Catering Management

An essential, up-to-date guide for catering students and professionals, Catering Management, Fourth Edition, covers all aspects of the business, (operations, sales and marketing to food and beverage service, menu planning and design, pricing, equipment, staff training, and more). The new edition is completely revised with information on sustainable and green catering practices, digital menu and proposal design, new catering industry software, and the expansion of the event market. State-of-the art marketing strategies, including social networking, web promotion, and on-demand proposal development, are also covered.

Preface vii

Acknowledgments ix

Chapter One Historical Banqueting 1

Chapter Two Styles of Catering Operations 25

Chapter Three Catering Business Development 51

Chapter Four Catering Sales and Marketing and Digital Support 65

Chapter Five Catering-Menu Program 101

Chapter Six Food-and-Beverage Operational Controls 121

Chapter Seven Catering-Menu Pricing and Controls 139

Chapter Eight Catering-Menu Design 161

Chapter Nine Catering Beverage Management 191

Chapter Ten Quality-Service and Standards Training 205

Chapter Eleven Managing Catering Equipment 221

Glossary 239

Endnotes 247

Bibliography 249

Index 251

Nancy Loman Scanlon, PhD, has more than thirty-five years of experience in the hospitality industry and has worked in food and beverage management positions with the Hilton Hotels Corporation, Interstate Hotels & Resorts, and Marriott International. She is currently an Associate Professor at the Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Florida International University. Her other books include Marketing by Menu, Restaurant Management, and Quality Restaurant Service Guaranteed.

The comprehensive, fully up-to-date guide to managing your catering business

Successful catering involves much more than just creating a great meal. Running your catering business properly also requires robust skills in marketing, cost control and budgeting, and day-to-day business management.

Catering Management, Fourth Edition gives working professionals and aspiring caterers the detailed advice and crucial business skills needed for successful on- and off-premise catering. The book covers all the fundamentals, including styles of catering operations, menu design and pricing, food and beverage service, managing staff and equipment, and much more. Updated to reflect the very latest in a growing field, this new edition covers current trends in sustainable practices, digital menu and proposal design, new software and equipment, social networking, online promotions, and on-demand proposal development. With essential management techniques that will keep current practitioners on the cutting edge and expert advice to help kick-start aspiring caterers' careers, Catering Management is an ideal all-purpose guide to the industry.