In this episode of Restaurant Catering Smarts, Michael Attias sits down with Erin Childs, restaurant consultant, coach, and long-time catering operator who cut her teeth in Boston’s fast casual scene.
From pounding the pavement with samples in hand to building systems for national brands like Beloco and Fresh City, Erin shares her journey from boots-on-the-ground catering sales to strategic leadership.
You’ll hear how she:
Whether you’re just getting started with catering or ready to systematize and scale, this episode is packed with practical, no-fluff advice you can put into action.
Restaurant Catering Smarts is powered by CaterZen Catering Software—helping restaurants streamline operations, increase catering sales, and save valuable time.
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✅ Sampling still works: Erin built early sales in Boston with nothing but food, hustle, and a smile.
✅ Sales is a learnable skill: You don’t need a formal background in sales—you just need to take action.
✅ Fast casual catering wins with systems: Consistency across locations creates trust and repeat business.
✅ Build SOPs, not bottlenecks: Your catering program should run without relying on one superstar.
✅ Train your team to succeed: From front-line staff to catering leads, everyone needs to know the playbook.
✅ Lifestyle matters: Erin’s shift from evening events to daytime corporate catering gave her back her family time.
✅ Know your market: Erin learned Boston like the back of her hand by walking, observing, and calling.
✅ Don’t wait to be trained—go figure it out: Erin didn’t get a playbook, she created one through action.
🔹 “No one taught me how to sell—I just knew I needed to get food into people’s mouths and figure it out.”
🔹 “I walked Boston like crazy. I knew every building, every corner, and who was in what office.”
🔹 “Sampling was my strategy. If the food is good, you’re going to get the sale. If not, you just learned something.”
🔹 “Systems win every time. You can’t scale chaos.”
🔹 “My job now is to set restaurants up with the tools they need to grow—without burning out.”
🔹 “Drop-off catering gave me a business and a life. No more 2am event breakdowns.”
🔹 “I’m passionate about helping restaurants move from firefighting to forward planning.”
