Good news: you already have everything you need to start a catering business. The kitchen. The food. The team. And if diners keep asking, you already have the demand too. The one piece left to add is a system. And that is exactly what this guide is.

This is a guide for the restaurant that is already operating and ready to turn those “hey, do you cater?” requests into a real, repeatable revenue stream. Catering is one of the highest-margin opportunities available to independent restaurants, with average catering orders at 9-10x larger than typical takeout. The potential is already sitting in your kitchen, it just needs a process to match.

Quick Recap
  • Starting a catering business does not require building something new. It is an extension of the team and kitchen you already have
  • Picking one clear use case first keeps your launch focused and your team confident
  • A package-based menu reduces back-and-forth and makes ordering simple for guests
  • Lead times, order minimums, and delivery windows protect your kitchen before the first order comes in
  • Getting catering orders online is the single biggest operational unlock for capturing more revenue with less effort

Why Starting Catering Services at Your Restaurant Is Worth It

The opportunity here is real. The catering industry is projected to surpass $124 billion by 2032, and the majority of that demand comes from everyday orders: office lunches for 20, birthday trays for 30, team meals ahead of the afternoon meeting, happening right in your neighborhood.

Infographic showing catering average order value of $360 and order sizes 9 to 10 times larger than regular takeout, illustrating the revenue potential of restaurant catering

Here is what makes starting catering services especially exciting for independent restaurants: the average catering order is significantly larger than a typical takeout ticket. Data from our restaurant partners already offering catering through their direct ordering channel puts the average catering order value around $360, which means you are using the staff and kitchen you already have, just more efficiently. More revenue per labor hour. Higher margin per order. And because catering is scheduled in advance, it brings something takeout rarely can: predictability.

That is midweek revenue you can plan around. Staff schedules that make sense. Prep that flows instead of piles up.

The restaurants that make catering work best are the ones who build the system before they start promoting it. A solid foundation means you can say yes confidently and execute consistently every single time.

The Best Steps to Start Catering at Your Restaurant

Step 1: Choose Your Catering Lane

A group of coworkers sharing a pizza during an office lunch, representing the everyday corporate catering orders independent restaurants can capture with direct online ordering

When figuring out how to start a catering business, the biggest mistake is trying to offer everything at once. Start by picking one use case and owning it. Office lunches. Boxed meals. Party trays. Family-style spreads for weekend gatherings. Doing one thing really well is the fastest path to a catering operation that runs smoothly and grows steadily.

Decide upfront whether you are offering pickup, delivery, or both. Then define your “yes list” so your team knows exactly what they can execute with confidence. This gives everyone clarity, reduces mistakes, and means fewer scrambles when a big order lands.

Starting focused also makes marketing easier. “We do office lunches for teams of 10 to 30” is a much cleaner message to get out into the world, and you can always expand from there.

Step 2: Build a Package-Based Menu

A strong catering menu is a curated selection of your best sellers, packaged in a way that makes ordering easy and fulfillment even easier.

Start with dishes that travel well and hold up over time. Think proteins like roasted chicken, brisket, or grilled salmon. Build around formats that are easy to serve in a group setting: grain bowls, taco bars, sandwich platters, or family-style pastas. Pair those with crowd-friendly sides like roasted vegetables, salads, and bread that hold their texture after transport.

Quick Tip
Name your catering packages with the outcome.
‘Team Lunch For 10’ books faster than ‘Large Tray Option B.’

Build 3 to 5 packages named by outcome rather than portion code. “Team Lunch for 10” lands better than “Large Tray Option B.” Use “serves X people” or per-person pricing so guests can order without doing the math themselves, and your team spends less time clarifying over the phone.

The goal is a menu a guest can navigate entirely on their own from a dedicated catering page on your website or app. Built-in serving size guidance and dietary labels go a long way here. They help diners choose the right portions and flag preferences upfront, so your team spends more time on prep and less time on back-and-forth.

Step 3: Set Guardrails That Protect Your Kitchen

Before you take your first catering order, lock in your operational rules. These are the decisions that let your kitchen run smoothly and your team stay in control, and they are the part of starting a catering company that most restaurants skip too quickly.

Guardrail Why It Matters Starting Recommendation
Order lead time Gives the kitchen advance notice to prep without disrupting regular service 24 hours minimum; 72 hours for large orders
Min order amount Ensures every order is worth the prep effort Set a floor based on your food and labor cost
Max order amount Caps order size to what your kitchen can realistically execute per shift Set based on peak prep capacity
Gratuity and fee Offsets labor and delivery costs built into each order Start with a standard gratuity and adjust based on order volume
Pickup orders ahead Controls how far in advance guests can schedule a pickup order 1 to 7 days works well for most restaurants starting out
Delivery orders ahead Controls how far in advance guests can schedule a delivery Up to 30 days for larger planned events
Max order cap Limits the total number of catering orders accepted per day Start conservatively and increase as your team builds the workflow


Setting a min and max order amount early is especially useful. A minimum makes sure every order justifies the prep time. A maximum keeps you from taking on more than your kitchen can handle in a single shift, which is one of the fastest ways to protect food quality and team morale as catering volume grows.

The gratuity and fee setting is worth configuring before your first order goes live too. It is an easy way to offset delivery and labor costs without having to manually adjust your menu pricing, and guests see it clearly at checkout so there are no surprises.

For large orders specifically, adding prep instructions to each menu item is one of the most practical things you can do for your kitchen. Clear notes on packaging, portioning, and timing give your team a shared reference point and reduce the chance of miscommunication mid-service. The more information your kitchen has before a large order starts, the smoother execution becomes from the first prep step to final drop-off.

Step 4: Get Catering Orders Online

Restaurant staff member beside a catering order interface on a phone screen, showing online catering ordering and pickup scheduling

A dedicated catering page with direct online ordering is the single biggest operational unlock for your catering business. It turns catering from a manual, phone-heavy process into something guests can complete entirely on their own, at any time of day.

Standard catering orders should be fully self-serve. When the ordering experience is frictionless, more guests follow through. For larger or event-based requests, a custom inquiry form lets you collect event details upfront so nothing falls through the cracks. And when orders come in through a direct channel, you own the customer data: the full name, email, and order history that becomes the foundation of every repeat catering relationship you build.

With ChowNow Catering, catering orders flow into the same dashboard as your regular takeout and sync to your POS through 20+ integrations. Your team manages everything from one place with zero double entry and no extra tablets.

For restaurants offering delivery, Flex Delivery supports advance scheduling up to 30 days out, which is ideal for catering drop-offs that need to land at a precise time.

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See how ChowNow Catering handles this in one dashboard. Book a demo here.

Step 5: Price to Protect Your Margins

Three café staff members in aprons sit at a wooden table, looking at a laptop and talking together; one takes notes while another holds a phone, with coffee equipment and bar seating in the background.

Catering pricing should cover food cost, packaging, a labor bump for prep, and delivery, with margin built on top. A clear pricing formula keeps your catering business profitable rather than just busy.

When customers order directly through your own catering page, you protect significantly more of that margin. The difference adds up fast on every order:

Ordering Channel Fee Per Order
Direct catering (via your own site) ~5%
EzCater direct ~7%
Catering marketplace Up to 15%


On a $360 average order, that gap between direct and marketplace is over $36 per order going straight back to your restaurant.

The fee difference is significant, but the case for going direct goes beyond cost. When catering orders come through a marketplace, the platform owns the customer relationship. You fulfill the order, but the guest data stays with them. Going direct means you keep the customer name, email, and order history, which is what lets you follow up, build loyalty, and turn a one-time catering client into a repeat one. You also control how your brand shows up in the ordering experience, rather than being listed side by side with every other restaurant in your area.

Add a delivery minimum and a rush fee to your pricing structure from the start. Both protect your kitchen from orders that create more work than they are worth.

Once You Are Set Up: How to Get the Word Out

friends eating mea looking at phone

With the foundation in place, catering practically markets itself. Your existing diner base is the warmest audience you have, and a well-timed message to people who already love your food is one of the highest-converting ways to announce that catering is available.

Here are a few of the most effective channels to promote catering once you are ready:

  • Your website and app. A dedicated catering page on your restaurant website or branded mobile app puts catering front and center for every visitor already interested in ordering from you. Restaurants with a branded app see up to 2x more direct orders, and catering is a natural extension of that direct relationship.
  • Your loyalty program. Your most loyal diners are the first people who should know catering is available. They already trust you and they already order regularly. If you run a rewards program, catering is a natural upsell for guests who are already engaged with your brand.
  • Search and discovery. Make sure catering shows up where diners are already searching. Listing your restaurant across top discovery sites like Google, Yelp, and Apple Maps means you capture demand that would otherwise go to a marketplace. A catering-specific menu item or listing in those channels goes a long way toward appearing when someone nearby searches for “catering near me.”
  • In-restaurant promotion. Your current guests are your best catering leads. Table cards, receipts, and staff mentions at checkout are low-effort ways to let regulars know catering is an option the next time they are planning an event.

Every catering order you fulfill through a direct channel is also a relationship you can build on. That customer data is what turns a one-time office lunch into a standing weekly order. That’s how catering stops being a nice-to-have and becomes a predictable, plannable revenue stream.

For a deeper look at catering-specific promotion strategies, check out our guide on 9 Catering Marketing Ideas to Grow Restaurant Sales.

And if you want the full launch plan in one place, download the Catering Playbook. This is built for independent restaurants ready to make catering a real revenue line.

The Ultimate Catering Playbook for Restaurants, a free ChowNow guide to restaurant catering marketing, pricing, and online ordering

Ready to Start Taking Catering Orders?

You are closer than you think. The kitchen is ready. The demand is there. The step between where you are now and a catering operation that runs reliably is a system that supports it.

ChowNow Catering gives independent restaurants a digital, owner-controlled way to capture and manage high-value catering orders directly, with full customer data ownership, POS integrations, and operations built in from day one.

Book a demo to see how it works.

Frequently Asked Questions About Starting a Catering Business

How do I start a catering business from my restaurant?

Starting a catering business at your existing restaurant is simpler than most operators expect. Begin by choosing one catering use case, building a package-based menu from your best sellers, and setting operational guardrails like lead times and order minimums. Then get catering orders online through a dedicated page so guests can order without calling. ChowNow Catering lets you launch within your existing online ordering setup with no separate system required.

What is the best way to start catering services without disrupting my kitchen?

The key is building guardrails before you take your first order. Set lead times, delivery windows, and order minimums that give your kitchen the predictability it needs. Catering orders scheduled in advance are far easier to manage than last-minute requests, and a self-serve ordering page eliminates the phone chaos entirely.

How much does it cost to start a catering business at a restaurant?

The startup cost is lower than most operators expect. You are working with the kitchen, staff, and equipment you already have. The main investments are packaging, any additional prep labor, and the platform you use to take orders. Going direct rather than through a marketplace also protects your margins significantly: direct catering fees run around 5% versus up to 15% on third-party platforms.

What should I charge for catering at my restaurant?

Build your catering price by stacking food cost, packaging, a labor bump for prep, and delivery, then add your target margin on top. Using per-person or “serves X” pricing makes it easy for guests to order and easy for your kitchen to plan. Add a delivery minimum and a rush fee for short-notice orders to protect your margins from the start.

Do I need a separate license to start catering services?

In most cases, your existing food service license covers catering prepared from your restaurant kitchen. Requirements vary by state and county, so checking with your local health department before launching is always a smart first step.

Is starting a catering company worth it for a small independent restaurant?

Yes, and the numbers back it up. The average catering order value is around $360, which means strong revenue from the team and kitchen you already have. Starting with a focused, simple setup keeps the lift manageable while the revenue opportunity is significant from day one. For more on growing revenue as an independent restaurant, read our guide on how to attract more guests to your restaurant.

How do I get catering clients as a restaurant?

Your existing diner base is your best starting point. People who already love your food are the most likely to book catering. Promote catering on your website, app, and in-restaurant touchpoints first. From there, showing up on local discovery platforms and search results for terms like “catering near me” or “office lunch catering” helps you reach new clients who are actively looking.