art. Although lunch delivery is considered a temporary service in rapidly growing companies, the service itself cannot be excluded, because not all companies are developing successfully and can afford a catering service. But as income increases, nutritional requirements change: Communication and environment become more important than eating food itself.

Open a catering company - search for premises.

Minimum room area for catering production - 100 sq. m. This is enough for the company to be able to cater for events of up to 500 people. Businessmen advise, if possible, to choose a room with a larger area - the volume and range of products allowed by the SES depend on the footage.

The ideal premises are former canteens and other catering establishments: their layout and communications meet the requirements of sanitary standards, often a set of usable equipment remains. However, finding free canteens is not easy, experts warn.

It is more expensive to convert non-core premises for catering production in order to bring them into compliance with sanitary standards, about 1 million rubles are needed.

All requirements for the premises are specified in SanPiN. One of the main ones is the absence of intersection of the flows of raw and dirty products with finished and clean ones. Therefore, it is good if the premises have two or three entrances. A catering company needs a meat, vegetable, salad workshop, two workshops for the production of ready-made hot and cold dishes, a packaging workshop, a workshop for washing dishes and containers in which food is transported, and a bakery. Although you can buy baked goods. In addition to the workshops, the premises should have refrigeration chambers, separate warehouses for equipment, storage of vegetables, other raw materials, finished products, places for unloading and loading them, bathrooms, a rest room, shower, locker room, and a separate room for staff meals.

“It is important to think through production technology and assortment in advance. For example, decide whether you will cook using semi-finished products or raw materials. In the first case, much less storage space and preparation time are required. But profitability is decreasing—the price of semi-finished products is higher.”

Some equipment suppliers undertake to develop a technological project and launch production. The project itself costs 5-8 euros per 1 sq. m. m, launch - from 3 thousand euros. Designers also help obtain the necessary permits: it is important to agree on the location of production, and then the working design in more than 20 authorities - from Rospotrebnadzor technical specifications to the traffic police.

The premises must be approved by the SES, even if previously a catering establishment was located in these areas. “The new organization must undergo a sanitary examination again.” According to businessmen, food laboratory tests will cost 20-50 thousand rubles. Additional measurements are taken every month (1.5 thousand rubles each).

Opening a catering company - choosing equipment.

First of all, you will need an oven. Experts advise purchasing a combi oven, despite the fact that it is more expensive - from 100 thousand to 1 million rubles. It combines an oven, a stove, a deep fryer, and a grill. Its advantages include saving space, energy and more. high quality cooking.

For soups and broths you will need a stove. Electric ones cost less, but gas ones are four to five times cheaper to operate. The workshops must also be equipped with freezers, refrigerators (one or two in each workshop), stainless steel tables, devices for slicing, beating, shredding, shelving, and washing baths. The vegetable shop needs equipment for cleaning and washing vegetables, a vegetable cutter. You also need to purchase bactericidal lamps for air disinfection and sterilizers. It is estimated that the purchase of a complete set of equipment will require 1 million rubles.

“It is important to ensure that food is eaten before the expiration date. It is impossible to guarantee that they will be of high quality the next day. It doesn’t hurt to be on the safe side - to specify in the contract the time by which the food must be consumed, indicating that the company is not responsible for the quality of the product after this period.”

Catering companies They use specialized utensils and equipment - containers for transporting finished products, thermal containers for maintaining the temperature of hot or chilled dishes, carts. Crockery and cutlery are purchased at the rate of three sets per person. A set for a banquet for 500 people will cost 150-200 thousand rubles. Equipment for transporting products and servicing events of this scale will cost 100 thousand rubles.

To deliver food and staff, you will need a car; the car must have a sanitary passport, a thermal booth, and drivers must have sanitary records.

Open a catering company - recruitment.

Manage catering business maybe the owner himself, if he knows the specifics of field service. However, it is more logical hire a manager-manager: “He must control the entire cycle of work, from production to service.” At first, the manager himself communicates with customers. As your business expands, you will need an account manager. Anyone food production a technologist is needed. His responsibilities are to monitor the cooking process, the quality of the products produced and the finished dishes. The production will need about five cooks - one in each workshop. When cooking, cooks must take into account how the product will look after packaging and a 20-40 minute trip. The number of waiters depends on the scale and format of the event. One waiter can handle serving a buffet for 25-50 people or a banquet for 10-20 people. On average The waiter is assigned 16-20 people. The exception is VIP events, when a personal waiter is assigned to each guest.

Usually waiters work part-time. You can choose several restaurants where you like the service, sit at a table, take a closer look at the waiter and make an offer - the information will spread quickly. Their schedule is basically two days in two, and many agree to work part-time. Waiters are paid hourly, but it is better to tie the salary to the amount of the order: “Properly motivating staff is the lion’s share of success. Service matters as much as the quality of the food." If the order level is high, then an hour of work for a waiter can cost up to 1 thousand rubles; an administrator is additionally invited to such events, who constantly monitors the process. At the first stage, it is easier to outsource accounting to a private person. It will cost 5 thousand rubles. Preferably Find an accountant with experience in catering.

Opening a catering company - how to attract clients?

Businessmen call direct sales the main method of finding clients: calls and meetings. Advertising in print media - magazines and business publications is used as support: their audience is people who make decisions about their choice catering company for corporate events. Many people consider having a website mandatory. Experts call sending out booklets and brochures an effective method of finding clients.

A stable flow of orders for catering companies comes from cooperation with agencies for organizing festive events. Most of the requests for field service appear through such companies. Such agencies provide 20% of orders. The commission of such an intermediary is 10-20% of the order amount. As the client base grows, the most effective way recommendations from customers become the basis for promotion, experts are sure. In catering, word of mouth works very well. To ensure that the name of the company is remembered, experts recommend ordering uniforms with the company logo for waiters.

Opening a catering company - when will the investment pay off?

The first two to three months catering company is capable of serving approximately three to four orders per 100 people: “It is important to develop the technology, form a team, establish interaction with transport companies. It is better to refuse the customer, explaining the reason, than to fail the event.” In the fifth or sixth month, people will begin to recognize the company, a client base will appear, the technology will be perfected: preparation for the event will take much less time. On average, an enterprise located on an area of ​​100-150 sq. m, capable of serving an event for 50-150 people every two days. An order for 500 people requires more time for preparation - from one day for a company with experience to a week for a beginner. With a constant flow of applications, a well-known company in the city is able to organize up to 20 banquets and buffets per month. Of these, 40% are for 500 people, 60% are for 100 people.

The largest number of orders for field service comes before the holidays. In the summer, the number of corporate events increases. But even in the off season catering companies receive from five to six large requests per month. The minimum order that can be accepted is for 10 people, experts say. The price of a buffet or banquet ranges from 300 rubles. up to 2 thousand rubles per person, on average - about 500-700 rubles. The typical markup for catering companies is 200-400%. The profitability of the business remains at the level of 10-20%, the minimum turnover at which the enterprise begins to pay for itself is 300 thousand rubles. per month, the costs of creating a catering company can be recouped in 1.5 years.

By entry threshold I mean the amount that needs to be invested in a business before it brings the first profit and the investment begins to return. The calculation takes into account that in the first months the catering company operates at a loss, the number of orders grows from four in the first month to ten in the sixth, and the company begins to make a profit with nine orders per month.

Calculation for a company that, by the sixth month of operation, serves 10 events per month for 100 people. The average cost of the service is 500 rubles. per person. Markup - 300%. Production area - 100 sq. m. The staff includes five cooks, a technologist, a sales manager, and a cleaner. Four waiters work part-time.

I wish you success!

Detailed review-guide. Part No. 2

Continuation. Start:

Section No. 6. Search for mutually beneficial cooperation

In the catering business for special events, it is important to constantly continue the search for profitable cooperation. If you are positioning your company as one that can not only serve, but also organize a festive celebration, you need to acquire partners who will help with this.

Event hosts.

It is important for you that your guests are always satisfied with the holidays. Therefore, it is necessary that their banquets do not turn into banal drinking parties, but are interesting, meaningful and leave a bright mark in memory.

Event hosts can entertain guests and clearly plan festivities, so it is necessary to involve them in cooperation. These people can not only turn languid evenings into interesting events, but also write out a plan for the holiday minute by minute. A clear sequence of actions simplifies the work of staff and ensures that all guests are satisfied with the event.

In addition to successfully expanding the range of services, you will be able to disseminate information about your catering company through presenters. They often work in restaurants and interact with guests. It is likely that business card your company, transferred by the presenter, will not be left without attention.

Singers and musicians.

Ceremonial events do not take place without musical accompaniment. Therefore, you should take care of collaborating with several groups that can perform at the holidays.

It is desirable that singers and musicians work in different genres. This will help you choose the musical accompaniment according to the tastes of your clients.

Decorators and florists.

Since you will be working in a variety of locations catering to off-site special events, make sure you are able to provide venue design services to clients.

Make contacts with decorators and florists who can come anywhere in the city and decorate the hall. Thus, you can organize arches for outdoor wedding ceremonies, decorate the premises with flowers or balloons.

Animators and artists for children's parties.

A good businessman must be prepared to perform various tasks. This means you need to think big and don't stop at organizing parties just for adults.

Don’t forget that you should also provide all the amenities for young clients. It is necessary to involve animators, clowns, magicians and artists capable of hosting children's parties. This will allow you to expand your circle of clients, since parents who attend celebrations often order similar holidays for their children.

You must anticipate all the desires of future customers, so be always ready to search for new mutually beneficial cooperation. The ability to translate all customer desires into reality guarantees business success.

Section No. 7. Turning competitors into partners

When starting an event catering business, you need to be prepared for competition. As catering companies become increasingly popular in Russia, their number is growing inexorably.

There is a chance to find your niche in this area and successfully develop your business. To do this, you need to learn to use all new acquaintances for the benefit of the company. The ability to turn competitors into potential employees is also important.

Merger of companies.

If you feel that you cannot cope with competing firms, offer them a merger. By creating a new, large company, you can count on increasing your income and the income of your partners.

Tandem will allow you to increase the number of guests who can be served. Consequently, business dividends will also increase.

By merging companies, you will get new opportunities to expand your business. This will improve the work of staff, purchase new modernized equipment and increase the range of services provided.

In addition to increasing investment when merging competing companies, you will also expand your customer base. This will ensure new organization regular orders. By working with more clients, you can earn more.

Cooperation with restaurants.

Catering business owners consider restaurateurs their direct competitors. But with proper organization of work, rivals can be turned into allies. Cooperation is beneficial for both restaurateurs and businessmen running catering companies for special events.

Pros for restaurants:

• – the opportunity to offer guests a new service and earn their trust;
• – additional income for service personnel;
• – receiving interest from the catering company for advertising and equipment rental.

Pros for catering agencies:

• – expanding the circle of consumers;
• – attracting experienced workers;
• – Possibility to rent work equipment.

You shouldn’t expect that cooperation with restaurants will cost you free. For each attracted client you will have to pay a percentage of your earnings.

Another work scheme is possible: restaurateurs provide you with clients, and you undertake to rent work equipment from them and pay a fee for it. Cooperation is considered mutually beneficial if the number of attracted clients provides you with stable work.

Cooperation with concert halls.

Huge halls that can accommodate several hundred guests are a rarity. Therefore, you need to make sure that the owners of large concert halls are interested in partnering with your company.

Having a large room at your disposal will set you apart from your competitors. The more guests your catering agency can serve, the higher its earnings will be.

The terms of cooperation with the owners of concert halls must bring financial benefits. Your company, as a tenant, must pay monetary compensation for the use of the premises. Owners of large halls are obliged to attract clients, thereby providing both you and themselves with a stable income.
It is difficult to always stay on top in a highly competitive environment, so you should consider collaborating with your business rivals. This can have a beneficial effect on your earnings and company image.

Section No. 8. Improving the quality of work

The success of a business directly depends on its improvement. You must constantly move forward and improve the work of your company in organizing field catering for special events.

Never stop there. Active development will allow the company to remain in favor with customers and always be in demand. Follow the latest trends in service, kitchen equipment, and food presentation. Attend exhibitions and symposiums for restaurateurs.

This way you can constantly surprise your customers and remain at the top of your game.

Staff training.

Your catering agency must provide impeccable service in any location and under any conditions. To do this, it is necessary to improve the qualifications of service personnel.

The best way to broaden the horizons of employees in the service sector is to order training. Specialized seminars will help your team acquire new knowledge, improve their professional level and improve self-esteem.

Working with staff is not only about showing how to properly prepare and serve food. The main objective of the training is to teach employees to unobtrusively and efficiently take care of guests.

It is important that specific training is provided for each profession separately. Trainers take one approach to waiters, another to managers, and a third to cooks. Everyone should receive the information they need in their work.

Menu update.

The food prepared by your chefs should be not just a food product, but a culinary masterpiece. Therefore, do not skimp on all kinds of courses for kitchen workers.

By learning about new trends in the culinary world, they will be able to introduce your guests to all the trendy dishes.
Don't be afraid to innovate. Even if your customers are delighted with the menu and don't say they want to try anything new, try to present new dishes.

You shouldn't change everything overnight. Experiment, prepare some original dish for each season, which will be an addition to the main menu. Over time, you will be able to understand what interested customers and what they did not like. This will make it easier to plan the next updates.

A big advantage of catering companies for special events is the ability to individually create a menu for each client.

Take advantage of this and create new culinary masterpieces based on the taste preferences of customers. Your manager should make every effort to predict what exactly will appeal to clients and their guests.

Carrying out promotions, issuing discount cards.

Catering companies can improve their work by holding promotions. You can offer bonuses for each anniversary customer. These can be pleasant, but inexpensive services.

For example, providing a one-time discount on an event or free transfer of guests to the banquet venue.

For regular customers, discount cards can be provided. A small but constant discount will emphasize how much your company values ​​​​the choice of customers.

Section No. 9. Attraction of new clients

The development of a company providing catering services for special events is impossible without attracting new clients. You must do everything possible to ensure that customers want to do business with your company.

To do this, you need to think through various plans for influencing potential clients. It is necessary not only to do your job efficiently, but also to surprise your guests with something new every time. Think about attributes that could highlight the high status of your company.

It is necessary that clients understand from the very beginning that they are ordering services from real professionals.

Branding.

You can declare the high position of a catering company by creating branded napkins, dishes, glasses and other work equipment. Dishes with the company logo will delicately and elegantly emphasize that your company has a high status. Guests will react positively to such a promotion and gain confidence in the agency.

The company logo looks good on napkins. Factories for the production of paper products have the ability to apply any inscriptions and images to their products, so there will be no problems with branding.

The logo on dishes and glasses also works great as advertising. Often high-quality porcelain and glassware with good design become a godsend for kleptomaniacs. Therefore, be prepared for the fact that dishes with the company logo will often begin to disappear. This may cause a small loss to the production, but will make excellent advertising.

Embroidering the company logo on fabric napkins and tablecloths can add elegance to a set table. Make sure that the inscription is concise but eloquent. Customers will appreciate your good taste.

Don't miss such an important PR move as the production of branded bags. Guests often take something home after the banquet. You can package drinks or food in bags with your company logo. This will have a positive impact on your image, since you will provide clients with an additional service, and will work as another type of advertising.

Expanding the geography of celebrations

Attract customers by developing new territories for holding events. Don't stop at one city and several banquet halls, expand your horizons. Make useful contacts with managers of nature reserves and historical buildings.

Sometimes, for a large fee, they allow events to be held on their property. This will become a feature of your company and will appeal to many clients.

Don't be afraid to travel to other cities. To hold an event outside your circle of activities, you only need to acquire additional transport. Travel expenses can be safely charged to the customer's account. Thus, you will expand the field of work and attract more clients.

Gifts for regular guests.

When expanding the circle of consumers of your services, do not forget about regular customers. They should always feel that you value them. To show your sympathy, give them small gifts on behalf of the company.

These could be alcoholic drinks, candies or gift baskets with delicacies. It is best if these are products of our own production, packaged in branded cases.

Attracting new customers should be unobtrusive but effective, so it’s worth carefully considering every move to expand your customer base. Successful work with advertisers and PR people should bring you a sufficient number of regular orders.

Section No. 10. Conclusion

Building your own business is a very troublesome, but very enjoyable process. If you dare to realize your potential in the field of catering for special events, be prepared to continuously work on yourself and on your business. It is necessary to understand that the success of the business depends not only on you, but also on the team that you select for the work.

Organizing a business should begin with drawing up step-by-step plan actions. Having thought through a schedule for completing tasks, you can easily control your time and have time to do everything you planned. Preparations for the opening must take place according to the schedule: developing a company name and slogan, registering an LLC, purchasing equipment, recruiting personnel and other actions.

Successfully opening a catering agency does not mean that all the work has already been done. On the contrary, this is a call for constant improvement of the quality of services provided. Having developed a sufficient client base, do not forget that the trust of regular customers must be justified every minute.

Do you know how to achieve success in business thanks to the experience of successful entrepreneurs?

To always be in the spotlight, never cease to amaze consumers, expand the range of your services and field of activity, set new tasks for yourself and carry them out with confidence.

Never perceive competition as an obstacle to work. Learn to turn rivals into allies and benefit from cooperation. Successful tandems can increase business profits tenfold.

Broaden your horizons and take care of improving the skills of your employees. Attend exhibitions and symposia, order training for staff and acquire new skills. Make sure that your company is considered successful and dynamically developing; clients should see your desire for improvement.

Never turn down the opportunity to learn something new, always be aware of the latest innovations in the restaurant business.
Invent elegant ways to attract attention to the catering company, its name should become a brand. Carry out promotions to expand your customer base and pamper regular customers with gifts, do not ignore those who give you the opportunity to earn money.

Never skimp on quality. This applies to food, cutlery, dishes and everything you need for comfortable work. By spending money on more expensive products or materials, you will gain much more - the trust and respect of customers.

Increasing prices for your agency's services will be perceived as normal if it is justified. Only high-quality work will provide the catering company with constant orders, regardless of financial policy.

Try to communicate with the staff. Communicate with managers, cooks and waiters, this will help you understand what is needed to improve the company's performance. The main task of a catering company for special events is to do everything the customer wants and a little more.

Try to teach your staff to anticipate the wishes of customers, this is the essence of high-class service.

The catering business is constantly evolving, so you should also be open to new knowledge and improvement. Keep up with the times and be confident that the success of your business will only increase.