The Holiday Catering Game Plan: How to Use CaterZen to Save Time, Make Money, and Keep Your Sanity

Let me take you back to one Christmas Eve that changed everything.

I was going through a divorce. I ducked into a McDonald’s - yes, your favorite place for a sad cheeseburger and self-reflection. The woman behind the counter handed me a Christmas card she bought with her own money.

I cried.

Not just because it was kind, but because it reminded me that the smallest acts of planning ahead - a card, a call, a catering order - can make someone’s day.

And that, my friend, is exactly what the holiday catering season is about: making magic with the least amount of chaos possible.

So, let’s talk about how you can use CaterZen's all-in-one catering software to crush the holidays without crushing your soul.

Send Holiday Proposals in Minutes (Not Hours)

No one has time to build custom quotes from scratch in November.

That’s why CaterZen gives you holiday proposal templates you can:

• Customize with client logos or menus
• Send by email or text
• Attach pricing, upsells, images - whatever you need to close the deal

And with Quote Reminders, you’ll get a prompt to follow up in a few days. Because if you wait, your prospect might already be sipping cider from your competitor’s catering spread.

Create Limited-Time Holiday Menus (and Show Them Online Only When It Makes Sense)

Whether it’s a “Holiday Ham Dinner” or a “Corporate Christmas Lunch Package,” CaterZen lets you:

• Build dedicated holiday menus
• Set them to show up only between Nov 15 – Dec 31
• Limit by pickup, delivery, or service area
• Offer via online ordering so clients can book without calling

You’ll avoid menu clutter. Clients won’t see summer salads in December. And you'll never have to say, “Sorry, that’s not available right now.”

Boost Revenue with Holiday-Focused Upsells

Holiday catering isn't just about feeding people - it’s about making your profit while everyone’s distracted by tinsel.

With CaterZen’s upsell engine, you can:

• Auto-suggest chafing dishes, serving sets, or delivery upgrades
• Offer dessert trays or beverage bundles for corporate holiday parties
• Throw in a pie or side dish as a rebooking bonus

It’s like being Santa… if Santa had a 30% profit margin on cheesecake.

Rebook Last Year’s Events Before Anyone Else Can

Every caterer has that one big company that does a $5K Christmas lunch every year.

With CaterZen’s Rebooking Reminders, you can lock them in before they even think about shopping around:

When booking the event, set a follow-up task reminder for the next year at the same time.  You look like a hero. You close the deal early. You avoid the December scramble.

Let your competition cold-call while you sip hot cocoa with a booked calendar.

Deliver Holiday Orders Without Chaos (or Lost Drivers)

The holidays are a logistical circus - late drivers, tight schedules, weather delays, traffic, and Grubhub stealing your staff.

But not with CaterZen’s Delivery Manager:

• Map routes for multiple deliveries
• Track driver status in real time
• Send clients delivery confirmations with photos and notes

Even if you're juggling 12 corporate parties and 3 churches in one day, you'll run like a machine.

And your clients? They’ll think you’re the calmest elf in town.

Lock In the Details with Banquet Event Orders

If you’re running staffed events — holiday banquets, cocktail parties, private room events — CaterZen’s Banquet Event Order (BEO) Tool is a gift from above.

• Drag-and-drop sections: staffing, food, rentals, timeline, room layout, and more
• Add unlimited pictures: buffet setup, room arrangement, signage
• Create unlimited templates for weddings, holiday parties, you name it

This means less “Where’s the sterno?” and more “Wow, that went smooth.”

Book Out Private Party Rooms Like a Pro

Double-booking your party room in December is how you lose money and your mind.

CaterZen’s Private Room Booking Tool lets you:

• Set separate times for event, room setup, and cleanup
• Track staffing alongside bookings
• Block off unavailable times to prevent overlap

Whether you’re hosting a 50-person office party or a holiday retirement bash, everything stays organized.

Master the Holiday Calendar with Google Sync

Trying to juggle drop-offs, full-service events, room rentals, and marketing campaigns?

With CaterZen’s Integrated Calendar, you can:

• View proposals, events, reminders, and tasks in one place
• See overlapping events to avoid overbooking
• Sync with Google Calendar for you and your team

No more “Oops, forgot that delivery.” Everyone stays on the same page - even your weekend driver.

Run Holiday Promotions Without Killing Your Margins

I'm not a fan of discounting just to make a sale.

But when you want to incentivize early booking or highlight a new holiday menu, CaterZen’s coupon builder lets you:

• Set up time-based offers (e.g. 10% off all holiday orders booked by Nov 10)
• Add automatic coupons for specific menu items or order totals
• Track usage and results for smarter promos next year

Bonus idea: offer a free pie for rebooking — low cost, high perceived value, and way better than dropping your price.

Hit Inboxes with Holiday Cheer (and Catering Menus)

If you’re not emailing your past clients about holiday catering, you’re basically gift-wrapping sales and mailing them to your competitors.

The good news? CaterZen makes it ridiculously easy to send beautiful, branded, and holiday-themed emails — even if your design skills stop at microwaving gingerbread Pop-Tarts.

With our built-in email marketing tool, you can:

• Choose from ready-made holiday templates (Christmas, New Year’s, end-of-year parties, etc.)
• Plug in your offer, holiday menu, or party room availability
• Segment your contact list (think: “Everyone who ordered from our holiday menu last year”)
• Hit send and watch the orders roll in

No need to hire a marketing agency or wrestle with Mailchimp.

Need to follow up with the ones who received the email but didn’t order? Easy. Send a reminder with a deadline or bonus (“Order by Nov 15 and get a free dessert tray”).

It’s all right there in your CaterZen dashboard.

So go ahead - bring some holiday spirit to their inbox before someone else does.

Run Reports That Make Next Year Even Easier

With CaterZen’s reporting tools, you can:

• Export a list of everyone who ordered from your holiday menu
• Tag holiday clients and segment them for rebooking campaigns
• Pull production reports for better kitchen prep next time around

Think of it as a digital crystal ball for Christmas 2025.

Wrap-Up: Your Holiday Catering Playbook (Made Easy)

Let’s be real - the holidays are a gold mine and a stress minefield.

CaterZen is here to help you:

• Sell more
• Save time
• Look like a rockstar to your clients

With proposals, reminders, calendars, custom menus, upsells, delivery tools, BEOs, reporting, and more - you’re fully covered.

Want to fill your calendar (and your bank account) before the snow falls?

CaterZen gives you everything you need to dominate the holiday season — from email templates and rebooking reminders to online ordering, BEOs, delivery tools, and more. We’ve already done the hard part. Now it’s your turn to put it to work.

👉 Start your free trial
👉 Or schedule a free training session 

Let us show you how to turn your December into your most profitable month yet.