Costco Connection - June 2007

The Costco Connection

SUSAN WERNER PHOTOGRAPH Y

A passion for grilling led David Biber (left) and Michael Todd to begin catering under the name Two Guys Grilling.

Tricks of the trade

Still, mastering food and human nature is no guarantee of success for a caterer. A strong dose of business sense is also required. Many fail because they don’t develop good business practices, says Hansen.

“It’s easy to let your heart lead in this business, but you have to have a good head for business too,” says Hansen, who credits his education at Cornell and his business savvy for his company’s success. He says survival in the industry requires detailed knowledge of local codes and food sanitation requirements, marketing savvy, and business accounting and financing prowess.

“If you don’t know your margins, your break-even point, it’s easy to go broke,” he explains. “Some people go into business with a fixed payroll. You can’t make it that way. I have a very small full-time staff, but I have an extensive network of part-time staff. My payroll expands with demand and, in the less busy months, shrinks accordingly.”

One key to success is making sure there’s a good fit between the caterer and the client. Biber says he invites potential clients to taste samples of his cuisine.

“The interview process works both ways: While a potential client sizes me up, I have the opportunity to gather info about them as well,” Biber says. He takes only clients whom he is sure will really enjoy the kind of experience his company offers. This means not only offering samples of food, but visiting where an event will be held.

When it comes to publicity and promotions, some caterers rely on guerilla marketing, such as donating meals at fund-raisers and community events. And others say cooking classes are a great way to generate cash and gain a presence in the communities they serve. When Lux was trying to establish her restaurant and catering business in San Clemente, she began supplying some local businesses with meals. “I introduced myself to them and left lunches, just because. I could live with failure, but I couldn’t sit around and wait for the phone to ring before I gave it my best shot,” she says.

It takes a complex combination of skills and character traits to run a successful catering business. “Because of all the curve balls in catering, every day is little like the first,” says Lux. “Yet it’s science.”

TOM SALYER PHOTOGRAPHY

Evan Williams agrees. Despite the tornado alarms, that evening four years ago at the University of Kansas came off well. “The meal wasn’t perfect,” she says. “The meat could have been juicier, but I think everyone was really happy to have a meal in front of them by the time we finally served it.” C

“THERE’S A SMART balance between hiring a caterer and handling portions of your wedding plans yourself,” explains Sharon Naylor

( www.sharonnaylor.net), author of Renewing Your Wedding Vows: A Complete Planning Guide to Saying “IStill Do” (Broadway, 2006).“You can save yourself thousands of dollars, and it can be done well.”

Here are some of Naylor’s tips on ways Costco can save you money at your wedding. Just remember to ask a volunteer or two to help you with the preparation.

◗ Platters of sandwiches and frozen appetizers can save you hundreds of dollars in catering for rehearsal dinners, showers or as part of the wedding itself.

◗ Costco’s seafood items, such as shrimp and king crab legs, are great for parties.

◗ A tray of sushi from Costco can be a crowd pleaser at any party.

◗ A Costco Bakery can save you money in several ways: For wedding-morning breakfasts or showers, you’ll find a variety of breads, bagels, muffins and other baked goods. Costco’s sheet cakes can be decorated for the wedding, and there’s a great selection of desserts.

◗ Flowers are central to any wedding event. Costco.com offers several wedding flower collections with flowers for the bride, groom, attendants, centerpieces and more, at a great value.