CATERING IN THE AGE OF COVID-19

Most of us already follow Food Safety Laws diligently, which has now become the foundation of surviving this pandemic. However, if you weren’t practicing STRICT food-safety protocols before COVID-19, then it would benefit you to go back to square one and get your general food-safety procedures in order. (Food-Safety 101 - link to page, not written yet). With speculation by experts in the fields of science and medicine indicating a long road ahead, we need to ensure that we are among the survivors of the industry, by preparing and serving food in a clean and safe way. Today and every day, we must carefully navigate these uncharted waters to ensure that we not only meet, but EXCEED, what we typically consider “standard” operating procedures. This can only happen by carefully following the guidelines and directives of the CDC and food industry experts. During this pandemic, there are heightened protocols on all sanitation efforts, and new requirements for food handling and safety, as well as food-safety education and employee training courses. Keep in mind that these regulations are being continuously updated by the CDC so follow their guidance, along with your state and local officials.

RULE #1: RELEARN EVERYTHING

Shift your mindset

Before you try to rethink your operation workflow, you may need to redesign your mental model. Examine your priorities and set clear intentions rather than functioning only in response to emerging problems or concerns. Running a small business is tough even in ordinary times. Find that conviction, resilience, and strength that brought you to this point. Small business owners are the bedrock of our communities: your family, your employees, and your neighbors will look to you for leadership.

Rethink your menu and service offerings

This is a crisis, but it’s also a challenge, and small business owners are often the first to step up to the plate in times of need. Strategize how you can redesign your menu to make the most of your ingredients, cut down on waste, and support your client’s employees that are stuck working from home. Revamp the dining experience so that you can target another demographic...residential. Use your social media channels to create a virtual experience, keep customers connected, and stay in touch as the situation evolves. And don’t forget there are financial relief options out there to support your employees and hold you over until the situation improves. The next step is to find creative ways to use what you have. How can you reimagine your offerings to sustain income while serving your community? Here are some ideas to get you started.

Offer family-style menus…
Modify your menu to offer dishes that travel well, are full of long-lasting ingredients reliably available from your suppliers, and feed a full family. Some restaurants publish a new daily menu each morning to provide options based on ingredient availability. If you are part of the farm-to-table movement and have an abundance of local ingredients at your fingertips then you can pivot your catering business to offer daily menus just the same. Others are creating freezer-friendly packaging for dishes that are able to be enjoyed later; lasagna, pot pies, casseroles. It’s also helpful to include enough food for leftovers—with reheating instructions of course—as many people are working from home and will need lunch the next day. Specify how many portions come with each dish to help customers assess how much to order.
Add group-sized drinks
Many states are relaxing their alcohol laws during the COVID-19 crisis. New York, New Hampshire, Maryland, Illinois, California, and Texas are just a few places that have all temporarily changed their regulations to allow alcohol delivery, giving food-service operators a way to replace lost revenue. Check your state and local regulations, which are changing every day, to ensure that alcohol delivery is permitted. If you are legally able to do so, and do not have alcoholic beverages on-site, consider partnering with a brewery or alcohol vendor to offer drinks to go using a third-party app like Drizly (Boston-based alcohol delivery service/app) Check your local area for a similar app. If you have a sit-down establishment, and already offer alcoholic beverages, partnering with one of these apps should be a fairly easy process. You can also pair bottles of wine with meals, or pre-mixed margaritas or sangrias with tacos. Alcohol is a great way to increase your margins and complete a meal for customers. Again, keep your state and local laws in mind before setting this into motion.
Offer specialty pricing for certain groups
Some caterers are earning goodwill by offering discounts or special menus to laid-off industry workers, medical personnel, and elderly people. Specialty pricing gives you an opportunity to use up perishables or ingredients that don’t fit into a newly modified menu. Clear your fridge responsibly by finding ways to help those in need within your community.
Create make-at-home meal kits
Obviously, you don’t want to give away the secret to your special sauce, or your grandmother’s cookie recipe that keeps customers coming back for more. But restaurants can create build-your-own meal kits that still make it easy for guests to enjoy your signature foods. Help families out by creating an ingredient kit for pizza or cookies complete with toppings or other decorating components—not only are you offering a meal service, but also entertainment for kids cooped up in the house. Try a themed kit: brunch party packs, make your own smoothie kits, or an at-home taco bar.
Sell groceries and pantry staples
For those who want a less crowded shopping experience, caterers can be a lifeline. Sell groceries, unique gourmet items, and pantry staples that you can source directly from your suppliers to offer an alternative way to get food in the house. Groceries also encourage customers to come back frequently, helping your cash flow.

Pivot to delivery/take-out

Official guidelines for staying at home can change by the day. As foot traffic dries up, here are some tactics to continue serving your guests at their homes.

Online Menu. If your business has not adopted an online ordering system yet, now is a good time to start. Less paper and human contact is the way to make things work. Our partner CaterZen Software can help you get set-up with a variety of options to help you create everything you need to get your online ordering platform up and running within a couple of weeks.
Ordering ahead
Pivoting to take-out and delivery services will help you continue to serve meals when your clients aren’t in the office but instead working from home. You can ask your customers to order meals—especially family-sized portions—at least 24 hours in advance to ensure you’ll have the necessary staff on hand to prepare them.
Curbside pickup
If you also operate a sit-down establishment, curbside pickup is another great option for restaurant guests no longer able to, or choosing not to, dine out. Curbside pickup is also a great option for your corporate clients who are now working from home 9and also homeschooling for many) and are looking for quick on-the-go meals for their families. Implementing this method gives your customers the convenience of placing an order online or via phone and swinging by restaurant/commissary to pick-up their take-out.
- Typically the customer will park outside, often in a designated space, while a runner brings the order out to the car. This is where mobile, handheld POS devices—like the platform CaterZen offers, comes in very handy. Before you launch this process, be sure to redesign your take-out protocols to account for customers who won’t be entering your establishment. Encourage repeat visits by adding a “bounce back” card with the take-out meal, offering something special on the customer’s next visit (with a tight expiration date).
QR Code Menu: QR Code menus are digital menus that enable your customers to scan and access your menu on their mobile phones. If you also operate a sit-down establishment, you can ensure the safety of your customers if they choose to personally come in to place a take-out order by offering QR Code menus, or simply offer disposable menus or digital menus to decrease contact.
Contactless payment
Exchanging payment physically is one of the easiest ways to transmit germs. In the POS ecosystem, all of our devices have contactless payment built in. Contactless payments are a fast, secure, and hygienic way for your guests to close their tab with a debit card, credit card, or mobile device. Simply tap and go—a great option for curbside or in-restaurant pickup. CaterZen can get this system up and running for you in no time at all.
Delivery Drivers. If you are able to sustain your own delivery drivers then by all means utilize this method. With your own fleet of trucks, not only are your drivers more familiar with the neighborhood but they also act as a conduit between you and your customers so the familiarity of the same delivery person day after day helps build customer relations and trust. Monitoring and implementing safety procedures for your fleet of vehicles, such as routine sanitizing, will also be easier when using your own drivers. All vehicles should be outfitted with cdc approved hand sanitizers, sprays and wipes. Drivers should be vigilant about following safety measures when it comes to delivering food and all vehicles should be thoroughly sterilized between each use and at the end of every shift.
Set up an e-commerce site. Set up an e-commerce page or an entire website to give customers a way to order and pay remotely. If you have them, include grocery items, like your restaurant’s special sauce, pizza dough or pantry staples, as additional items for sale. Here’s how to set up an e-commerce site that can provide an additional revenue stream for operation.
Third-Party Delivery Services. In the pre-COVID catering world partnering with a third-party delivery service wasn’t always beneficial or sustainable. (30% commission? OUCH!) However, in today’s climate, these services have doubled and even tripled their customer bases so it’s generally beneficial to enroll in at least one of the programs available. Services vary by region, here’s a link to some of the most popular. https://urbantastebud.com/best-food-delivery-service-apps/
Takeout Queue Lines. Many restaurants and cafes have already adopted queues that require customers to socially distance by staying six feet apart. These markers provide a clear indication for customers who step into your establishment. It also keeps customers at a distance when placing to-go orders on the spot. Keeping a strict distancing policy for staff and customers not only maintains social distancing recommendations and guidelines, but it also builds trust by demonstrating that you care about the safety of your team and customers.
Food safety — takeaway stickers. Create a little sticker that notes four things: This provides your customers with the peace of mind that you are concerned about who has been in contact with their food and that their peace of mind matters to you.
- The name of the staff preparing the takeaway order.
- The time they have prepared the food
- If possible, the name of the driver who picked up the food
- Your contact number.
Inspirational Stickers. Making good use of social media channels or creating stickers to add to your to-go bags and containers show customers you care. This may be a little thing, but in tough times, these are the things that matter most. COVID-19 has made social interaction nearly impossible. Recognize your client’s state of mind and the emotional/psychological toll this pandemic is taking on everyone; quarantining in homes and apartments all alone, away from family members, friends, colleagues or classmates, and social distancing efforts goes a long way in building a healthy and long-lasting relationship with your customer-base. These little things go a long way in raising the spirits of your clients. Click here for a list of inspirational quotes that you can turn into social media messages and personalized stickers.
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Stay connected!

Keep the lines of communication wide open with your chef(s). Have them utilize every ingredient at their disposal and examine what other aspects of your business might help you weather this crisis. There are numerous ways to connect with your customers. With a little creativity, you can build or strengthen your connection with your community, and in some cases even lower your costs.

Streamline your hours. Keep costs down by opening only during peak times. Not all of you have sit-down establishments, but for those of you who do, try reducing your hours. Perhaps opening on a limited basis; 4:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays, which would shift the focus to families and your customers who are working from home and not looking forward to cooking dinner after a full-day of working and home-schooling. Or keep your limited hours to fall more around lunchtime, if you find that’s still a busy time for you.
New Safety Protocols. Communicate the things you are doing to stay open to your customers and your employees. Transparency is key here: make sure everyone is aware of the steps you are taking to keep everyone safe, from hygiene and sanitation to relief and flexible approaches to work.
Host a cooking class. Have your chef create a video, webinar, or live Instagram video showing at-home cooks how to make some of your favorite dishes.
Throw a virtual dinner party. For those who are in solo quarantine, host a virtual hangout so your single customers don’t have to eat alone. Be sure, however, that the video conferencing platform you’re using has the proper security protocols in place.
Offer activities for kids. Post fun things for kids to enjoy. For instance, if you’re a seafood restaurant you might think about ocean-themed arts and crafts activities parents can download to keep their kids busy during the lockdown. You can also host a cook-along-with-me class where you can teach kids to make their own pizza or cookies. (You would have to put some thought into creating kits with all the required ingredients).
Communicate, communicate, communicate! Make use of your restaurant’s social media channels and email to stay in touch with customers while your dining room is closed. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube…
- Postpone Don’t Cancel! The hashtag #postponedontcancel that has been circulating among catering businesses’ social media page is to bring awareness to the fact that catering companies still need events to get booked, and that if you had an event scheduled for this Spring, it is ok to postpone the event. Communicating this to your client-base is crucial because by postponing events and not canceling them altogether, you do not have to offer full refunds, and might still have enough money to keep the company afloat. Catering companies are now giving some event planners the option to put down a much smaller deposit than they usually would allow, to provide a little bit more cash flow into the business.
- Don’t forget that marketing—with an eye toward sensitivity—is still important. Hard sells won’t go over well: many people are struggling economically with the current waves of layoffs. Instead, let your customers know whether or not you’re open, how you’re physically providing meals (through curbside pickup or delivery) and how they can order or support you. This is a time to communicate more, not less.
- Tag! You should also tag the offices that you were catering to pre-COVID. Most employees follow their company’s social media account and will see your tag, hence your food!
- Tell your customers what you’re doing to keep them safe. Here are some examples:
  - We are cleaning and sanitizing thoroughly throughout the entire facility
  - We are reinforcing heightened protocols in all areas of our sanitation efforts.
  - Our team has been thoroughly trained and educated on food-safety guidelines and recommendations, as provided by the CDC and will continue to be updated accordingly as new recommendations are published.
  - We are maintaining strict hand washing guidelines just as we always have.
  - Our team members are adhering to our sick leave policies, requiring staff to stay home if they do not feel well. We have amended our policy to include the new health and wellness checklists for food-workers as outlined by the CDC.
  - We have switched to single wrapped utensils with all catering orders and have pivoted from offering communal dishes and platters to individually packaged meals
  - Our vehicles are thoroughly sanitized before and after each delivery, along with before and after each shift.
  - We want you to see a familiar face during this difficult time, therefore we use our own delivery drivers that know the neighborhood well and will greet you with a smile every time.
  - Our facility is outfitted with sanitizing stations throughout and we have an abundance of hand sanitizer and PPE for all staff and drivers.
  - We provide sanitizing wipes with all orders just in case you want to give bags and containers an extra wipe-down before serving yourself and your family.
  - Along with our strict sanitizers procedures with frequently used spaces, we also thoroughly disinfect all non-dining hard surfaces in our operating space (light switches, door handles, refrigerator handles, hand sinks, paper towel dispensers, etc) at least every hour using hospital grade/CDC approved sanitizer.
  - Although our event spaces are not in regular use at this time, we are keeping them ready by thoroughly disinfecting each evening whether there is an event or not.
  - We have implemented our strict sanitizing protocols when using communal spaces and kitchens during the rare occasions when hosting events off-site.
- Push Your Safety Agenda.
  - Personalized Messages:
    - Team: This industry thrives first and foremost because of our team. Your team is integral to your success: from your chef and kitchen staff to your hostess and servers, your people make your business. Don’t be afraid to touch on the very real and human side of the COVID-19 crisis when you talk to your staff, suppliers, customers, and the larger community. Create a poster with your message that will inspire and encourage your staff to hang in there, times are tough for everyone right now, your team needs to hear from you that you get it.
    - Clients: Your clients need to hear directly from you. This is why it’s absolutely necessary to have a message (or shout-out with link) to your client base on your site, preferably on your homepage. EXAMPLES OF COVID-19 STATEMENTS (link to page)
  - INSPIRE!
    - Create uplifting statements for both your team and your client base to post both on your homepage as well as to post in your kitchen. You should also turn to inspirational messages on a regular basis when posting on social media.
      - EXAMPLE: “Over the years we have gotten to know so many of you just as you have come to know us. We will get through this together and we will continue to be there for your celebrations and sorrows, office meetings and even if it’s just because you don’t feel like cooking tonight.”

Think Wholesale!

From cookies, condiments, sauces, pot pies, many of the most well-known food brands only sell their products on a wholesale basis. Nowadays, local and artisan food products are becoming more popular and commonplace, making it easier for small food businesses to break into the industry. This is an especially unique niche during COVID-19. Building a wholesale food company is possible, even if you do not live in a large city. With a good deal of planning and preparation, and The Corporate Caterer as your co-pilot, we can set your wholesale food business up for success and have you up and running in no time at all.

Prepare your Staff

Restaurant training is not just a one time occurance. Especially in today’s climate of COVID-19, laws and regulations are constantly changing and your staff needs to be kept abreast of all new guidelines and CDC recommendations. It takes time and consistency to put everything in place. It is essential to ensure that your employees abide by the rules and understand the reasons behind these extra steps required. Follow-up regularly and re-train if necessary to ensure that everyone in the team knows what to do at all times.

Create a daily health checklist for employees.
Get a decent infrared thermometer and record your staff’s body temperature every day before and after work. Keep the daily record for references to keep track of the health status of your employees.
Make sure your customers can see that you've paid attention to details by putting this daily checkup list at the entrance visible for them or by making note of it in daily social media postings.
Clean your pick-up/take-out countertop often.
Apart from the regular cleaning schedule in your kitchen daily, ensure that your staff cleans pick-up/take-out counters more often where food is handed over to the customers. Do this with your delivery counters as well where food is handed off to your delivery drivers.
Ensure that Gloves, Masks, Hairnets and Aprons are available to everyone.
This sounds ridiculous to repeat, but not all restaurants and cafes have provided basic protections to their employees. Ensure that yours does, and that staff know how to use protective devices.
If you need some extra details on proper COVID-19 cleaning techniques check out this article by On the line

EXAMPLES OF COVID-19 STATEMENTS:

Catering Works

https://www.cateringworks.com/our_story/our_community/health-and-safety-plan.php

Beyond Catering and Events

https://www.beyondcatering.com/safety-update-covid-19/

Zingerman’s catering and Events

https://www.zingermanscatering.com/specialty-menus/addressing-covid-19/

Love Catering Inc.

https://lovecateringinc.com

Harvest Catering

http://www.harvestcateringinc.com

Catering Connection

https://www.cateringconnect.com/all/catering-connections-covid19-safety-protocol-procedure-statement/

COVID-19 RESOURCES

CDC Guidelines for Caterers and Restaurants

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/organizations/business-employers/bars-restaurants.html

OSHA Guidelines for Food: Take-Out/Curbside Pick-up

https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA4017.pdf

CaterSource Magazine

https://www.catersource.com

NRA (National Restaurant Association)

https://restaurant.org/covid19

SMG (Service Management Group)

https://www.smg.com/covid-19-resources

NACE (National Association for Catering and Events

https://www.nace.net

ICA (International Caterers Association)

https://ica.memberclicks.net/coronavirus-information

CaterZen Software Company

https://www.caterzen.com

Catering Magazine

https://cateringmagazine.com

LCA doesn’t have Covid resources, but I can still link their homepage?
CCC is a consulting company, they also don’t have any resources listed by ARE in fact a resource. People may reach out to them for help so I wasn’t going to include a link for resources. Thoughts?

IN THE NEWS

Where Does Covid 19 Leave Catering? https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/operations/where-does-covid-19-leave-catering

CDC Considerations for Events and Gatherings:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/large-events/considerations-for-events-gatherings.html

How to Host Safe Meetings and Events During COVID-19

https://www.tastycatering.com/how-to-host-safe-meetings-and-events-during-covid-19/

5 Tips to Help Caterers Handle the Effects of Covid-19

https://we.curate.co/blog/5-tips-to-help-caterers-handle-the-effects-of-covid-19

Surviving COVID-19: 5 Ways Caterers Can Survive Social Distancing

Surviving COVID-19: 5 Ways Catering Businesses Can Survive Social Distancing

As impacts of COVID-19 continue, catering does a 180

https://www.foodservicedirector.com/operations/impacts-covid-19-continue-catering-does-180

Understanding COVID-19 Relief Options

https://cateringmagazine.com/understanding-covid-19-relief-options/

FINANCIAL RELIEF

The COVID-19 crisis has forced numerous restaurants and bars across the country to close or downsize. Below is a list of resources you can explore to help stem the cash-flow drain your business might be experiencing.

Clover financial resources page
US Chamber of Commerce’s guide to the CARES Act: How to Get a Coronavirus Emergency Loan
Private partnerships for restaurant owners:
- The James Beard Foundation Relief Fund is offering micro-grants to independent restaurants in need
- The Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation has a COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund with zero-interest loans to provide direct relief to individual restaurant workers
- Go Tip ‘Em allows customers to Venmo bartenders around United States while they enjoy a drink at home
- Spill the Dish is a database of financial aid options for restaurant owners and workers organized by state, job position, and with options from government agencies and nonprofits.
Set up a donation link to a GoFundMe campaign for your employees