Back when I was running my million-dollar catering operation, I made every mistake in the book. And if I haven’t made it, I’ve definitely heard it - usually as an excuse for not making more money or saving more time.
Let’s call these what they are: myths. Excuses. Little white lies we tell ourselves to stay “safe” (and stuck). But if you’re ready to actually grow your catering business, you’ve got to let them go.
So let’s bust the 5 biggest misconceptions I hear from caterers - and I’ll show you what’s really possible when you’re willing to play chess instead of checkers.
Myth #1: “My business is too small for catering software.”
Reality Check: It’s not about being “big enough” - it’s about being busy enough that every minute counts. Even if you’re a team of one, when your catering day ramps up, you need every advantage you can get.
Hear it from Jennisa Mangold, Backyard Catering:
“We will have 20 orders going out all within like 10:30 to 12:30, and it just helps me - it actually saves us money… because I am able to group those deliveries together and have one person do multiple at the same time.”
Want to see how Jennisa turned chaos into control on her busiest days? Read her story here.
If Jennisa can tame a tidal wave of school deliveries with CaterZen's delivery manager, so can you—no matter your size.
Myth #2: “Online ordering isn’t necessary for my clientele.”
Reality Check: Your customers expect convenience. Online ordering isn’t about replacing relationships - it’s about making things easier for everyone (and keeping your sanity).
Annie Miler, Clementine Catering, puts it perfectly:
“Being able to have things online, but being able to set the parameters for how you can take orders online... there’s so many different ways that it can... you can tailor [the online ordering system] to fit what you need... that has been a huge time saver.”
See how Annie’s clients place orders on their own terms - making life easier for everyone. Read her story here.
If people can order groceries and dog food online, trust me - they’ll order catering that way too.
Myth #3: “It’s cheaper to do everything manually.”
Reality Check: Pen and paper is “cheap” until you lose a $1,000 order because of a missed detail. That’s not saving money - that’s burning it.
Joe Davidson, Founder of Oklahoma Joe’s, shares:
“Before we started using CaterZen we had a scratch pad... We advanced ourselves very quickly into using Excel spreadsheets... it was a very arduous job to manage caterings. So once we moved over to CaterZen, it changed our life from that perspective.”
Want to see how Joe traded spreadsheets and headaches for a business that practically runs itself? Read the Oklahoma Joe’s story here.
Every lost order, forgotten follow-up, or missed payment is money left on the table. Software pays for itself the first time it saves you from a costly mistake.
Myth #4: “Marketing automation is impersonal.”
Reality Check: Automation isn’t about sending robotic emails - it’s about showing up at just the right moment, every time, without dropping the ball.
Take it from Mendi Rooney, MarketPlace Grill:
“One of the big ones for us was the marketing, the email marketing. I am able to contact clients very fluidly through the system, using things like that they haven’t ordered in three months, six months, nine months. I can go back and look at that. We will run promotions. There’s so many aspects.”
Discover how Mendi automates client follow-up and grows repeat business - read more here.
Turns out, being timely and thoughtful (even automatically) is pretty darn personal.
Myth #5: “I’m not tech-savvy enough for this stuff.”
Reality Check: You don’t need to be a Silicon Valley coder. If you can check your email and read this blog post, you can run CaterZen.
Geoffrey Bezuidenhout, Picnikins Catering, puts it best:
“We’re not the most technologically advanced company. The things that we appreciate the most about CaterZen are the ease of use. It’s very, very easy to use: setting up the menus, setting up the production routing, the delivery manager. Most of the aspects, if not all the aspects, of CaterZen are very user-friendly, and that helps a dummy like me get through without really a hitch.”
If Geoffrey can master catering tech, so can you - find out how.
The hardest part? Deciding to make your life easier.
Ready for a Reality Check?
If any of these myths are bouncing around your brain, consider this your wake-up call. Time is your most precious ingredient - don’t waste it on old habits that are quietly costing you sales.
Want to see how CaterZen can give you back your time and boost your sales?
👉 Already a CaterZen client? Book a training session and we’ll walk you through how to leverage our robust software - live and hands-on.
👉 New to CaterZen? Start your free trial or book a “Non-Demo” Demo and see exactly how easy it is to run your business on holidays - and every day!
Stop playing checkers.
Start playing chess.
Your future (and your bank account) will thank you.
