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Business: Have Food, Will Travel From ready-to-go meals to on-premise service, restaurant operators are maximizing their resources and revenues with creative catering initiatives. By Allison Perlik, Senior Editor -- Restaurants & Institutions, December 1, 2008 Cramming in a few extra seats, turning more tables and raising menu prices arenâ€TMt the only ways to try to squeeze more revenue from existing footprints. Given that profit margins are tighter than ever, many operators are drumming up business off-site via simple, streamlined catering programsâ€"with great success. Even as consumers continue to cut back on discretionary spending, operators see growing potential in the catering market. According to recent research from Chicago-based Technomic, more than one-third of consumers have ordered meals or platters to feed groups of six or more from restaurants and/or and retailers; 35% have selected hot, prepared foods as part of their order. “As we see the economy changing, we need to be flexible in order to meet the ever-changing demands of our clientele,†says John Fraher, general manager of Hartford, Conn.â€TMs VIVO Seasonal Trattoria, which debuted gourmet catered meals this fall. “Out of necessity, a lot of major parties this year are smaller, more-intimate affairs rather than large galas. We wanted to be ready with the kinds of menus that would answer that need.†Beyond addressing customer demands, small to midsized catering programs in particular have the obvious appeal of allowing operators to get a greater return on their existing resources, often without having to invest in extra labor or equipment.
See the whole article below... http://www.rimag.com/article/373040-Business_Have_Food_Will_Travel.php
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