Change in Parties

[shroomgirl]

Usually I cook small numbers high end dinners.....that is typical shroomgirl......on my books now I have 3 parties for 100-200 guests at $10-15 picnics.....I haven't cooked a high end meal in forever. Are you seeing changes?
Yesterday I dropped off market fliers to 12 restaurants...10 were DEAD, 2 were doing really good.....just wondering if there is a trend coming through.

[cape chef]

Tapas, antipasto's, asian fingerfoods, one bite wonders,texture with color,earthy foods, crisp and clean displays, regional foods, squeeze bottle mania for plate painting, crisp with soft with warm textures and temps.

African and middle eastern foods, greek and turkish tables

[shroomgirl]

Sounds alot like what I've been cooking for years cept the painted plate trend didn't really do it for me.
I garnished a cheese platter with grape leaves (fresh) and red grapes and also Iranian green grapes...baby thompsons lookalikes...they are so bitter I think you have to cook with them.
I guess basically my question was more are you seeing lower budget pp parties?

[Pfoodman]

It depends on the time of year. I do a lot of small intimate dinners during the fall and winter months, heavier foods, wine dinners etc. People tend to want to cacoon in and chow during colder months. Cool ingredients and menu ideas, like Cape Chefs, are a refreshing way to sneak the neat stuff to mid-westerners, whos palates are not that suffisticated by the way. Don't let them fib to you.

Spring and summer brings a lot more events out doors in which lighter foods are served, passed apps. versus displays, cocktail parties instead of sit downs. Few of my clients adore the idea of eating heavy under a tent during the summer. Went to a wedding last saturday catered by La Chef of St. Louis. Splendid.

My suggestion is to go after big corporate BBQs, try some "institutional stuff. Big volume and big bucks. (Unless you truly do this for the love of the trade) Try going where the money is. I see so many caterers and chefs try and tackle the high end market and end up with a limited client base in a very crowded market. Younger chefs, eager with talent, spending thousands and thousands to fit into the trendy market only to end up broke and burnt.

My suggestion to you is to think about your market from a neccesity standpoint. Large businesses needing box lunches, kickoff parties, picnics, recognition banquets. Get into that culture and you will grow a very loyal client base.

[Peachcreek]

I have a couple of big BBQs booked for this summer, but that is normal for around here. Even the customers with the expense accounts are not spending as much as usual. I did a business lunch for a pharmaceutical company last week and was surprised by how much they "shopped". Usually it is "This is what we want and we pay for it". The ticket average was @25% less than usual.
I was busier than usual around Christmas last year due to the same circumstances. Many of the businesses that throw the big Xmas party opted instead for more scaled-back festivities. The increase in catered lunch parties made up for the all-round decrease we experienced after 911.