Catering is becoming a major off-premise revenue driver for many restaurants. This is especially true for restaurants that successfully build menus to attract sizable orders from workplaces. Workplace catering is not only lucrative, but it can provide an ongoing revenue stream during periods when restaurants are traditionally less busy—the 9-to-5 work week.

The numbers don’t lie: Catering is on the rise with the average ezCater order over $400, and 39 percent of corporate clients ordering weekly in 2024 (a 22 percent increase from the previous year). Plus, nearly half of these orders serve groups of 20 or more.

With 53 percent of business orderers planning to increase their workplace food spend, it’s worth crafting a standout menu that meets the needs of workplaces. To help curate the optimal catering menu that will satisfy diverse palates and significantly boost the bottom line, start with these tips.

Create Customized Catering Packages

Corporate orderers love customizable catering packages like build-your-own bars, bundles, and buffets with options for sides and desserts. It allows them to pick and choose a mix of items to appeal to their diverse workforce. On the restaurant side, it allows for pairing premium items with lower-cost sides to optimize profit margins while still providing affordable signature dishes.

Offer Grab-and-Go Convenience Items and Boxed Lunches

Boxed lunches represented 30% of ezCater orders in 2023. Simple and convenient individually-packaged catering is a staple of worksite dining and having those selections available on the menu can help expand a restaurant’s customer base.

Individual meal options could include things like sandwiches, salads, or bowls, along with all the necessary condiments and utensils for added convenience.

Include and Promote Dietary-Friendly Items

Companies are being more mindful about accommodating diverse dietary needs, from vegan and vegetarian to gluten-free. In fact, restaurants on the ezCater platform that include items that accommodate dietary restrictions see an 8% increase in average order size.

When restaurants don’t cater to different dietary needs, it could result in missing out on a catering order entirely. On the other hand, including dietary-friendly options and making them easy to identify in the menu, could help elevate a restaurant to become a client’s caterer of choice. Take Potbelly, for example. Since adding vegetarian and vegan options to its menu in late 2023, those options have been ordered thousands of times.

Expand to Breakfast, Beverages, and Desserts

Rounding out a catering menu with options for day parts beyond lunch is another way to increase revenue and become a one-stop caterer for business customers. Why not start with breakfast? Considering that breakfast is the #1 searched cuisine type and the #1 searched term on ezCater.com, it’s a growing segment worth exploring.

The Texas-based barbecue restaurant, McKenzie’s Barbeque & Burgers, decided to do just that, and the cooks were already working early hours because of the “low and slow” cooking methods required for their signature meats. McKenzie’s adjusted its opening hours on ezCater to accommodate earlier meal times, and it has since seen an uptake in orders.

Other upselling opportunities can come from prominently displaying a selection of desserts and popular beverages on ordering pages. Think cookie and brownie trays, bottled water, assorted sodas, gallon iced teas, and breakfast drinks like boxed coffee and orange juice. These sweet treats and drinks can complement meals and help boost average order value. In fact, one in three ezCater orders include beverages and one in five include desserts.

Add Visuals to Make Your Menu Mouth-Watering

Photos can influence customers more than descriptions and reviews, which is why savvy restaurants are putting their best food photos forward. Share images of best-sellers, high-margin items, and dishes aimed at those with specific dietary needs. Just be sure to keep menu photos realistic to what customers will receive.

Sharing photos of its DIY taco spreads on its menu pages has been integral in helping bartaco’s catering sales grow rapidly.

Stick with Standardization

For restaurants with multiple locations, maintaining a standardized catering menu can ensure consistency while also simplifying the management of menu modifications for when new or seasonal items must be added.

For customers, particularly those who travel, being able to expect the same quality and choices no matter where they are enhances their overall customer experience with a brand.

This standardization also provides valuable data to gauge how various menu items perform and ensures that top-selling items are featured on all menus.

Commit to a Profit-Driving Catering Menu

Success in catering goes beyond simply tweaking a take-out menu. A strategic approach that incorporates customizable packages, individual options, and dietary diversity is critical. Coupled with visually appealing menus featuring professional photography, these tactics not only meet the current market demand, but can help set a restaurant apart as the go-to choice for corporate catering.

Source: Michelle Smart, FSR