How to Write a Catering Business Plan

Organization Summary

Ester Catering is a commercial catering company. Incorporated as a limited liability company and co-owned by Josh and Joni. The name Ester was derived from Joni’s wife’s name.

Both parties own 50% of the business and initial capitalize with $100,000. Ester Catering will have an array of rich healthy lunch for both kids and adults.

The menu would be specifically designs, have good nutritional quality and will have competitive prices. It will be modified regularly according to fast changing trends and customer preferences.

1.1     Mission

Our mission is to provide quality lunch packs and buffets for meetings and private individuals. We offer an array of high quality salads, pastry, fruits.

1.2     Key to Success

The key to success is quality food, fast service and good customer relations. We use both online and off-line marketing, branding and hire qualified caterers.

1.3     Objective

The objective is to break-even in the first six months and profitability.

Legal and Startup Expenses

Startup expenses are equipment, transportation, department of health fees. The company is registered as a Limited Liability Company. It has liability insurance and tax and commercial catering certification.

Services and Product Description

Regulatory bodies demand good hygiene and quality of food related products. This is full maintained to provide best quality for both corporate and private clients.

The product ingredient list is sourced from the best sources and each box lunch meets recommended standards in the industry. The packaging is environmentally friendly and food served with best practices. We also offer corporate lunch boxes and buffets.

Food Product Description

The menu list includes box lunches with fresh seasonal fruits like avocado. We have different types of sandwich and salads.  Sandwiches like red grapes croissant, Havarti dill and roasted beef.

Smoked turkey, avocado, lettuce and tomato sandwich. Others are chicken Caesar salad sandwich. Deli sandwich, pasta salad and cottage cheese. More are walnut, pear and goat cheese salad.

We will also serve buffet lunches. Salad bar with fresh toppings, fresh salsa and shells. More buffet lunches are baked potato with toppings, different fruit desserts and macaroni salads.

We will provide different types of lasagna bar, deli salads, platters of meat, chips French bread. We will modify meals to clients request and include vegan meals. Other options are dairy free, low fat, freshly baked cookies.

Included in the packaging is mayonnaise, deli mustard ketchup. Other accessories with the lunch pack are plastic fork, napkin. The customer also has a choice of dressing from our menu list.

The lunch package will also have branding on the top cover. We will include a choice of different fruit juices, soda or mineral water. There is a minimum order of ten lunch boxes and buffet lunches require prior 2 days order.

Food Choice

•         Red grapes croissant sandwich

•         Havarti dill and roasted beef

•         Smoked turkey, avocado, lettuce and tomato sandwich

•         Chicken Caesar salad sandwich

•         Deli sandwich

•         Pasta salad and cottage cheese

•         Walnut, pear and goat cheese salad

•         Salad bar with fresh toppings

•         Fresh salsa and shells

•         Baked potato with toppings

•         Different fruit desserts

•         Macaroni salads

•         Different types of lasagna bar

•         Deli salads

•         Platters of meat, chips French bread

Print and Technology

We will promote through a dedicated website, social media page. Each package will include name of company, logo, telephone number and address.

We will print flyers, posters, signboard, billboards and banners. Other promotion is through radio and television advertisement. We will increase awareness through local newspaper advertisement.

Sourcing and Technology

We will source our products directly from farmers or the local grocery stores. To offer competitive prices we will purchase in bulk.

We will use both paid highly qualified staff and part time staff. To increase our customer base we will use an online store targeted at our immediate demography. We will process both online and offline orders through phone orders.

Growth and Expansion

Will accommodate growth with increase in locations and delivery bikes.

Market Analysis and Summary

Small and medium enterprises are the driving force of most economies. This is not different in Utah. Ester Catering will accommodate about 15 workers both full and part time staff.

The food delivery business is in huge demand and highly competitive. However Ester catering will carve a niche through fast, efficient and quality service. The moderately large community provides excellent opportunity for lunch box catering services.

According to recent survey the community is under serviced by restaurants and fast food outlets. In addition a growing corporate presence with longer working hours and lunch meeting.

Market Segmentation

Ester Catering is community based with corporate responsibility. Our customer base is segmented into three sectors. We offer commercial catering to corporate clients, private individuals and local clients.

We will cater to board meetings, counseling center meeting, director and miscellaneous meetings. We expect an average of 25 to 50 people in each meeting. Other customer base are private sector offices, government offices, college students and non-profit meetings.

•         Corporate clients

•         Private individuals

•         Local clients

•         Private sector offices

•         Government offices

•         College students

Market Needs

There is a consistent need for quality and healthy food. This simple fact guarantees regular patronage because food is an essential service. The industry is highly competitive thus our unique niche box lunches. The local populace is large enough to sustain profitability and growth.

Distribution

The food is prepared on-site on customer’s request. The food are packaged, loaded in coolers and transported by motorcycle riders. Ester catering would operate as a restaurant or café. We will employ both full and part time workers.

Growth Strategy

Our growth strategy is based on provision of quality food and efficient service. We will leverage on advertisement, online resources and promotional. We will build awareness through community programs, satisfied customers. We offer good value, branding and uniform delivery riders.

•         Provision of quality food

•         Efficient service

•         Leverage on advertisement

•         Use of online resources

•         Promotional

•         Community programs

•         Satisfied customers

•         Good value

•         branding

•         Uniform delivery riders

Funding

The funds is raised by the business owners Josh and Joni They each hold 50% of the business and seek to borrow more startup funds. They will invest $100,000 and seek loan of $200,000.

The duo have extensive experience in the food and catering industry. Both individuals are chief chefs in different restaurants. Liability is current borrowing, outstanding bills and long term liabilities.

Location

The location is central to the success of the enterprise. Established in a commercial area to service corporate clients. The commercial kitchen will service privte individuals, government meets and college students.

Pricing Strategy

The lunch boxes and buffet will be price competitively based on current demands. The price is for buffet differs based on order and packages are served singly or accompanied with a beverage

Competitive Edge

The competitive edge is high quality meals and effective customer services. Others include quick delivery competitive process. 

We will provide good public relation and massive advertisement. We will use both online and off-line options to drive sales. We intend building strategic alliances with value added companies for effective service delivery.

Milestone

The milestones are the business plan, purchase of equipment and food supplies. Others are commercial kitchen certification, raised funding, printing of marketing materials. Others are hiring full/part time staff, developing menu, provision of transportation.

•         Licensing

•         Raising Funds

•         Commercial Kitchen Certification

•         Marketing Material

•         Full/Part time staff

•         Menu

•         Distribution vehicle

Web Plan Summary

Ester catering will leverage on online resources. We will buy a domain name, host plan and build a website. We will build a complementary ecommerce site to reach our targeted customer base.

Web marketing would involve adwords and Facebook advertisement. We will use push notification and other social channels. The social media would be managed by freelance social marketers. While the website will have an administrator.

Expenses

Expenses are payroll, depreciation, utilities, leased equipment sales and marketing. Others are payroll taxes, tax incurred commercial kitchen overhead. Projected cash flow are cash funding, cash from receivables.

Amount Spent on Operations

The amount spent on operations are sales tax, liability principal repayment. Others are purchase of other current assets, purchase of long term assets and dividends.

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