In this podcast episode, Tom Kaiser, editor and podcast host of Food on Demand and a senior editor at Franchise Times, discusses how to navigate big data trends and focus your strategic goals. Tune in to hear how to expand your catering business and use customer data to improve your marketing. Episode Takeaways: Data allows you to stay competitive. Collecting and translating data can help you develop targeted marketing messages and differentiate yourself from the competition. Set simple goals. Choose one or two strategic marketing opportunities by focusing o ..read more

Guests love your food and your team supports your restaurant concept. You're ready to take the next step to scale your business beyond the four walls. But how do you deliver the same brand experience, while staying true to your core values as you grow? In this podcast episode, Torchy's Tacos' GJ Hart, Chief Executive Officer, and Mike Rypka, founder and chef, discuss identifying growth opportunities and scaling a business, while honoring brand values. Tune in to hear how to make strategic decisions to expand into new channels and hire a passionate team to support growth. GJ Hart is Chief Execu ..read more

Customers typically don't think about packaging for delivery orders until something goes wrong. Spilled drinks, mislabeled items, and lukewarm entrées contribute to a bad customer experience. Now more than ever, it's important to offer convenient solutions that represent your brand. So, how can you create a packaging experience that makes your guests' lives easier while adding efficiencies to your business? In this podcast episode, Bonnie Sussman Strominger, co-founder and CEO of GoLidz, shares how smart packaging choices help win sales by creating brand loyalty. Tune in to learn how investing ..read more

In this podcast episode, Allison Casey, the Director of Catering for Luke's Lobster, discusses how she expanded catering operations by focusing on the guest experience. Allison shares how a few tweaks to catering packaging, staffing, and loyalty programs can better align your catering business with your restaurant experience and generate major ROI. Episode Takeaways Create brand awareness through catering packaging. Put your logo front and center so guests know who prepared their meal. Train your staff to treat catering customers like restaurant guests. Empower everyone on your team ..read more

In this podcast episode, Grub Burger’s Angela Saunders, Director of Talent Management, and Jim Saunders, Chief Operating Officer, share how talent management and operations go hand in hand. Angela and Jim discuss how to find the perfect team members to stay competitive as your catering business grows. Tune in to discover how investing in labor can transform your catering brand. Episode Takeaways Train hiring managers to look for personal qualities your brand values, like confidence and friendliness, in addition to experience. Staff for the business you want. Don't make cuts in labor before lo ..read more

You already deliver incredible customer service within the four walls of your restaurant. But how do you translate that guest experience to your off-premise sales? The key is to create a digital footprint by using technology and developing your online presence. But, to expand your digital footprint, you need the right operations plan in place. In this podcast episode, Kevin Rychel, the Vice President of Operations for Fuzzy's Tacos, explains that investing in your digital footprint — and the operations to support it — helps attract repeat customers. He discusses how to generate buy-in from sta ..read more

How you build your catering menu impacts your guests' entire experience. From the moment they place their order through delivery. So prioritizing the guest experience as you create, test, and promote your menu can keep guests coming back. In this podcast episode, James Clark, Director of Food and Beverage at Murphy Adams Restaurant Group, discusses how to choose and package your menu for catering success and profit. Tune in to learn how the right menu can help you make a great first impression and drive repeat business. Episode Takeaways: - Catering is a marketing opportunity as well as a reve ..read more

How do you grow your catering business if your brick-and-mortar restaurant isn't designed for delivery? In this podcast episode, Corey Manicone, Founder and CEO of Zuul, reveals how "ghost kitchens" help restaurant brands streamline their catering and delivery services. Listen to learn how a ghost kitchen could help you expand your business by providing custom space and specialized labor for delivery. Episode Takeaways: - Restaurant kitchens aren't always designed to support off-premises dining or delivery logistics. - A well-staffed ghost kitchen helps your brand organize, manage, and optimiz ..read more

What if you could grow your catering business with multiple "virtual restaurants" without leasing another space? In this podcast episode, Kyle Feggins, Founder and CEO of Iron Horse Cafe, shares how he built his wildly successful virtual brands and tripled his sales by marketing those brands through catering apps. Stay tuned to learn how to develop and test a menu for a virtual restaurant and create a streamlined system to grow your catering business ..read more

Customers get upset when they pop open a catering tray and find a cold burger or soggy salad. Especially when the food was meant to impress bigwigs at a meeting. So if you want to fuel your business with the fast-growing catering market—which has jumped 5.4 percent since 2018—it's a good idea to upgrade your packaging. Ordering better packaging is not too difficult, and it can make a huge difference in driving repeat catering business. In this podcast episode, Sabert Corporation's Nicole Buck, Vice President of Food Service, and Susan Beaudry, Senior Director of Marketing, reveal how better pa ..read more