Catering Tips
This is an outline that describes the things we did at our Baskin Robbins that increased our overall sales by 20% during the first year we added catering services.  Within two years, we had
tripled our overall sales and moved into the top 5% of all BR stores nationwide.

Advertise your catering business
  •        Cable ads - exchange an ice cream party for the production cost of a local cable ad. If possible, advertise exclusively on The Weather Channel because event planners watch the
    weather.
  •        Print up flyers to hand out at every catering event along with your business card.
  •        Put up signs in your store.

Sources of catering jobs
  •        Pharmaceutical reps (Doctors and their staff love ice cream parties)
  •        Local festivals
  •        Schools
  •        Employee appreciation parties
  •        Customer appreciation parties
  •        Wedding receptions
  •        Nursing home parties
  •        Birthday parties
  •        Family reunions

Street Vending
  •        Partner with a property management company of large downtown office building.  Offer to donate 10% of sales to local charity in exchange for setting up in front of the office
    building.
  •        Partner with local museum.  Offer to donate 10% of sales to museum.

Pricing
  •        Have a minimum charge – we decided that the work involved in a catering job, such as loading up the cart, serving, cleaning and unloading the cart, was enough that we needed a
    minimum charge to make sure the catering was worth our time and trouble.  Ours was $295.00.  The order had to meet the minimum—if it didn’t, then the bill was $295.00.

Happy Catering!
Magnolia Carts, Inc. •  Columbia, SC • sales@magnoliacarts.com • Tel 888.864.3694
Hours: 9am - 5pm Eastern Mon. - Fri.
Magnolia Carts, Inc. •  Columbia, SC • sales@magnoliacarts.com • Tel 888.864.3694
Hours: 9am - 5pm Eastern Mon. - Fri.