Is restaurant a good business? How much does it cost to open a small catering business? How do you open a catering company to make it profitable and get positive reviews? Find out how to kick-start your catering business quickly and easily.
What is a small catering business?
Small catering businesses serve ready-made or semi-prepared food, drinks and snacks. The menu of a small catering business is usually one type of ready-made product offered in several variations. A great example of a small catering business is one serving chicken dishes. The restaurant offers chicken strips as well as burgers, tortillas and salads based on pieces of chicken in a golden coating. The small catering business relies on serving takeaway food, although there are often places both inside and in front of the building for customers who want to eat in. Starting your own catering company can be the fulfilment of a big dream of having your own restaurant. But where to begin?
Small catering business – is it profitable?
What can be done to ensure that the opening of a catering business has a satisfying effect with little investment? There is a way! Running a small catering company offers the opportunity to save on waitressing and dishwashing services. It generates fewer fixed costs and when you decide on a food truck you also save on rent! Opening your own catering business reduces costs and allows you to enjoy the feeling of a dream coming true. Small catering company offers a big potential – you just need to know how to use it well.
Catering business idea
What does the success of your business depend on? It is certainly depends on many factors: the business profile, the quality and taste of the food served and the location. This one often is often ignored, despite being extremely important in the context of a catering company. How many great restaurants there are in places none of us would even ever think of! So you need something that makes you stand out and at the same time meets the needs of potential customers. Before deciding on what type of business you want to open, carefully research market trends, analyse the competition and create a business plan.
9 ideas for a successful catering business
Here is a list of interesting catering business ideas for a small catering business:
- Creperie
Crepes are a dish that is very popular within all age groups. They are eaten by adults and children, enthusiasts of sweet snacks as well as those who would like to eat something filling. You can prepare crepes in many ways – both savoury and sweet! This will easily expand your offer as well as your customer base. An additional advantage of the crepes is that they can be easily packaged and served for takeaway.
- Ice cream shop
Ice cream is a high-margin product. Especially if you opt for serving powder based ice cream. The cost of producing one ice cream from a vending machine is only 50 cents, while the price for the customer is a minimum of 5 PLN. Your ice cream machine will pay for itself within the first month of business.
- Pizzeria
The pizza boom continues unceasingly. It is the most frequently ordered takeaway dish. If there is no pizzeria near your business, it is worth considering opening one. You certainly won’t complain about a lack of customers. The pizza is great for transport, so you can easily offer it as a delivery option.
- Foodtruck
A mobile food business gives you the chance to easily explore the market and reach new customers. There are many dishes that you can prepare in the conditions that a foodtruck provides you with. From sweet snacks to street food to Asian cuisine. Success depends on the quality of the products you offer. This option will help you get ahead of any competition.
- Café
Even a tiny café can bring a great success. A lot depends on your idea. There’s been is a new trend of combining drinking coffee with pursuing your passion. It is worth taking advantage of this trend. And here are our interesting ideas for a café: a cat café, a family café, a café with a workshop space equipped with sewing machines, for example.
- Burger Place
When deciding on opening a small catering business, it is worth knowing the trends of the industry. The increase in takeaway food orders is the message suggesting opening a restaurant serving food that can be served for takeaway or delivery. Burgers work well for this option. You can prepare them in many types, so that your menu can continually develop and appeal to more customers.
- A small American-style restaurant
American cuisine is very popular. A restaurant serving American-style chicken is certainly an interesting idea for a catering business. The easy preparation of coated chicken and the ability to serve it in a variety of ways means that you can prepare a varied menu without much effort.
- Toastie stall
Serving food from a food stall is also a great idea for a successful catering business. Low investment costs are a major advantage. The cost of renting a small stall with a sales window for issuing your orders is considerably less than renting a building with space to consume food on site. Toasties are one of the most popular street food dishes.
- Bistro
A bistro where you can have a nutritious breakfast, meet friends for lunch and relax after a hard day with a glass of wine is a very interesting idea for a catering business. The bistro does not have to be large, but it is worth to make sure it is in a good location – on a busy street, near offices or universities.
Do you have an idea for your restaurant? Start with creating a business plan!
You already know you want to start a catering business. Where to start? Put off leasing or buying premises until later. Same with registering your business. Start with creating a business plan. A sound business plan should include the goals you intend to achieve and how you will achieve them. Also include a cost estimate in which you include initial opening costs, your current expenditure, assumed revenue and financial projections.
How to open a catering business? And how much does it cost?
Opening a catering business – even a small one – requires an investment. Opening your own catering business presents you with many exciting challenges. What should you bear in mind when preparing a cost estimate for opening your own small catering business? Here is a list of the most important activities awaiting you:
- the rental or purchase of catering premises,
- arrangement and adaptation of the premises,
- purchasing equipment, products and facilities for the premises and the kitchen,
- purchase/rental of a vehicle,
- employment of staff,
- registering the company and obtaining catering permits,
- marketing activities.
How much does it cost to start a small catering business? It all depends on how big the premises are, what kind of renovation it needs, what equipment you are going to invest in. When calculating investment costs, it is always a good idea to set a budget that is larger than anticipated. If you assume that you need around PLN 50,000 to open your catering business, add about half of the amount you have calculated to this amount – this kind of financial cushion will protect your investment from other unexpected costs. And will allow you to sleep more soundly.
How to run a catering business generating profits?
As cliché as it may sound, to open a catering business that will be profitable, you need to have a passion for cooking and a bit of a knack for management. To run a successful business you will not only need skills in developing and preparing dishes, but also business abilities: interpersonal, organisational and managerial skills. If your small catering business is your great passion, you will certainly find it easier to lead your business so it thrives and brings both profit and satisfaction.
Takeaway food: a profitable business
Of course, passion alone is not enough. In order for your catering business to gather steam, you need to continually develop and expand it with services that are desirable in the market. One such solution is a takeaway and delivery service. Catering businesses that could not offer such an option during the pandemic and the lockdown were left far behind. The delivery market has developed so much that it has become standard to implement this already at the opening of the catering business.
Chicken restaurant – best catering business idea
There are many examples of small catering businesses: from burger places to creperies to bars serving fast food classics. Some of them are also available in your area. So how do you stand out and serve something popular at the same time? We recommend the coated chicken.
A chicken place can be a typical fast food bar, where you order mainly takeaways, as well as a restaurant with a cosy interior, where the ordered dishes are consumed on the spot. It all depends on your idea as well as your budget. Whichever option you choose, you can be sure that a restaurant serving delicious chicken in a golden, crispy coating will quickly gain a fan base that will continually grow.
How to open a food business
You already know how to get your catering business started. When deciding to open a successful small catering business, you certainly need initial capital to invest, but a good business idea, commitment and a meticulously done competition analysis also count. Many factors contribute to the success of your food business. Knowing these components will certainly make it easier for you to achieve that big dream of opening a small catering business.
