how to build box lunch business

[Frizbee]

Hello all….
Well I am out of the restaurant and into catering. Life is taking me in a new direction.
I am very excited about having new menus for events and such. I can’t wait to get started!!
So on to my question:
The business is well established, over 20 years. It has functioned only as a wedding facility, and the current owner is in her 70’s and looking to have me manage and take over essentially.
She has done no m-f business, basically doing only weddings and receptions over the weekends. Business has declined over the past 2 years because she physically cannot hack it. Her words not mine.
So part of my building the business back up is to offer box lunch during the week days and to begin booking business week functions, and meetings.
We have a building that is on site and seats up to 70 people, and a commercial kitchen, which by the way is grand fathered in and has no fry equipment.
Ok so I really want to immediately tap into the very lucrative pharmaceutical market offering menus for dr’s offices and such. I think that is one way I can get my name out and begin to establish business.
So my questions are:
How to I market to the business population? I know that some places just fax their menus and hope for an order, but even working in the restaurants, we get faxes all day long for resort property and such that we don’t even look at. It goes right in the trash. I don’t like that idea at all. I was thinking of finding out who the local reps are and invite them to a lunch offering the box lunches. I am sure I would get some responses, however I would hate to put out that money and not get a sufficient response. I also thought of making some sample trays, and just peddling them around town for a week, and snag the office personnel them selves, however I am afraid I will be interrupting business, and I don’t want to seem intrusive. But I do know that when people around lunch time see or hear of free food, they generally don’t mind. So what do you think?

Also I was wondering to deliver or not to deliver. We can deliver, but I fear not being able to do it successfully and meet times myself. I figure I can do more lunches per hour if I am stationary, than if I am running around town…what do you think?
Thanks guys….
Frizbee

[castironchef]

One suggestion: Join the local Chamber of Commerce. Cater one or more of their get-togethers. Make sure that everyone is happy, well-fed and in possession of one or more of your business cards.

[Frizbee]

Thanks for the reply.
We are a member, however the owner hates all the politicking...I love that stuff. So that is one of the things I am going to hammer on. The problem has been in the past that the Chamber wants to pay only a few dollars for service for their events. The owner refuses to work for the amount they are offering. There is a down home cooking caterer who can and does provide food for this amount…like $5.50 a person I think is what she told me. So we have been at a real disadvantage there. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Thanks for the suggestion. I appreciate it!

[David Jones]

I started a boxed lunch business in Chicago one year ago. It's great, but clients want to be able to order more from you than boxed lunches - even other simple drop-off stuff.

Her Rolodex is worth a million, and you should start "cold" calling the following:

1) Other caterers in the area to whom she has sent mon-fri referrals. Introduce yourself. Let them know you're doing boxed lunches and you would love their referrals (since most special event caterers hate doing them). Let them know that you could even do the production for their "branded" boxed lunches.

2) Past clients. Introduce your new service to them and ask for new business or referrals. What I've learned is that adminstrative assistants usually order these boxed lunches. If your wedding business is middle market, you may have done weddings for the decision maker.

3) Lost business. If a lead didn't work out, call them to introduce the new product offering, and them ask them what they wanted that the company didn't offer.

The $5.50 caterer is his own worst enemy. You have everyone's permission to verbally brutalize any client who shops them against you - LOL. Of course you can't, but you can say that for groups who have a set budget, they seem to be very successful. "Our clients are happy to pay a few extra dollars for chef selected ingredients and personal service."

[Frizbee]

Well that is the thing. There really aren’t but a couple of other caterers. I don’t think the current owner has bothered to refer anyone to other caterers.
I love the idea of contacting previous clients. That is one that simply escaped me all together, and of course that is the first rule of sales…duh me.
So what is your opinion on delivery?
And what do you think about having an open house to launch this aspect of the business? Worth it?
Lastly you mentioned that business clients may want more than box lunches, in what respect? What sorts of other things do they generally ask for?
I wish I could just do a survey…of the business community and find out what they really want and need. Then I could just market to that end….lol… I just don’t know how I would even go about that or if I would get any responses. I also spoke to my mother who is a nurse and she tells me the things they ladies and gents in the office are always looking for…healthy alternatives for lunch at a good price. So I will be specifically marketing to that group as well.
Thanks for the input. I guess I saw the box lunch business being specifically for the working business community and I would provide small catering for office lunches and such. Curiously what types of dishes do you all find that office personnel are looking for in smaller catered lunch functions?
I also just looked into the rotary club as a networking opportunity. I scanned their list of members, and it is all owners of small and large businesses in our town. I like the philanthropic aspect too.
Thanks again!
Frizbee

[David Jones]

Our boxed lunch clients who were happy asked us for what they wanted - a BBQ for 200pp, or an executive salad buffet for 25pp, it was just about being responsive and flexible. We sell a lot of salad buffets for $15 to $20. That's a couple of composed salads, two greens choices, six or seven veggies fresh or cooked. I make a vinaigrette and then I give the client Hidden Valley Ranch! We serve on disposable plateware but the buffet is in real china. One of the most imprtant things is to understand that the client has an agenda besides lunch. They could be working on a $50 million deal. We give them great food and they can rely on our service. We are a known quantity and they come back again and again.

We have a simple website: www.food2youcatering.com for the boxed lunch business, but we stress the idea that we want to work with our clients to satisfy their needs. Delivery is a necessity, but we charge for it - sometimes more than once a day for a breakfast/lunch seminar - $20-50. That's downtown Chicago where a tow is $250.

The problem with an open house is that it's a lot of money at once, and it doesn't reallt show off a boxd lunch product. We routinely get small orders from big buildings, and I ask if there are any other potential customers there who might like to try a lunch? I may have a paying order for ten lunches ($100) but I drop off eight or ten samples with business cards.

The other thing is that we've been hired by national event planners for in-flight executive meals. I recently did a "boxed lunch" with beef tenderloin and bearnaise, frisee goat cheese and walnut salad, and blackberry bread pudding for $33 per person. It was a three thousand dollar order.

[shroomgirl]

impressive site David. Good to read you back on Cheftalk it's been a few years since we've heard from you.

[David Jones]

Shroomgirl I saw a catering kitchen in your area offered on craigslist - did you see it?

[bandregg]

There is a teaching hospital in Charleston that could be a huge boon to your business. Start calling anyone and everyone there that arranges lunches for students, residents, meetings, conferences and the like. I work at Duke University, though not for long I'm off to NECI to join all of you, and we regularly use a local caterer for box lunches.

[shroomgirl]

nope was not looking.