Boost Your Restaurant's Off-Premise Sales by Catering to Employers

As restaurants navigate the evolving landscape of the food industry, expanding into business catering offers a lucrative opportunity to grow off-premise sales. The "Feeding the Workplace in 2024" report by ezCater highlights several key strategies for leveraging this market. Here’s how your restaurant can benefit:

Key Takeaways:

• Increasing Demand for Business Catering

  • Growth in Spending: Over half of food-for-work buyers plan to increase their spending in 2024. This surge presents a prime opportunity for restaurants to capitalize on increased demand.

  • New Catering Concepts: Innovative offerings like restaurant pop-ups, food trucks, grab-and-go options, and special events are gaining traction. These concepts allow restaurants to diversify their services and meet varied client needs.

• Employee Engagement and Retention through Food

  • Perks as a Recruitment Tool: Food perks are a compelling advantage for employee recruitment and retention. According to the report, 66% of orderers highlight food perks in their recruiting efforts, and 88% believe food encourages in-person attendance.

  • "Halo" Effect: Restaurants providing food for work can attract repeat business, as 47% of employees who try a restaurant's food at work later order from it personally.

• Embrace Mobile and Online Ordering

  • Mobile Ordering Popularity: With 67% of Gen Z employees preferring mobile devices for ordering, it’s crucial for restaurants to offer seamless online and mobile ordering experiences. This convenience can significantly boost catering sales.

  • Technology Investments: Many restaurants plan to add or upgrade online ordering capabilities, which can drive growth by meeting the needs of tech-savvy customers.

• Importance of Delivery and Tracking

  • Delivery Tracking: High demand for delivery tracking (90% of orders want updates) ensures customer confidence and reduces stress. It also lowers customer service calls and compensation costs.

  • Competitive Advantage: Offering reliable delivery tracking can differentiate your restaurant from competitors and attract more orders.

• Sustainability Matters

  • Eco-friendly Practices: Sustainable packaging and food waste reduction are important to many businesses. Restaurants that align with these values can attract and retain more corporate clients.

Steps to Leverage Business Catering:

1. Optimize Your Menu and Operations

   • Create diverse menus that cater to various dietary needs and preferences.

   • Invest in technology to streamline ordering and delivery processes.

   • Ensure your operations can handle both large group orders and individual meals.

2. Enhance Marketing Efforts

   • Partner with third-party marketplaces like ezCater to reach new business customers.

   • Use targeted marketing strategies to promote your catering services to local businesses.

3. Focus on Customer Experience

   • Provide exceptional service and reliable delivery to earn repeat business.

   • Use feedback from corporate clients to continuously improve your offerings.

Conclusion

Expanding into business catering is a strategic move for restaurants aiming to grow their off-premise sales. By understanding and adapting to the needs of corporate clients, leveraging technology, and focusing on sustainability, restaurants can tap into this growing market and drive significant revenue growth.

For more insights on maximizing your restaurant’s potential in the business catering sector, read the full "Feeding the Workplace in 2024" report. If you are looking to expand your off premise offerings, look to Consulting to Market to help you strategize your investment, operations, and marketing.