Topic: how to build box lunch business

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Posted at December 27, 2011, 10:10 pm:

Hello all….
Well I am out of the restaurant and into catering. Life is taking me in a new direction.
I am very excited about having new menus for events and such. I can’t wait to get started!!
So on to my question:
The business is well established, over 20 years. It has functioned only as a wedding facility, and the current owner is in her 70’s and looking to have me manage and take over essentially.
She has done no m-f business, basically doing only weddings and receptions over the weekends. Business has declined over the past 2 years because she physically cannot hack it. Her words not mine.
So part of my building the business back up is to offer box lunch during the week days and to begin booking business week functions, and meetings.
We have a building that is on site and seats up to 70 people, and a commercial kitchen, which by the way is grand fathered in and has no fry equipment.
Ok so I really want to immediately tap into the very lucrative pharmaceutical market offering menus for dr’s offices and such. I think that is one way I can get my name out and begin to establish business.
So my questions are:
How to I market to the business population? I know that some places just fax their menus and hope for an order, but even working in the restaurants, we get faxes all day long for resort property and such that we don’t even look at. It goes right in the trash. I don’t like that idea at all. I was thinking of finding out who the local reps are and invite them to a lunch offering the box lunches. I am sure I would get some responses, however I would hate to put out that money and not get a sufficient response. I also thought of making some sample trays, and just peddling them around town for a week, and snag the office personnel them selves, however I am afraid I will be interrupting business, and I don’t want to seem intrusive. But I do know that when people around lunch time see or hear of free food, they generally don’t mind. So what do you think?

Also I was wondering to deliver or not to deliver. We can deliver, but I fear not being able to do it successfully and meet times myself. I figure I can do more lunches per hour if I am stationary, than if I am running around town…what do you think?
Thanks guys….
Frizbee

Original of the message was taken from http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/

Replies:

One suggestion: Join the local Chamber of Commerce.

Thanks for the reply.

I started a boxed lunch business in Chicago one year ago.

Well that is the thing.

Our boxed lunch clients who were happy asked us for what they wanted -...

impressive site David.

Shroomgirl I saw a catering kitchen in your area offered on craigslist...

There is a teaching hospital in Charleston that could be a huge boon t...

nope was not looking.


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