Episode 18: Community, Culture and Catering Growth with Kevin Reading, VP of Sales at Luna Grill

 

restaurant-catering-smarts-podcast-episode-18-kevin-reading

 

In this episode of Restaurant Catering Smarts, Michael Attias welcomes Kevin Reading, VP of Sales and Community Engagement at Luna Grill.

Kevin shares his journey from hotel catering to leading national catering at Qdoba, and now helping Luna Grill scale its off-premise and catering programs. He dives into the advantages of working in a nimble, entrepreneurial organization, where testing ideas and pivoting quickly drives results.

You'll learn how Kevin focuses on:

  • Community engagement as a sales driver
  • Building catering programs with flexibility and speed
  • The importance of removing friction for customers
  • Aligning purpose-driven leadership with profitable growth

Michael and Kevin also explore how technology, relationships, and culture play a role in scaling catering in the fast casual space.

This episode is full of practical insights for operators who want to grow catering without drowning in red tape.

Restaurant Catering Smarts is sponsored by CaterZen Catering Software—the system restaurants trust to save time, stay organized, and increase sales.

 

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Top Takeaways for Catering Success

✅ Agility Beats Bureaucracy: Smaller, entrepreneurial organizations can test, tweak, and pivot catering programs quickly—without layers of red tape.
✅ Community Engagement Matters: Building authentic connections outside the four walls of the restaurant is a powerful catering sales engine.
✅ Remove Friction for Customers: Whether it’s ordering, delivery, or follow-up, simplicity keeps catering clients coming back.
✅ People Over Transactions: Lasting relationships are more valuable than one-time orders. 
✅ Purpose-Driven Leadership: Aligning company values with catering growth inspires teams and builds loyalty.
✅ Catering Sales is a Journey: From hotels to national chains to fast casual, catering leaders can apply lessons across industries.

Juicy Sound Bites

🔹 “In a smaller company, if something’s not working, you can pull the plug quickly—and that’s a huge advantage.”
🔹 “Community engagement isn’t just marketing—it’s how you build real catering relationships.”
🔹 “Catering success comes from removing friction at every step for the customer.”
🔹 “At the end of the day, it’s about people, not transactions.”
🔹 “Purpose-driven leadership means aligning sales goals with something bigger than the bottom line.”