Last night, Bernice and I were invited to our granddaughter's birthday event. 36 guests were present. 29 were from 21 to 30 years old. The remaining guests (us included) we ancient! This simple buffet was purchased from a neighborhood Mexican restaurant for $516 total which included tax, disposable chaffers, and guacamole and chips (not pictured).
No staff. It was picked up and setup by my the young folks with the help of our granddaughter's mother. Here's the point. It was not a glamorous buffet, but the food did taste very fresh and good. The restaurant made money and the guests were very pleased. So, depending on how one defines catering this was either a great success or below normal catering success.
What I witnessed was a great success from the guest's point of view.
I love that you posted this. Too often as caterers (especially those who fancy themselves to be 'upscale') we look down on more 'simple' and economical food. The fact of the matter is that most people cannot afford mid to high end caterers, and good food is good food, no matter how much it costs. Let's get over ourselves people!!!
ReplyDeleteFor 18 years we have made our living on just this type of catering. We offer a quality product delivered on time and priced right. Since the economy turned down we have had tremendous sales because we offered menu items that have high perceived value served within a reasonable budget. It is a completely different market that will always be there.
ReplyDeleteI have been an evangelist for the value catering market for years. Many caterers would rather sit home and put their gas bill on a credit card rather than take this little job. When you compete against restaurants you have to think like restaurants. In my mind the little jobs add up and this one would have paid my gas bill. It's about the food anyway.
ReplyDeleteI live on the border of one of the highest income counties on the US and in the neighboring county of decent income, but not quite as wealthy. I have had to embrace flexibility as a means to stay viable. Qualifying the client can be tough, but having a "how may I serve you best?" attitude has served me best to help grow my business. Excellent post!
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