There is an increasing demand for catering services for events. Thus, the services of caterers will always be needed because food is an essential part of any event. Catering services simply mean the provision of food and drinks at a social event or gathering. It can be done in various locations or settings such as hotels, pubs, aircraft, cruise ships, hospitals, and event centers. This is a kind of business you will not be confined to any office setting kind of work, but you can be sure it could be even more stressful than that. In this post, you’ll learn how to start a catering business in Egypt in 9 simple steps. You can start a catering business and make good money from it with that your culinary skill.
What Catering Service Actually Is
Offering a catering service entails much more than just cooking food. It means coordination of how the food is being prepared, how the food is packed, how the food is delivered, and how the food is presented to the client. . It’s about thinking your way through stressful situations, planning for the unexpected, and most importantly, running a business just like you would any other.
In this guide, we are going to take you step-by-step through everything you need to know about how to start a catering business in Egypt, and the tools you will need to hit the ground running.
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There are different niches to explore as a catering service provider based on the numerous options available. We have wedding catering services, mobile catering services, internet catering services, corporate catering services, buffet catering services, etc.
Customer service is a very important thing when it comes to catering services. Your customers’ satisfaction must be top notch and it will go a long way to help you as a provider of catering services in Egypt. The catering business in Egypt requires a lot of things to thrive as the market is very competitive.
Types of Catering Services
There are different types of catering services available. These are
- Corporate Catering.
- Wedding Catering.
- scale catering
- Social Event Catering
- Concession Catering
- Food Truck Catering
- Restaurant Catering
ASPECTS IN CATERING SERVICE (Typical of Wedding Catering)
Wedding catering is one of the commonest types of catering service and has the following aspects:
- Cook service
- Table settings
- Waiters
Cook Service
Cook service needs to have gained expertise in offering high-quality cook services. You should recruit cooks that are experts in their domain and good enough to provide satisfactory services to clients.
Table Settings
You should work hand in hand with experts in making your clients’ party tables look astonishing. The table settings must be appealing and welcoming to guests and the host, tables should be well decorated with table covers, and cutleries; cups with colorful tissues in them should be well arranged on the table this will make the guest feel homely and comfortable.
Waiters
Waiters are fast becoming an integral part of every party, you should have a team of highly skilled and professionally qualified waitresses who are well-versed in all aspects of hospitality, and you should be able to choose the best waitress to make your clients’ party a memorable experience.
How to start a Catering Business In Egypt in 9 Simple Steps
Before you get to the following steps to starting a catering business, note that you should decide on the type of catering business you want to start before learning how to start a catering business. Once you know what kind of catering you want to do, you can get on to the next steps.
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Step 1: Choose your business name and business entity type
Once you have the type of catering business you want to start in mind, you can move on to choosing a name for your business and defining the entity for it as well.
Step 2: Write a business plan
Once you have your business name and entity chosen, the next step on the “how to start a catering business” checklist involves writing a business plan. This will take some work, but it will pay off in the long run because you’ll have a plan to fall back on and it can help you know what to expect while running your business.
Step 3: Register your catering business
Of course, the next big thing to do is to have your catering company registered with the relevant authority.
Step 4: Get all licenses and clearances needed to start a catering business
As with most industries involving food preparation, you need to obtain a business license from the state, as well as a food handling license.
Step 5: Determine your pricing
Pricing your work depends greatly on where your business is located and what kind of catering you do. Many businesses create price tiers that provide a certain level of service and amenities for various amounts.
Step 6: Hire, train, and outfit your staff
Staff is a requirement for a successful catering business. You are not likely to cater for an event all alone. Get competent hands to do business with you.
Step 7: Market during your own events
Depending on the kind of catering service you are specializing in, you’ve got to market your business. If you focus on weddings, you’ll want to attend bridal shows—which involve bringing food samples and sometimes buying a booth. Corporate catering might involve more focus on LinkedIn advertising, where you can buy leads; you might also pay people to knock on doors and pass out fliers to bigger businesses.
“Really, it’s about networking. A lot of word of mouth and a lot of referrals are required.
Step 8: Get funding
You’ll need some funding to get your catering business off the ground and through slower months. Knowing how to acquire capital is one of the keys to figuring out how to start a catering business. There are plenty of routes you can go to acquire small business funding to get your business going.
Step 9: Plan for emergencies — both financial and others
You should have extra capital when you start out and continue to budget wisely as you go because you never know when something will go wrong in the catering industry.
“Things break, so you have to replace them. Repairs to vehicles: Catering can be hard on your vehicles, so you’ll need replacements for tires. The price of gas, when it went sky-high, it had an impact. Food was costing more.
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Tools you need to start your catering business
- Linens and table coverings
- Tabletop accessories
- Table decorations
- Uniforms for waitresses and cooks
- Large gas ranges
- Plate racks
- Serving carts
- Catering and rental glass racks
- Catering and rental plate racks
- Food storage boxes and covers
- Salad bar item
- Serving utensils
- Stainless steel steam table food pans and accessories
- Knife bags, rolls, and cases
- Plastic food pans, drain, trays, and lids
- Chafers, chafing dishes, and chafer accessories
- Cutting boards
- Plastic trays and catering trays
- Paper napkins
- toothpicks
- Disposable bags
- Disposable catering trays and food boxes
- Plates, bowls, and trays
- Large cooking pots.
Top Catering Service Providers in Egypt
-
- Yumamia
- Cookies N Pies
- Kozbara Catering
- Bites
- Ghada Nawara
To see more of the top catering service providers in Egypt, click here
Conclusion
Catering isn’t an easy business. You need to “know what you’re getting into,” due to the physical and demanding nature of the work. “You can be a great cook, and that doesn’t necessarily make you a great caterer. To be a great caterer, you need to know how to combine the different aspects of catering.
We hope you found the article useful. Please drop your comments about your thought on the article.
