Offsite Catering Ideas
- Mobile catering takes fresh, hot delicacies direct to the client.Tomaten image by WR from Fotolia.com
Many restaurants provide catering for special events by bringing their food or their facilities in trucks to locations in the community to cater special events or parties. Catering trucks add an element of mobility. Offsite catering can enliven the special event experience and bring the flavor of fine restaurant dining direct to your clients. - Restaurants who cater their food should set up buffet tables with some of their most popular dishes served in large, heaping amounts for diners. These buffets should be well-stocked throughout the event with food, drinks and necessary sauces, and should address each portion of the meal and menu. Two to three of the favorite appetizers from the menu should be served, as well as the top two salads and a few soups. Main entrees should also be offered, both vegetarian options and those with meat, so that the dietary needs of every diner are properly addressed. An array of desserts, fresh fruits and cheeses should also be provided at the end of the buffet.
- Buy and furnish your own catering truck to drive from location to location to make meals at special events, parties or off-site jobs. This rolling investment is a much more casual way to do meal catering, as a handful of menu items can be presented with each catering truck so that meals can be made individually per diner. Paint the outside of the catering truck with the name of the restaurant to create free advertising and to draw the public's attention. For example, in Los Angeles, the famous In N Out Burger chain delivers its burgers to businesses and special events in a huge catering bus in which the burgers and fries are prepared onboard.
- If a restaurant serves a number of different dishes, a number of chefs can work a catering event to take care of specific jobs cooking and preparing different types of food. For example, one chef could prepare all of the meat entrees for each diner, while another could prepare all the salads, while another could prepare omelets, while yet another could prepare desserts. This efficient assembly-line approach allows each chef to make a part of the meal specific to each dish. While this catering idea may be more expensive, it will create a better dining experience for your clients.
