How to Design a Catering Menu That Maximizes Profit: A Podcast with James Clark

The Catering Feed: The Catering Growth Podcast

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 revenue stream. Easily recognizable, approachable menu items in excellent packaging say a lot for your brand.

- Ease of ordering and catering packages that travel well help you stand out both to the customers ordering and those enjoying the order.

- Be flexible and clear about how you design menu items for dietary restrictions. Gluten-free and plant-based diets aren't just fads. Menus that consider dietary needs build brand loyalty.

- Negotiate with your distributors. Your mark-up could be as high as 20 percent. Don't be afraid to ask about margins and discounts for your brand.

James Clark is Director of Food and Beverage at Murphy Adams Restaurant Group, where he oversees culinary innovation, product selection, purchasing, and distribution. A veteran in both fine and fast casual dining, James has more than 25 years of experience in menu building and operations.

For more advice from experts like James, check out Cater Up 2020. Register here.