Quick question: who was your best customer two years ago, and when did they last order from you?

If you had to dig through a spreadsheet to answer that, this post is for you.

Two kinds of catering operators are reading this. One's already running Google Ads or Meta Ads (Facebook/Instagram) and has no real idea which ones are turning into orders - that's who most of this is for. The other hasn't touched paid ads yet. Stick with me - I'll get to you before we're done.

I've heard some version of this from operators for years: "I'm running ads, but I have no idea which ones are actually turning into booked orders." They know what they spent. They know how many people clicked. Past that? Nobody could tell them - including us. Not until now.

As of today, that changes. CaterZen now plugs directly into Google Ads and Meta conversion tracking. No developer, no support ticket, no third-party tag manager to babysit. You put in a few IDs, we handle the rest.

Let me ask you something.

You've got CaterZen catering software set up. You're ready to send targeted campaigns, follow up with prospects, rebook past clients. The system is ready to work.

But who's on your list?

This is the part most caterers skip. They get excited about marketing, set everything up, and then realize their database is a mix of old orders, a few business cards stuffed in a drawer, and their cousin's email address.

That's not a list. That's a mess.

The good news: you don't need to buy a list. You don't need to hire anyone. You don't need a big budget.

What you need is a simple system, a few free tools, and 30 minutes a week.

Let me show you exactly how to do it.

Let’s be honest. Most caterers treat marketing like a potluck - random, last-minute, and mostly guesswork.

But if you’re using CaterZen's catering software, you’ve got a secret weapon your competitors aren’t using: built-in CRM segmentation and email campaigns that let you target smarter, market faster, and sell more - without needing a marketing degree.

If you're running a restaurant or catering company, you already know that building a strong catering brand is key to standing out in a highly competitive market. You want to create a unique identity, build trust with your clients, and establish a strong reputation in your community. But where do you start?

Since catering is a highly competitive industry, finding creative marketing ideas can make all the difference in boosting your catering business in 2023. In this article, we'll explore ten ideas to help you stand out from the competition and attract more clients.

Every touchpoint a customer or prospect experiences is marketing. Some are major like a website, and some are minor like how the aprons look on your staff.

With close to ninety percent of communication being non-verbal, it’s important to take inventory of everything and anything that can persuade or influence a sale.

Recently I had the pleasure of being interviewed for the latest episode of Forktales, the popular restaurant, beverage and hospitality industry podcast.

Though I know a thing or two about sales and marketing, I have always been a later adopter of social media. 

Leonard Bernstein once said, “To achieve great things, two things are needed: a plan, and not quite enough time.”

Never having quite enough time feels like a prerequisite for owning a catering business. Something always comes up to throw you a curveball. All we can ever do is roll with the punches.

The one thing we do have control over is the plan.