Catering Company

Catering businesses prepare and serve food for events ranging from small corporate lunches to 300-person weddings.

You start from a commercial kitchen, build a menu of packages and options, hire staff for service, and book events through networking, referrals, and marketing.

Types include corporate catering (office lunches, meetings), social catering (weddings, parties), and specialized catering (kosher, vegan, ethnic).

Success requires cooking skills, event management, staff coordination, and sales ability.

Startup costs include commercial kitchen rental, equipment (chafing dishes, serving pieces), transportation, and initial marketing.

Revenue is event-based with seasonal fluctuations - weddings peak May-October while corporate is steadier.

Pricing typically marks up food cost 3-4x to cover labor, overhead, and profit.

Margins run 20-40% depending on efficiency and service level.

Starting small with drop-off catering requires less staff and equipment than full-service events.

Building reputation through excellent food and service generates referrals, which drive most new business.