Catering is the business of providing food service at a remote site.
The foodservice (or food service) industry (US English; catering industry in British English) encompasses those places, institutions,
and companies responsible for any meal eaten away from home. This industry includes restaurants, school and hospital cafeterias,
catering operations, and many other formats.
The companies that supply foodservice operators are called foodservice distributors. Foodservice distributors sell goods like
smallwares (kitchen utensils) and bulk foods. Major foodservice distributors include US Foodservice and Sysco.
Some companies manufacture products in both consumer and foodservice versions. The consumer version usually comes in individual-sized
packages with elaborate label design for retail sale. The foodservice version is packaged in a much larger industrial size and often
lacks the colorful label designs of the consumer version.
Foodservice sales to restaurants and institutions are estimated to be approximately $400 Billion, about equal with consumer sales of
foods through grocery outlets. The foodservice industry is one of the largest employers in the United States. Major foodservice
providers include Compass Group, Sodexho, 3663 First for Foodservice, Aramark, and the Crown Group.
Event catering:
Event ranges from box-lunch drop-off to full-service catering. Caterers and their staff are part of the food service industry. When most people
refer to a "caterer", they are referring to an event caterer who serves food with waiting staff at dining tables or sets up a self-serve buffet.
The food may be prepared on site, i.e., made completely at the event, or the caterer may choose to bring prepared food and put the finishing
touches on once it arrives. The event caterer staff are not responsible for preparing the food but often help set up the dining area. This
service is typically provided at banquets, conventions, and weddings. Any event where all who attend are provided with food and drinks or
sometimes only hors d'oeuvres is often called a catered event.
Many events require working with an entire theme or color scheme. A catering company or specialist is expected to know how to prepare food
and to make it attractive. As such, certain catering companies have moved toward a full-service business model commonly associated with event
planners. They take charge of not only food preparation but also decorations, such as table settings and lighting. The trend is towards
satisfying all the clients senses with food as a focal point. With the correct atmosphere, professional event caterers with experience
can make an event special and memorable. Beautifully prepared food alone can appeal to the senses of taste, smell, and sight - perhaps
even touch, but the decorations and ambiance can play a significant part in a successfully catered event.
Catering is often sold on a per-person basis, meaning that there is a flat price for each additional person. However, things like
lighting and fire permits are not scaled with the guest count, so per-person pricing is not always appropriate. It is necessary to
keep the cost of the food and supplies below a price margin in order to make a profit on the catering. As many others in the food
service industry, caterers and their staff work long hours. It is not uncommon for them to work on holidays or 7 days a week during
holiday event seasons.
A comprehensive, formal full-service catering proposal is likely to include the following elements:
- Time-line matters: rental arrival time, staff arrival time, bar open time, meal serve time, bar close time, rental pickup,
out-of-venue time. Each of these factors affects the catering price. For example, a rental quote for an "anytime" weekday delivery
is usually much more economical than an "exact-time" delivery.
- General menu considerations: Clients may have specific dietary or religious needs to consider. these include Halal, Kosher, Vegetarian,
- Vegan and food allergy requests. Increasingly clients are interested in food sustainability and food safety.
- Hors d'oeuvres: it should be clear if these are passed or stationary. Most caterers agree that three or four passed items are
appropriate for the one-hour period prior to a meal.
Meal.
- Rentals: May include tables, chairs, dance floor, plants, tabletop (china, flatware, glassware, linens, chargers), bar glassware,
serving equipment, salt/peppers, etc. It should be clear whether table and chair setup and take-down is included. Most rental
companies do not automatically include setup and take-down in the rental charges.
- Labor: Verbiage varies from caterer to caterer, but generally speaking, an event will have a Lead/Captain/Event Manager, a Chef, perhaps a Sous Chef or Kitchen Assistant, Wait staff and Bartenders. The labor on a plated dinner is generally much higher than the labor on a buffet, because a plated dinner involves double the china, and usually a minimum of three served courses, plus served coffee. Simply put, there's a lot more to do. To do it properly requires roughly 10 to 20% more staff. On a large event, this can be substantial, especially if overtime or doubletime applies.
- Service Charge
- Sales Tax
Some quotes will include lighting, fire permits, draping, florals, valet and coat check.
Many venues discreetly get a "cut" of the catering bill. Caterers are contractually committed to not disclose this fee specifically in their
contracts with the clients. Therefore, catering will sometimes cost substantially more at one venue versus another.
Also, caterers must compete with illegal operators. A legitimate caterer will have a business license and a health permit both showing the
address of the place from which they do business.
The tertiary sector of economy (also known as the service sector or the service industry) is one of the three economic sectors, the others
being the secondary sector (approximately manufacturing) and the primary sector (extraction such as mining, agriculture and fishing).
Sometimes an additional sector, the "quaternary sector", is defined for the sharing of information (which normally belongs to the tertiary sector).
The tertiary sector is defined by exclusion of the two other sectors. Services are defined in conventional economic literature as "intangible goods".
The tertiary sector of economy involves the provision of services to businesses as well as final consumers. Services may involve
the transport, distribution and sale of goods from producer to a consumer as may happen in wholesaling and retailing, or may involve
the provision of a service, such as in pest control or entertainment. Goods may be transformed in the process of providing a service,
as happens in the restaurant industry or in equipment repair. However, the focus is on people interacting with people and serving the
customer rather than transforming physical goods.
Mobile catering is the business of selling prepared food from some sort of vehicle. It is a feature of urban culture in many countries.
A mobile caterer serves food directly from a vehicle or cart that is designed for the purpose. Mobile catering is common at outdoor
events (such as concerts), workplaces, and downtown business districts.
A food cart is a motorless trailer that can be hauled (by automobile, bicycle, or hand) to the point of sale, often a public sidewalk or park.
Carts typically have an onboard heating or refrigeration system to keep the food ready for consumption. Foods and beverages often served from
carts include:
- Hot dogs and other sausages in the United States (see hot dog stand)
- Tacos, burritos and other Mexican-style food that can be held in the hand (aka "roach coaches")
- Halal food such as lamb or chicken over rice, or in a gyro
- Ice cream and other frozen treats
- Coffee, bagels, donuts, egg sandwiches (e.g. bacon, egg, and cheese) and other breakfast items
A mobile kitchen is a modified van with a built-in grill, deep fryer, or other cooking equipment. It offers more flexibility in the menu since
the vendor can prepare food to order as well as fresh foods in advance. A vendor can choose to park the van in one place, as with a cart,
or to broaden the business's reach by driving the van to several customer locations. Examples of mobile kitchens include taco trucks on
the west coast of the United States, especially Southern California, and fish and chips vans in the United Kingdom.
A concession trailer has preparation equipment like a mobile kitchen, but it cannot move on its own. As such it is suited for events
lasting several days, such as funfairs.
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