Revenue Boost for Restaurants: Leveraging Office Catering for Steady Income
In the ever-evolving world of dining, one area that's seeing significant growth is workplace catering. Pat Cobe, a renowned food journalist, provides insightful coverage on chefs, trends, and menu innovation, and writes articles for Restaurant Business.
According to data from ezCater, a popular platform connecting workplaces with dining concepts, budget-friendliness is the second most influential factor affecting 37% of decisions. The average workplace catering order size is approximately $420, a 12% increase. Interestingly, employees who try a restaurant at work are likely to return for personal meals.
To optimise their online presence and attract workplace catering orders, restaurants can focus on several key areas.
Firstly, creating a clean, mobile-friendly website is crucial. This should feature an easy-to-read digital menu, high-quality photos of menu items and the atmosphere, clear location and hours, an online ordering system, and integration of reservation or catering inquiry options.
Secondly, optimising Google Business Profile is essential. This involves ensuring the business name, address, phone, hours (including special holiday hours), menus, categories, and professional images are complete and regularly updated. Use this platform to post catering specials and promptly respond to reviews to build trust and drive calls or inquiries.
When designing the menu, it's important to have workplace catering in mind. Highlight catering-specific packages or options clearly, use mouthwatering, high-resolution images of catering platters, include detailed, enticing descriptions, emphasising variety and customisation to suit office group needs, and feature popular dietary options that appeal to diverse office groups.
Leveraging social media channels like Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and LinkedIn can also help. Share high-quality images and videos of catering setups, food preparation, and satisfied customers. Use user-generated content and geo-tags to build local visibility. Post instant announcements or limited-time catering offers. Engage actively with followers through comments and messages to build a community.
SEO and local search optimization are crucial. Use keywords targeting workplace catering on your website's menu pages and in blog content. Maintain consistent NAP (name, address, phone) data across directories like Google, Yelp, and TripAdvisor. Create blog content with value-added topics such as event planning tips or menu inspirations for office gatherings to position your restaurant as an expert catering partner and improve search rankings.
Lastly, supplementing with paid advertising and influencer marketing can help reach businesses or office locations in your area. Collaborate with local influencers to showcase your catering offerings and events, increasing credibility and reach.
By combining these strategies, restaurants can create a seamless, attractive digital experience that appeals specifically to workplace catering clients, increasing visibility and orders in this segment.
As the demand for workplace catering continues to rise, it's essential for restaurants to adapt and optimise their online presence to capitalise on this growing market.
- In the realm of technology, utilizing digital platforms such as Google Business Profile and social media channels like Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and LinkedIn can significantly boost a restaurant's visibility and attract more workplace catering orders.
- To stay competitive in the business world, restaurants should strategically innovate their menus, offering catering-specific packages, highlighting customization options, and featuring popular dietary selections that cater to diverse office groups.
- In the finance sector, maintaining a well-structured digital presence and utilizing SEO techniques can help optimize a restaurant's online presence, enhancing search rankings, and increasing the likelihood of securing workplace catering orders.
