Catering

A career in catering can be very satisfying and lucrative. Caterers plan the menu and cook for organized events, adhere to a choreographed schedule of delivering, setting up, displaying, serving, and cleaning up afterward. Whether the event is a small luncheon for 20, an informal family reunion by the lake, a wedding, baby shower, or a huge corporate dinner, caterers are expected to deliver the highest quality food and service. Many caterers rely on word-of-mouth advertising. Because of this, every caterer strives to do a superb job at each and every gathering so that they may receive future business.

If you are a people person who loves cooking and baking, are business-savvy, and up for the challenge, then catering may be a great career choice for you. But a good caterer doesn’t simply know how to cook! Caterers must become experts about many types of equipment used in cooking for groups such as stand mixers, blenders, refrigerators and freezers, specialty coffee machines, utensils, linens, china, flatware, glassware, and yes, even flowers. According to renowned chef Joe Dondis, catering is not only about how good the food tastes, a good catering company must be able to satisfy all of the senses.

Caterers must be very knowledgeable about business practices. Owning and operating a catering business is not much different from owning and operating a restaurant. There are many schools and universities that offer classes on catering. These classes will not only help you succeed in the delivery of quality products, but will teach you how to manage your business so that it will become - and remain - profitable. Some schools will offer you a career assessment that will help give insight into which career fields would be best suited for you. If you are an entrepreneur wanting to get into the catering business, these schools are a great place to start.

Some people start their catering businesses from the comfort of their own kitchens. This should be done with great caution and research however, because many state's health departments regulate how businesses are able to provide food for the public.