Round Rock-based Bittersweet Cakes and Catering is a catering company that serves the Austin metro area with full catering services, customized cakes, and dessert bars. Bittersweet Cakes and Catering offers a wide range of cuisine and dessert based on the travels of its proprietor. They also offer regular cooking classes focused on different cuisines from around the world.
Brick Oven on 35th is a casual, chain-restaurant in Austin that specializes in thin-crust pizza and homestyle Italian dishes all cooked in their brick oven. Their catering menu features their best dishes, each serving about 15 people, while their full-service catering can be customized to a client's specific needs. Brick Oven on 35th also offers gluten-free dishes and differs from other brick-oven branches specifically for the grain they use on their dough.
Catering by Mopsie is a one-stop catering company serving the Austin area for over 50 years. They take pride in their award-winning Texas-style BBQ and offer an all-you-can-eat package. They also offer full catering services including bar setups and venue rentals.
Chi'lantro Korean BBQ started as a food truck shop in 2010 and now offers catering services for any special occasion. Chi'lantro specializes in the fusion of Korean and Mexican flavors to create a unique dining experience which aims to bring people and culture together. Chi'lantro BBQ has been featured in Food & Wine Magazine, Food Network, and Cooking Channel.
CoJo Catering is a catering company in Austin that serves corporate and social events. Since 1990, CoJo Catering has been providing a diverse selection that is customized to every event. They also provide other event services such as event coordination, floral design, and rentals. CoJo Catering offers Casseroles To-Go for family gatherings or potluck events.
Crave Catering is a catering company that has been providing quality food and outstanding service to Austin clients since 1999. Its expert team strives to create a one-of-a-kind taste and experience for any social or corporate event by catering to each client's specific needs. Past clients praise them for their professional work and exceptional food experience
Emily's Catering is a full-service catering company based in Austin and has been serving Central Texas with high-quality cuisine for more than 25 years. Emily's Catering strives to provide impeccable service equaled only by its range of cuisine, with each dish custom-fitted to a client's needs. Emily's also provides event staff, flower arrangements, and bar and hospitality services. Emily's owner, Emily Scano, also offers gourmet cooking classes and has created a pesto line.
Gebby's BBQ and Catering is a mobile restaurant that serves Texas-style BBQ in the Austin and San Antonio metro areas. They offer a range of barbecued meats all smoked to perfection and paired with a selection of home-made sides. Their full-service catering can accommodate any style and size events and offers a combination of two to three of their famous meats and sides. Clients can also request dishes from Gebby's weekend specials and off-menu.
Pok-e-jos Smokehouse is a local Austin BBQ restaurant that offers full catering services. Pok-e-jos offers a truly Texas experience by bringing traditional smokehouse flavors and tastes to any social or corporate event. They also offer full bar and hospitality services to create a worry-free event. Pok-e-jos's unique catering service has been featured in The Knot.
Primzie Catering is a catering company that has been offering full service catering featuring traditional southern charm and innovative, high-quality food to the residents of Austin since 2000. Their expert team of chefs works with the freshest harvests of the season to create classic dishes and worldwide cuisines while focusing on bringing their client's vision to life. Their work has been featured in The Knot, Style Me Pretty, Tribeza, and Austin Monthly Home.
SLAB (which stands for slow, low, and bangin') is an Austin restaurant that has been offering barbecue catering services since 2006. SLAB offers award-winning dishes that combine all the best flavors of Southern barbecue to be enjoyed at any special event. Clients can choose from a wide range of catering services including full-event setup, buffet style, drop off, and an on-site food truck to create a truly Texas-style event. SLAB's mouthwatering dishes has been featured on the Travel Channel and Food Network.
The Winnfield Inn is an Austin estate that serves as a venue for weddings and other events that also offers catering service through their in-house catering team Word of Mouth Catering. Word of Mouth Catering shares the same owner as The Winnfield Inn and has been providing Austin clients with high-quality food and services for the past 30 years. They offer custom menus and themes to accommodate any budget.
Urban Cowboy is a catering and food truck company in Austin that specializes in full-service and food truck catering services. They specialize in Southern Fusion cuisine and offer a variety of services ranging from traditional social and corporate catering to food truck catering to film crew catering. They also offer a range of service setups including buffet-style and plated meals. Urban Cowboy has been rated five stars on Yelp and WeddingWire.
Walton's is a bakery and delicatessen in the Market District of Austin that first opened its doors in 1969. Walton's Catering is a full-service on-site and off-site catering company that offers a modern, gluten-free gourmet menu and is a one-stop shop for event services including venue, floral services, and event coordination. Their chefs offer a vast menu with items from hors d'oeuvres, sandwiches, trays, and platters to delectable sweets, pastries, pies, and custom-made wedding cakes. Walton's provides their dishes in a range of styles and setups from trays, platters, and boxed lunches to more formal luncheon-style or on-the-table. Their rustic-style event venue Hideaway Room is a featured vendor in The Knot.
What's For Lunch is a full-service catering company that was established in Round Rock, Texas, in 2006. The company is locally owned and operated by Jessica and Kevin Wright and serves corporate clients throughout the Austin metropolitan area. It aims to offer speedy and dependable service to its clients. Meals are prepared daily and the menu can be completely customized to meet dietary needs and restrictions. Orders can be placed online and delivery is available.
Just like brick-and-mortar restaurants, catering companies need a liquor license to serve alcohol to patrons. If a caterer is serving alcoholic beverages, guests under the age of 21 are allowed on the premises, but they may not buy or consume alcohol.
If you're having a large event catered and expecting to spend a lot of money, having a tasting beforehand is often a good idea. Tastings are handled differently by catering companies; some may charge while others won't. In general, most caterers charge a fee, usually around the cost of a meal at a restaurant.
Caterers usually help their clients calculate food by offering a recommended portion size per guest. Taking this into consideration, all you need to do is multiply this portion by the number of expected guests to determine the total amount of food needed.
The amount of time in advance needed to schedule catering services depends on the number of people and type of event. For weddings with 50 people or more, six to 12 months in advance is recommended. For smaller gatherings, a month or two should suffice.
Some catering services include tips in the bill, so you don't have to worry about handling this aspect on the day of your event. If the tip is not included, a minimum of 15% of the total bill is recommended, while tipping 20% is not uncommon.
In addition to the food you order, catering services can include delivery, linens, silverware or plasticware, plates and cups, a small heat source to keep hot dishes warm, and staff. When planning your event, it's always a good idea to confirm which of these items are included and necessary.
The three main styles of catering are buffet, plated, and family-style.
Most catering companies provide the necessary equipment to serve food, such as serving utensils and chafing dishes, though not all have furniture, such as chairs and tables, to seat large groups of people. If you also want to rent dining equipment, a larger catering company is likely a good option.
If your event date has changed or needs to be canceled, let the caterers know as soon as possible so they can make the necessary arrangements. A phone call is usually the best option so you can speak with someone directly to ensure that your cancellation is confirmed. If sending an email, be sure to get a written confirmation.
After putting together a business plan and getting licensed, you need some basic equipment, such as plates, bowls, silverware, and garbage bins, to get started with your catering business. This should be enough for a simple operation, though if you want to serve more people, acquiring staff and a kitchen is a must.
Renting a kitchen is an important step for caterers looking to expand their business. Look for a space in your area that is at least 70 square feet, and contact the owner for details on rent. Once you've signed the lease, the next step is outfitting it with the right equipment.
There are many ways to promote a catering business, though the most cost-effective for small businesses is social media. Here you can target specific demographics based on age, interests, and location to reach out to the ideal audience for your services. A press release can be another good way to inform local media outlets of your new business, while a blog can allow new and establish customers to follow you over the long term.
There are several licenses required to run a catering business. In addition to a basic business license (BBL), you may also need a county or city license for food handling and a safety certification. A liquor license is not a necessity but common for caterers who plan on serving weddings and other large parties.
The amount your catering business makes per event depends entirely on how much you charge for your food minus the cost of expenses, such as staffing and materials. These are all details to be worked out in your business plan, but a good rule of thumb is to walk away with at least enough profit to cover the time you spent earning it. The average salary for a caterer is between $18,000 and $42,000 per year.
Getting leads for any business can be tough, but there's no better asset than word of mouth. The best way to get new customers is to make sure you always offer top-level service to the ones you already have, so they recommend you to friends and family in the future.
