How to Market Catering for a Restaurant

A simple nine-step framework for marketing catering, and the difference between marketing catering and just telling people you cater.

Caterly Team· October 1, 2026· 5 min read

Most restaurants that offer catering have told people they cater. Far fewer have actually marketed it.

The difference matters.

Telling people you cater is a line on the website, a mention on a menu, or "Ask us about catering" on a sign. It is passive. It waits for someone to already want catering and think of you.

Marketing catering means deciding who you want to reach, giving them a clear reason to order, sending them somewhere they can act, and repeating that consistently.

This article lays out a simple nine-step framework that fits a busy independent restaurant. You do not need an agency or a large budget. You need a clear offer and a routine.

1. Make the Offer Clear

People cannot buy what they cannot picture.

"We do catering" leaves the customer to figure out what that means. A clear offer answers the questions a buyer has:

What can I order?
For how many people?
How does it get to me?
How much notice do you need?
Roughly what does it cost?

Packages make this much easier. "Office Lunch Package: choose two entrées, one side, and one dessert, delivered for groups of 10 to 50" is something a customer can understand and say yes to.

If your packages are not yet clear, start there. Marketing a vague offer rarely works.

2. Create a Catering Destination

Every marketing effort needs somewhere to send people.

A dedicated catering page should include:

A short description of what you offer
Your packages and catering menu
Service options such as pickup, delivery, or drop-off
Delivery area and lead times
A simple way to request catering

This page becomes the destination for your social posts, emails, flyers, QR codes, and outreach. Sending everyone to one place also makes it much easier to see what is working.

3. Identify Local Audiences

Catering customers are not everyone. Think about who regularly needs food for groups within your delivery area:

Offices and professional firms
Medical and dental offices
Car dealerships
Schools and parent groups, where appropriate
Sports teams and clubs
Community and faith organizations
Families planning gatherings

Choose two or three audiences to focus on first. Marketing to "everyone" usually means marketing to no one in particular.

4. Promote Consistently

Catering marketing works best as a steady routine, not a one-time push.

A realistic routine for a busy restaurant might be:

One catering-focused social post a week
Catering mentioned in every customer email
In-store signage that stays up permanently
A short outreach session each month

Consistency matters because catering needs are occasional. The goal is to be remembered at the moment someone needs food for a group.

5. Reach Businesses Directly

Businesses rarely search for catering until they need it. Reaching them before that moment puts you first in line.

Direct outreach can be simple:

Drop off a menu and a sample at nearby offices
Send a short, personal email to an office manager
Introduce yourself to building managers who coordinate tenant events

Keep it brief and helpful. Explain what you offer and point them to your catering page.

For more on this audience, read how to get corporate catering customers.

6. Use Existing Customers

Your current customers are often your best catering prospects. They already like your food.

Ways to reach them:

Signage at the counter and on tables
Notes in takeout bags
Staff mentioning catering to regulars
Emails to your customer list

A regular who orders lunch twice a week may also organize their office's monthly meeting.

7. Make Seasonal Offers

Seasonal moments give people a reason to order now.

Depending on your area, these might include:

Holiday parties
Graduations
Sports seasons and tournaments
Back-to-school events

Promote a few weeks ahead. A focused offer, such as a holiday party package, is often easier to promote than your full catering menu.

8. Track Inquiries

Marketing without tracking is guesswork.

For every catering inquiry, record:

How they heard about you
What they asked for
Whether they ordered

This does not need to be complicated. What matters is doing it consistently, so you can see which efforts bring real orders.

9. Improve What Works

After a few months, review what you have learned:

Which audiences ordered most?
Which channels brought inquiries?
Which packages sold best?
Which efforts took time but produced nothing?

Do more of what works. Drop or change what does not. Over time, your catering marketing becomes focused on the efforts that actually bring orders.

A Simple Monthly Plan

If you want a starting routine, here is one:

Week 1: Post a catering package on social media and update in-store signage.

Week 2: Contact five nearby businesses with a short introduction.

Week 3: Send a catering-focused email to your customer list.

Week 4: Review inquiries and orders from the month and note what worked.

Adjust the plan as you learn.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Promoting catering without a clear destination. "Call us" is harder to act on than "See our packages and request catering."
Competing on price. Customers ordering catering often care more about reliability and convenience than the lowest price.
Inconsistent effort. One big push followed by silence rarely builds steady demand.
Not following up. An inquiry that is not answered quickly is often lost.

Where Caterly Helps

A catering marketing routine is much easier when the pieces are already in place: a clear offer, a catering page that captures requests, and materials that point back to it.

Caterly builds your catering page and packages around your restaurant, and gives you ready-to-use marketing such as social posts, emails, flyers, and QR codes that all lead to the same place, so every effort brings customers to one destination where they can request catering.

Explore more in Catering Marketing.