Depending upon where your business is located, summer can be your busiest time, or your slowest. In Texas, for example, the month of July is very hot and not at all conducive to outdoor events. In Milwaukee, however, July is the nicest month of the year and many Wisconsin caterers report that their strongest sales occur during the period that begins right after Independence Day. Whatever your busiest summer month is, here are some tips on how to handle outdoor events in the warm weather:
1) Tailor menus for the weather. If it’s likely to be 85 degrees outside, don’t sell cheese trays to your clients.
2) Don’t skimp on the ice. While beverages may stay nice and cool when it’s in the 70s, a 90-degree day is a different story. Calculate how much ice you need and then double it. If nothing else, know where the nearest liquor store is so you can quickly get more.
3) Make sure your buffet is wind-proof. I have catered events where the chafers literally blew off the table. Make sure you devise something to help everything stay where it should. Bricks or glass blocks can work well here.
4) Don’t let your employees get dehydrated. Nothing looks worse at the buffet than an ambulance!
5) Learn to sell cook to-order menus. It’s a lot easier to cook burgers, brats, hot dogs and grilled chicken on site than it is to try and serve a pre-cooked prime rib.
We at The Corporate Caterer have many tips about all areas of catering. Whether you are a drop-off caterer who wants to get into picnics or even if you are an upscale concern that wishes to learn to do drop-off, we are here to help.
Have a great catering week, and I look forward to hearing from you.