Planning- The Basic Catering

Planning is the first of the seven catering management functions.

Formulating a plan is a beginning point to the successful execution of a catering event.
Planning Provides Guidance. First, the plan is a blue print.
Second, a plan provides guidance.
Third, a plan identifies each course of action required to accomplish predetermined objectives.
Getting Ready To Plan
The longer the length of time between booking the event and its implementation date, the better opportunity a
caterer has to create a detailed plan.
Formulating A Catering Plan
Five Required Elements:
Budget
Menu
Location
Number of guests
Labor
Budget
Is a financial plan used to set parameters for each event.
Guides the caterer before the function as a control tool.
It is used to evaluate the effective and efficient utilization of organizational resources by the caterer in
the execution of the operation.
The Menu: Tactical Plan

The menu is the single most important factor contained in the overall catering plan.
The caterer must create budgetary objectives based on the menu.
Menu Format
A caterer will construct a new menu based solely on the needs, wants, and demands of the client.
A caterer must know how the psychology of the set priced affects the customers perception of value.
Standardized Menu
Caterers will create a series of standardized menus, offering variety of food, beverages and service
styles.
The client selects the menu with the best fit to their needs and price range and is not usually permitted to
substitute items.
Master Menu
Permits the client to create their own menu based on their budget.
The caterer will present a variety of menu selections from a master menu similar to a la carte menu.
Complexity of the Plan
The complexity of a plan grows when the size of the event increases.
Planning for a Catering Event
All caterers must identify objectives
- To identify customers needs and wants
Caterer must over produce
- focusing on the little things that can be added within the budget to make the event look more elegant and
exceed a customers expectation
I ngredient for Success: to satisfy customer needs, the caterer must over produce to exceed customer
expectations
Creativity
- is a skill resulting from caterers experience
Skill of interpreting customers needs
- helps caterer to plan successful catering event
I ngredient for Success: We cannot be all things to people
Addition of extra frills and decorative touches on a buffet table can add eye appeal
Colors also attract the eye
- using different colored table cloths coordinated with the color of the food can accent the items
Planned presentation of the food
- brings organization to the event
Objectives become operational tasks
- Singular activities that must be executed to accomplish an objective.
Caterer must identify approximate no. of employees
- facilitates employee scheduling, contributes to identifiable and controllable labor and its related costs, and
leads to the creation of a budget for the event
Delegation
Each bundle task is delegated to a management team member, who then assigns those jobs to employee
Successful caterer have good, reliable, trusted people on staff
Approximate level of authority must be delegated to each member
Caterer must exercise management control techniques
Common catering management techniques:
Management team One on one interaction
meetings with key people
Caterer can implement control techniques
The caterer may follow up question like:
Is the team member responsible for the purchasing function doing the job?
Has someone received prices from the suppliers on the major food items on the menu?
Have the menu plans food and beverage needs been discuss with suppliers?
Caterer must know where to find items that needed in the event and its approximate cost
Ingredient for Success: Outside suppliers are as important as a caterers own key personnel
Implementation of plan
Putting the plan into action, the process of implementing each piece of the plan into:
day to day activities
- all schedules for the event to finalized
Key catering management task is the careful coordination of front of the house and back of the house
Post event meetings
Discussing issues focusing on continuous improvement in all phases of the planning cycle of the event
implementation
caterers seek answers to such questions as:
What could have been done to improve all aspects of the operation?
How could the implementation of the event have been made easier or increase customers satisfaction
While having a flexible event plan is nice, it is not always possible with the high volume of business we do.
Rather, we as a banquet department, must be flexible in accommodating any groups needs. We have learned,
through experience to anticipate probable last minutes needs, such as additional AV equipment and added
seating. One precaution we take is to prepare and seat for five percent more that requested by the group often
groups will put their number lower that they actually are. By being prepared to handle an additional 5% above
guaranteed no. we save a last minutes frustrations
Jeremy engle
Banquet Manager
Beaver Run Resort Conference Center
Breckenridge
Flexibility of plans
Plans must be made so they are flexible
Caterer must anticipate changes and have contingency plans to respond quickly as the details of the
event chance
Jardines Catering agreed to cater an event for 1,500 people. 6 days prior to the event, it blossomed to
6,500 people. Because of the increase, the catering event team went into a top priority mode immediate
plan revision. Team meetings were held twice a day to keep everyone informed. Time constraints were
prioritized and plans were revised to provide food and service for 6,500 guests. It also was necessary for
the team to build the new infrastructure to support the implementation of the event. Team members were
mobilized and sent scrambling to acquire different equipment and extra staff. Increased communication
with the suppliers become another priority. This communication guaranteed the right amount of food , at
the best possible price , adhering to the specifications, and delivery in time for this event.
Control features
Controlling cost using catering management techniques will help achieved predetermined budgetary
objectives regarding food and beverages and labor
Standard is used in the selection of approved suppliers who provide the highest quality products at a
competitive price
Control labor and its related
Proper scheduling and cross training
Staff and Planning
Key personnel must be trained
- so they have understanding of how the caterer wants the tasks completed
Caterer may experience seasonal variations
- a caterer will place employees on temporary layoffs status immediately in holiday season.
- in the month of March to April the staff may need to replenish
Continuous training for all staff members
Employee must be look professional, look professional act professional, and be pleasant and be
presentable to all guest
Training and education of each employee is a must
Employee must be look professional, look professional act professional, and be pleasant and be
presentable to all guest
Training and education of each employee is a must
Barriers to Planning
Challenges and problems that a caterer must overcome to implement a successful plan.
Two Basic Barriers
Operational Barrier
Barriers which interfere with the tangible elements of production.
Human Errors and Accidents
When cooked vegetables fall while being pulled from the storage.
The caterer can either call back to the facility and have more vegetables sent.
Change the menu and appearance of the food.
Time
Enough time to prepare food
Natural disasters
Storms, lightning, flood and blizzard
Human Resource or Communication Barriers
Human error is the biggest barrier against effective communication.
Lack of communication among members of the catering team is always dangerous to the
proper formulation and implementation of a plan.
Human nature may cause certain employees to add their own procedures to a task, which is
potentially dangerous.
The caterer can always create many solutions to these types of barriers by using their own
creativity and experience.
Business plan
It is a tool that a caterer can use to implement the strategic plan and establish short-term organizational
goals.
It is the central strategy for the development of the business
It will create a vision for long-term success.
Virtual Restaurant
Gives prospective restaurateurs a chance to see a probable outcome of their business assumptions.
Through the use of internet technology, this service is use easily and inexpensively.
Purposes of a Business Plan
The plan provides internal direction for the organization.
The plan presents the overall vision for the business. It communicates the concept, business philosophy
and ideas.
The Business Plan
Cover page
Includes the caterers name, business name, address, phone number, fax number, e-mail address
and the date report was completed.
Table of contents
Accurate identifications and major sections and their appropriate page numbers must be given.
Executive Summary
This part is best written last. It is a recap and summary of the major points from all the other
sections. It is the most important part of the business plan.
Body of the Business Plan
This section will be the bulk of the business plan. This section may take a significant amount of
research, self-reflection and time to complete.
Company Description
Includes the name, type of catering business, its location, legal status, startup or continuing, date
founded and menu description.
Writing the Business Plan
Company Description Section
Mission statement
Nature and philosophy of the business
Companys Name
Legal Form of the Business
Is it a corporation ?
Is it a partnership ?
Writing the Business Plan
Company Description Section
Management
President
Officers
Location
Main place of the business
Branch locations
Stage Development
When was the company founded ?
Milestones reached so far
Industry Analysis
This section describes the general catering industry, discusses the economic characteristics of the
industry and assess the present condition, future potential and any factors such as trends that may
determine them.
Writing the business plan
Industry Analysis Section
General Information
Economic Sector
The catering and restaurant industry
Size and growth rate of the industry
Sensitivity to economic cycles and Seasonality
Regulation
Inspection standards
Smoking regulations
Financial Norms and Patterns
Products and Related Services
This section describes the menu, food production capabilities and style of service the caterers will
produce.
Writing the business plan
Food and Service Section
Description of the products
General concepts
Specific menu items
Description of the services
The special services offered ( take-out , delivery )
Future plans and developments
Products and services planned for future implementation.
The Target Market
This section describes how the caterer will select the customers based on demographics, geographic,
psychographic segmentation, lifestyle, social class and personality characteristics , buying sensitivity
and market size.
Writing the business plan
Target Market Section
Demographics
Age, income range, gender, occupations, marital status and family status
Geographics
Area served
Density Nature of location
Transportation
Lifestyle
Family status, family size
Race
Nationality
Political Affiliation
Psychographics
Status-seeking or trend-seeking ?
Buying factors and sensitivity
Market size and trends
Strategic opportunities
Marketing plan and sales strategy
This section includes how the caterer will promote the company image by sending a message to the
potential clients.
The image can be conveyed directly ( description of products, pricing and services ) or indirectly (
suggestive design elements, logos, uniforms ).
Writing the business plan
Marketing Plan Section
What the customers want
Marketing vehicles
Brochures, newspaper, televisions, radio, mail and billboards
Marketing Tactics and Strategy
Mix of marketing vehicles to be used
Marketing Budget
Sales
Launch marketing will promote awareness, build immediate traffic and establish our brand image via
several methods:
Public relations/publicity
Direct mail
Local print and broadcast media
Design and packaging
THE COMPETITIONS
-competitors who are aiming at the same target market.
OPERATIONS
-explains the day-to-day functions of the catering business.
MANAGEMENT and ORGANIZATION
-Our management team is comprised of people with many years of experience in the long-term
care provider and software development industries. Our philosophy is laser-like focus on the customers
needs. We have a Chief Financial Officer and four directors reporting to the President and CEO. Part-
time positions staffing the customer support desk will be filled as needed and reporting to the Director of
Operations. Seven regional sales managers will be contracted as commissioned resellers and reporting
to the Director of Business Development

FINANCIAL DATA and PROJECTIONS
-you do this in a distinct section of your business plan for financial
-you should use it not only to win financing but for better management on your business
LONG-TERM DEVELOPMENT
- the caterer must describe what the ultimate destination for this business is and how the catering
business will look at the different intervals along the way including the short and long term goals.
APPENDIX
-a quarterly journal of history and culture
-a systematic list of books and other works
SUGGESTED APPENDIX ITEMS
Menus
Resumes and financial statements of key people
Marketing information
Supporting media information (newspaper articles, etc.)
Budgets and schedules and analysis (equipment lists, project charts, flow chart)
Design or construction information (floor plan, renderings)
Contracts, trademarks
Banks loans, financial statements
Marketing research studies
HAZARDOUS ANALYSIS AND CRITICAL CONTROL POINT
-is a systematic preventive approach to food safety from biological, chemical, and physical
hazards in production processes that can cause the finished product to be unsafe, and designs
measurements to reduce these risks to a safe level.
To make a plan you must:
Identify any hazards that must be avoided, removed or reduced
Identify the critical control points (CCPs) - the points when you need to prevent, remove or reduce a
hazard in your work process
Set limits for the CCPs
Make sure you monitor the CCPs
Put things right if there is a problem with a CCP
Put checks in place to make sure your plan is working
Keep records
SEVEN PRINCIPLES OF HACCP
PRINCIPLE 1: Hazard Analysis
1. Identifies potential hazards by surveying menus and recipe files.
2. Provides a risk basis for which a biological, chemical, or physical property may cause an unacceptable
consumer health risk.
3. Leads to development of preventive measures.
These may include designing a specific process
or a substitute product to ensure or improve
food safety.
Biological hazards
foodborne biological hazards include bacterial, viral and parasitic organisms. These organisms are
commonly associated with the food handlers and with raw products entering the catering operation.
Bacteria cause the majority of reported cases and foodborne disease outbreaks ( occurrence of two or
more cases of a similar illness resulting from the ingestion of a common food).
Viruses can be foodborne, waterborne or transmitted from a person or animal.
Parasites are most often animal host-specific and can include humans in their life cycles.
Chemical hazards
chemical contaminants may be naturally occurring or may be added during the processing of food.
Illness
PHYSICAL HAZARDS
Illness and injury can result from hard, foreign objects in food. These physical hazards can result from
contamination and/or poor procedures.
Physical contaminants include glass, wood, toothpicks, stones, metal fragments, band aids, pieces
of bone, packaging material, pins and jewelry.
Preventive measures
The preventive measures procedure identifies the steps in the process at which hazards can be
controlled.
HAZARD ANALYSIS PROCESS
It consists of asking a series of questions which are appropriate to each step in the flow diagram.
ingredients, procedures for the preparation of the food, microbial contents of the food, facility design,
equipment design, food packaging, sanitation practices, employee health and hygiene, storage conditions,
foods intended use and the intended consumer.
Principle 2:
IDENTIFY THE CRITICAL
CONTROL POINTS IN FOOD
PREPARATION
a CCP is a point, step or procedure at which control can be applied and a food safety hazard can be
prevented, eliminated or reduced to acceptable levels.
a control point is any point, step or procedure at which biological, physical, or chemical factors can be
controlled.
CCPs must be carefully developed and documented. In addition, they must be used only for purposes of
product safety.
Principle 3:
establish critical limits
for preventive measures
Critical Limit is defined as a criterion that must be met for each preventive measure associated with a
CCP.
It may be derived from sources such as regulatory standards and guidelines, scientific literature,
experimental studies and consultation with experts.
Principle 4:
establish procedures
to monitor ccps
Monitoring is a planned sequence of observations or measurements used to assess whether a CCP is under
control or to produce an accurate record for use in future verification procedures.
1. It tracks the systems operation so that a trend toward a loss of
control can be recognized and corrective action can be taken to
bring the process back into control before a deviation occurs.
2. It indicates when loss of control and a deviation have actually
occurred, and corrective action must be taken.
3. It provides written documentation for use in verification of the
HACCP plan.
Principle 5:
Establish the Corrective Action to
Be Taken when Monitoring Shows
that a Critical Limit Has Been
Exceeded
1. Determine the disposition of any food that was produced when a deviation was occurring.
2. Correct the cause of the deviation and ensure that the critical control point is under control.
3.Maintain records of corrective actions.
Principle 6:
Establish Procedures to Verify
that the HACCP System is
Working
First phase of the process is the scientific or technical verification that critical limits at CCPs are satisfactory.
Second phase of verification ensures that the facilitys HACCP plan is functioning effectively.
Third phase consists of documented, periodic revalidations, independent of audits or other verification
procedures, that must be performed to ensure the accuracy of the HACCP plan.
Fourth phase of verification deals with the regulatory agencys responsibility and actions to ensure that the
establishments HACCP system is functioning satisfactorily.
Principle 7:
Establish Effective Record-
Keeping Systems that Document
the HACCP System
it requires the preparation and maintenance of a written HACCP plan by the caterer. The plan must
detail the hazards of each individual or categorical product covered by the plan.
CCP monitoring and record-keeping procedures must be shown in the establishments HACCP plan.
HACCP implementation strategy should be provided as a part of the caterers documentation.