The holidays are finally here! There are plenty of reasons to celebrate the upcoming holiday season, and many people are in need of catering services for their celebrations. Potential clients are looking for caterers who are as enthusiastic about the holidays as they are and have the ability to make their event extra special. Although your year-round catering services and menus are a hit amongst your clients, your business should consider offering something new for the holiday season.
How To Upgrade Your Catering Services for Holiday-Themed Events
Planning a holiday takeover for your catering services is easier than it sounds. When upgrading your catering services and menu for the holiday season, the goal is to have the catering at your customer’s event reflect the look and feel of the occasion. From appetizers and entrees to decorations and displays, there are several ways to take your business catering services to the next level. Keep in mind that it’s important to leave your traditional catering menus as an option for your clients in case they aren’t looking to follow standard holiday themes for their event.
Potential clients value your business’s ability to accommodate their ideas and needs for their event. Creating a holiday package for your catering services is the perfect way to provide clients with what they’re looking for while keeping your services concise and easy to understand for customers.
Here are five ways to upgrade your catering services for holiday-themed events this upcoming holiday season.
1. Incorporate Seasonal Flavors In Your Meals
When it comes to what you’ll be serving guests on their special occasions, your business should make sure it’s on theme, even on your menu. Incorporating seasonal flavors and ingredients into the dishes you offer, your clients is a great way to upgrade your catering services for the holidays. They often evoke the feeling of the holiday being celebrated, so tying in classic holiday flavors and ingredients into your menu adds to the overall enjoyment of your guests.
Whether you’ll be serving drinks, appetizers, entrees, or desserts at the event, you can easily add seasonal touches to your menu items. Seasonal flavors and ingredients, such as pumpkin, apples, cranberries, and mulberries, are common during the fall and winter holidays. Seasonal flavors such as strawberries, lemons, mangoes, and pineapples are commonly used for spring and summer holidays. Consider using them as garnishes and sides, or try creating meals inspired by a specific seasonal flavor.
2. Change Up The Look Of Your Packaging
Ideal for drop-off catering services, changing up the look of your packaging for catered events is the best way to bring the holidays to your clients. If you aren’t looking to change what you’ll be serving at your upcoming events, feel free to explore different packaging options for meals and drinkware that elevate how your menu items look.
Holiday-themed food packaging is the perfect way for your catering business to get creative and on-them during the holiday season for your customers. Using holiday-specific colors in your food containers and treat boxes is an easy way to add a seasonal touch to meal presentations. Consider adding decorative holiday-themed designs on your food packaging supplies to make meals and drinks stand out. Holiday-themed phrases or stickers are also a great option for changing up your to-go holiday packaging.
3. Add Holiday Decorations To Your Display
For full catering-style services, adding holiday decorations to your displays and food stations throughout your event instantly upgrades the look of your client’s event. Depending on the style and capacity of your clients' event, they might want to incorporate food stations or interactive catering displays for their guests. Meet with your clients to discuss the specifics of their event and any ideas they might have in terms of decorating for their holiday event. You’ll want to know whether the look your customers are going for is simpler or more elaborate so you can prep any additional decorations for your food stations accordingly.
As caterers, a good tip for upgrading your business’s services for holiday-themed events is to keep a range of holiday decorations for tables or displays. This way, you’ll be able to meet your clients halfway and provide them with some decorations or inspiration for their event. Try keeping a supply of holiday-themed wreaths and garlands to use as table runners for your events. Flowers in different holiday-appropriate colors instantly add a memorable look to your displays. To stand out from other catered events, get creative and use unique decorations on food stations to impress guests while waiting for their meals.
4. Use Traditional Holiday Dishes In Your Menu
Offer guests your version of classic holiday meals by using traditional holiday dishes in your menu. If your business is looking to create an additional menu just for the holidays, filling your menu with traditional holiday dishes is a sure-proof way of impressing your potential clients. The holidays often evoke a sense of nostalgia in people, and many often associate foods and family dinners with the holiday season. Incorporating holiday dishes into your menu will instantly bring guests back to their favorite memories surrounding the holiday they’re celebrating.
When creating a holiday menu, take some time to reflect on the dishes served on previous holidays you’ve celebrated. More than likely, you’ll be able to come up with a couple of classic holiday dishes you’ve eaten. Do some additional research to create a more complete menu full of holiday meals. Many traditional holiday dishes also tend to be filled with seasonal ingredients and flavors, so there are several ways the foods you’ll be serving guests will remind them of the holidays.
5. Plan A Holiday Themed Social Media Takeover
Get into the holiday spirit by spreading holiday cheer on your social media platforms! The best way to get the word out about your business’s updates for the holiday season is on your social media platforms. Plan a holiday-themed social media takeover to let your followers and potential clients know about the services your catering business will be offering.
Once you’ve narrowed down your adjusting to your catering services for the holidays, create social media campaigns centered around what’s new. Promote flyers or posts on social media that advertise your new holiday menu or seasonal menu items. Stage some of your holiday decorations around a catering display to show off holiday details to your followers. If you’ve already begun catering holiday events, capture the highlights of the holiday festivities and promote them on your business's social media sites. Potential clients will be able to see firsthand the way your catering services have upgraded for the holidays and get inspired while planning their own events during the holiday season.
Why Your Catering Business Should Upgrade For The Holidays
The holidays are the perfect occasion for large and small events, so catching customers' eye is important around this time of year. Get creative and upgrade your catering services for holiday-themed events. By taking the initiative to meet the needs of your potential clients, you’ll be able to impress them before their event has even begun and ensure their holiday festivities are a success.
