Growing Your Business | 11 Ways to Get Weekend and Evening Catering Gigs

Growing Your Business | 11 Ways to Get Weekend and Evening Catering Gigs

Your food truck business is booming. At lunchtime. Since your customers are primarily office workers on their lunch breaks, you’ve decided to expand your business into evenings and weekends. Catering private events increases your income potential. Here are 11 ways to get catering gigs on the evenings and weekends.

#1 Pick a Niche

Selecting a niche may seem counterintuitive since you’re trying to expand your business. However, picking a niche provides focus your marketing efforts. Having a niche also allows you to develop expertise, which make your business known as the go-to caterer in your area for your chosen event type. These are examples of niches:

• Weddings
• Graduation Parties
• Nonprofit Fundraisers
• Family Reunions
• Festivals
• Birthday Parties

#2 Expand Your Branding

For catering, you’re going to have to expand your branding beyond what you’ve done for your food truck. You needed professionally created printed materials such as business cards and brochures to advertise your catering service. Make sure your business cards are always out for customers and event attendees.

#3 Notify Your Current Customers

Your food truck customers are an excellent source for your word-of-mouth advertising. Tell your regulars that your business caters during evenings and weekends. Also place an insert in every food truck order that lets your customers know that you also cater.

#4 Post on Social Media

You probably already use social media to let customers know where your truck is parked. Start posting about your catering service as well. Have a professional photographer take shots of your best-selling dishes for Instagram.

#5 Word-of-Mouth

Tell everyone you know that your business now caters on evenings and weekends. Ask people to give you referrals.

#6 Preferred Vendor Lists

Contact businesses that host events in your niche and ask to be put on their preferred vendor list.

#7 Partner with Other Event Support Companies

Reach out to other companies that support events such as florists, rental equipment suppliers, and photographers. Offer to partner with them on events. This benefit both businesses. You recommend their business to your clients while they recommend you to their clients.

#8 Get a Blogger to Write About You

Whatever your niche is, there’s likely to be a local blogger who covers your market. When you contact the blogger, explain why their audience would want to know about your business and offer samples. You may have to pay to get the blog post, which the blogger should disclose. Make sure your agreement includes a link to your website.

#9 Write for a Blogger

Another way to reach a blogger’s audience to offer to write a guest post on a subject of interest to the blog’s readers.

#10 Host Tastings

Host a tasting and invite people who put on events in your niche. For instance, if you want to cater weddings, invite brides and wedding planners.

#11 Advertise on the Truck

If possible, advertise your catering service with messaging on the truck itself.