Here Comes the Bridezilla

I've got a tasting for a catering gig tomorrow. My goal for the coming year is to capture as much catering business as possible. In years past catering was something I did, but only for really agreeable people, who wanted to spend decent money. I didn't have the staff and nearly all the gigs here are in the middle of summer, when we're insanely busy anyway. Now though, I have a good stable of people who have worked for me in the past, who have straight jobs now, and they're available summer weekends. I've also got a tentative agreement with a friend who got out of the kitchen a while back and is ready to get back in on a limited basis.

What I have done in past years are tastings, mostly not trying to get the catering job, but trying for the rehearsal dinner business. The rehearsals are easy, smaller numbers, less on the line, people usually more agreeable, and I don't have to pack anything up or divert staff from the restaurant. I still want the rehearsals.

My problem is I've refined my pitch to not get the job and have done it for so many years, it's hard to shake. I need to get back to selling, and trying to actually get the business.

Comments

[kudzu]

I gather it is not like riding a bicycle.

Good luck!

[Charge Controller]

Since you are having a problem with getting the business you want, hire someone to do it for you, or have one of your staff sell the gig.
Hope this helps.

[Chocolategirl]

As a caterer who has done many, many tastings I find your post interesting. How would you "not get"
the wedding but land the rehearsal dinner ?!?! That is really wily...do you change your presentation, offer less food, plead you are understaffed ? It's true some clients who request tastings are less than desirable, I did a tasting for six people once who were the weirdest family I'd ever encountered. Bridezillas, overbearing mother-in-laws, food allergies, in todays economy the company I work for loaded on the jobs to make the profit margin and to hell with the consequences for the poor slobs in the kitchen churning out H'ors-D'oevres by the thousand....if I didn't love to cook I'd bolt !