Why Your Restaurant Needs a Catering Champion: Insights from Industry Veteran Tracy Avolio
The catering industry is experiencing a significant boom in 2024, with projections indicating growth from $73 billion last year to an impressive $124 billion by 2032. This surge is largely attributed to the post-pandemic return to office trends and the evolving role of food in the workplace. Companies are increasingly using catering as a tool for employee retention, recruitment, and as an incentive to bring workers back to the office.
Tracy Avolio, a veteran in the catering industry and co-founder of New Catering Connections, shared insights on the current state of catering sales and operations. With over 20 years of experience in the field, Avolio emphasizes the importance of direct business-to-business selling in the catering space. Her company, which started with just three people supporting 14 restaurants in February 2023, has grown to a team of 46 supporting about 600 restaurants in just over a year.
New Catering Connections employs a strategy of fractional catering sales support, offering restaurants the ability to outsource their catering sales efforts. Their approach combines old-school selling techniques with modern technology, utilizing virtual phone numbers, CRM systems, and strategic targeting of businesses known to cater frequently. The company focuses on business-to-business outreach, making approximately 1,300 touch points per day across their team.
Avolio stresses the importance of consistency in sales efforts, adhering to the "seven touches" rule before expecting to close a sale. This involves a combination of phone calls, emails, and when possible, in-person visits with samples. The company's success demonstrates that traditional, direct selling methods are still highly effective in the catering industry, despite the proliferation of digital marketing and online ordering platforms.
One of the key challenges Avolio identifies for restaurants entering the catering space is the lack of dedicated leadership for catering operations. She emphasizes that catering should be treated as a separate business entity within a restaurant, requiring its own strategy, resources, and champion to drive its success. Without this focused approach, restaurants may struggle to fully capitalize on the growing catering market.
Looking ahead, the catering industry seems poised for continued growth, with businesses increasingly recognizing the value of food as a tool for employee engagement and satisfaction. As companies seek to balance remote work with in-office presence, catering is likely to play an even more significant role in workplace culture and employee benefits. For restaurants and catering professionals, this presents a substantial opportunity, provided they approach the market with strategic planning and dedicated resources.