Jennie-O Premium Turkey Breast Products - Turkey that Turns Up the Quality - banner - both - 02.20

Simplot Sidewinders - Bendy is Trendy - banner - both - 01.20

General Mills - Gluten Free Options - banner - both - 03.18

Simplot RoastWorks - skyscraper - both - 01.20

Tyson - Bonici - Crave Chorizo - skyscraper - both - 04.21

Savor the Experience - OE - banner - 09.29 - 12.28.25

Banner Ad - 4 - PICs - Operator - supersized

Check Out the Major Products Product Guide - skyscraper - OE - 03.22

Sugar Foods - Add Savory Beet Notes Crispy Beets skyscraper - both - 05.18

Basic American Shred Competition operator banner ad - 12.17

Cargill - Truvia Sweet Customer Satisfaction Naturally - skyscraper - both - 03.19

Jennie-O Premium Turkey Breast Turkey that Turns Up the Quality - skyscraper - both - 02.20

Nestle Minors Slow Simmered Stock - Free Sample - skyscraper - both - 02.20

Hormel - Bacon 1 - Full Case of Bacon No Grease - skyscraper - both - 02.20

Simplot Delivery Solved - Conquest Fries - banner - both - 08.20

Essity - Clean Dry Hands - banner - OE - 03.17

Nestle Stouffers White Cheddar Mac and Cheese - skyscraper - both - 08.18

Jennie-O Take Burgers Over the Top with Turkey - skyscraper - both - 03.20

Chef-mate We Can Better - skyscraper - both - 06.23

Cargill - Truvia Serve Americas Best Selling Stevia Sweetener - banner - both - 03.19

Butterball - Quality, Versatility, and Consistency - banner - both - 07.19

Jennie-O No Basic Burger Here - banner - both - 03.20

Simplot Conquest Crispy Potato Strips - skyscraper - both - 01.20

Award Winning Flavor is Here - 2025 Food & Beverage Awards - banner - OE - 06.03 - 12.31.25

Nestle - Hot Cocoa Single-Serve Packets - banner - both - 09.21

Honest Earth - Better Potatoes for a Better World - skyscraper - both - 05.23

This Soup Can Do That Chicken Noodle - both - skyscraper - 10.03.25

Sugar Foods - Add Savory Beet Notes Crispy Beets banner - both - 05.18

Nestle Stouffers Can Your Classics Do This Recipe Ideas - banner - both - 01.20

Reel in Greater Appeal - skyscraper - both - 10.22

Banner Ad - 2 - MM - Food calculator - Operator - Supersized

Savor the Experience - OE - skyscraper - 09.29 - 12.28.25

This Soup Can Do That Cream of Chicken Garlic Parm Chicken - both - banner - 10.03.25

Dan's Prize Sliced Meats Convenience - banner - both - 04.20

Savor Imports - banner - both - 06.24

Hormel - Bacon 1 - You've Never Seen Bacon Like This - banner - both - 02.20

Simplot - Delivery Solved - Conquest Fries - skyscraper - both - 08.20

Ready to Eat Frozen Vegetables - banner - both - 03.23

Certified Cage-Free Egg Bites - Portable, Protein-Packed Breakfast - banner - both - 09.23

Tyson Cortona Pepperoni - skyscraper OE 1.23

Sugar Foods ecoSticks Beautiful Inside and Out - banner - both - 04.18

Essity - Impress Your Guests - banner - OE - 03.17

Sugar Foods Deliver It Better - banner - both - 04.20

Indiana Packers - Vertical Integration - skyscraper - both - 07.21

Hormel - Fire-Braised Chicken - Now Serving Flame-Seared Perfection - skyscraper - both - 02.20

Entree Redi Wild Alaska Pollock - banner - both - 08.25

Indiana Packers - All-in-One Pork Supplier - banner - both - 07.21

Knorr's Cook with More Possibilities - skyscraper - both - 09.24

Catch of the Season - banner - both - 07.22

Deliver Flavor and Value with Galbani Mozzarella - skyscraper - both - 07.22

Skyscraper Ad - MM -  Beat - Operator

This Soup Can Do That Mushroom Dijon Chicken - both - skyscraper - 10.03.25

Cargill - Truvia Sweet Customer Satisfaction Naturally - banner - both - 03.19

Ambrosia Chocolate - banner - both - 03.23

Find Fresh Inspiration - skyscraper - both - 08.22

Butterball - Your Trusted Partner - skyscraper - both - 07.19

Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt banner - both - 04.23

Dixie Ultra Surface Systems - skyscraper - both - 02.23

Nestle White Cheddar Mac - Customize Creamy Comfort - banner - both - 04.19

Wild Alaska Keta Salmon - banner - both - 08.25

Sugar Foods Deliver It Better - skyscraper - both - 04.20

Nestle White Cheddar Mac - Customize Creamy Comfort - skyscraper - both - 04.19

Nestle - Every Season is Pumpkin Season - skyscraper - both - 08.18

Knorr's Cook with More Possibilities - banner - both - 09.24

Simplot Harvest Fresh Avocados - skyscraper - both - 01.20

Seafood is Better - skyscraper - both - 05.21

Sugar Foods Barista Blend - skyscraper - both - 04.17

McCain - Tactical Takeout Webinar - skyscraper - both - 05.20

Empress 5-Compartment School Food Tray - 05.22

Banner Ad - 3 - OE - Operator - supersized

Performance Dairy Convenience and Consistency - banner - both - 04.24

Simplot - Pineapple Perfected - RoastWorks - skyscraper - both - 08.20

Dixie Ultra Surface Systems - banner - both - 02.23

This Soup Can Do That Tomato Chicken Tinga and Ratatouille - both - banner - 10.03.25

Performance Dairy Clarified Butter - banner - both - 04.24

Performance Dairy Extra Melt - banner - both - 04.24

Sugar Foods ecoStick Dispensers Beverage Station - skyscraper - both -10.16

La Ranchera Birria Base - both - 09.24

Tyson - Jimmy Dean - Loaded with Flavor - banner - both - 04.21

Indiana Packers - Vertical Integration - banner - both - 07.21

Wild Alaska Burgers - banner - both - 04.25

Shrimp that Brings the Big Picture - skyscraper - both - 11.22

Banner Ad - 1 - MM - Recipes - Operator - supersized

Sugar Foods ecoStick Less Waste - banner - both - 10.16

Performance Dairy Craveable Flavor and Time Savings - banner - both - 04.24

Wild Alaska Keta Salmon - skyscraper - both - 08.25

Hormel - Fontanini - Handcrafted Family Recipes - skyscraper - both - 02.20

Mini Cinnamon Swirl French Toast - banner - both - 09.23

Nestle White Cheddar Mac - Mac Pizza - skyscraper - both - 04.19

Sunny Fresh Egg Bake Bites - banner - both - 03.23

Dan's Prize Pot Roast, Prime Rib, Short Ribs Time-Intensive Proteins Made Easy - banner - both - 04.20

Hormel - Fontanini - Handcrafted Meats - Unparalleled Flavor - banner - both - 02.20

Seafood is Better - banner - both - 05.21

Nestle Minors Slow-Simmered Stock - Free Sample - banner - both - 02.20

Rich's Plant Based and Gluten Free Crusts - banner - both - 07.18

Hormel - Bacon 1 - Great Bacon in Half the Time - skyscraper - both - 02.20

Ambrosia Chocolate - skyscraper - both - 03.23

Nestle Vitality - Build a Refreshing Beverage Program - banner - both - 04.20

Sunny Fresh Egg Bake Bites - skyscraper - both - 03.23

Simply Potatoes Low Sodium Mashed Potatoes - skyscraper - both - 09.23

It&rsquo;s time to get ready for the season&rsquo;s cheer. Do you realize that on average, the holidays account for 20% of a restaurant&rsquo;s annual sales, according to a survey of 300 independent and small-chain restaurants conducted for spoton.com? For fine dining establishments, the holiday contribution to annual sales is much higher, accounting for 49% of their annual sales on average.1 To make the most of the season and boost profits, position your restaurant as the top source for festive fare this holiday season with these best practices.
Feature menu claims
Incorporating high-quality ingredients with claims consumers want can provide an elevated feel to your offerings. Consider, instead of just having a choice of chicken or beef, being able to promote no antibiotics ever chicken and angus beef or organic chicken and grass-fed beef. Having tiers of options for premium proteins can support higher prices and higher margins.
Panera, for example, offers multiple catering options year-round and exclaims its ingredient story throughout its website and marketing materials.2 Known for the use of seasonal ingredients, cage-free eggs, and chicken and turkey raised without antibiotics, Panera presents as an elevated casual option for catering business and social events.
Customize your menu
Consider giving the standard turkey a makeover according to your culinary style. In New York City, Japanese-Italian fine dining eatery Kimika turned porchetta into Turchetta by forgoing pork in favor of a turkey breast for an Italian Thanksgiving version.3 If barbecue is your style, consider offering a whole pit-smoked turkey.
You can also make the sides equal culinary standouts. In Jersey City, New Jersey, Maritime Parc featured walnut butter-roasted Brussels sprouts on its Thanksgiving feast.3 Appetizers also play a role in coaxing additional catering sales. For large gatherings, consider offering three different appetizers and provide a mix of cheesy, crunchy, crispy and sweet items. Including red and green holiday colors can get people in the festive spirit.4
For better operational efficiency, consider purchasing value-added ingredients like salad mixes, pre-cut fruits and vegetables, and pre-breaded and cooked proteins. You&rsquo;ll find that labor-saving ingredients can help you succeed during the holiday rush even if you&rsquo;re short-staffed.
Special bundles and combos
There are many ways to provide holiday catering solutions for customers who are looking to outsource part&mdash;or all&mdash; of their holiday cooking. Farmhouse Feasts, for example, is Bob Evans&rsquo; brand name for its collection of holiday fare. This includes a cold-packed choice of turkey, pot roast or hickory-smoked ham and a variety of sides with fresh-baked rolls and pumpkin pie in quantities to serve four, eight or up to 10 people. Customers can heat and serve the meals in two hours or less. Hot family meals that feed up to six people are also available for curbside pickup, carryout or delivery during Thanksgiving week.5
In the event a family or gathering has the entree covered but would like to supplement it with some traditional sides, Bob Evans also offers family-size versions of dressing and of mashed potatoes with gravy that start at $9.99.5
Effective promotions
Make your brand more visible by promoting your holiday offerings on-site and across digital channels. At a minimum, make sure you announce your offerings on social media with plenty of time for customers to make orders. If you do email marketing, be sure to personalize the messages, not only individually, but by segment. For example, use one email to target your subscribers who engage with you and another for those who don&rsquo;t.6
Don&rsquo;t forget to promote your holiday catered offerings on-site beginning in October or early November. Consider the following ideas to ensure your promotion is effective:
<ul>
<li>Train and incentivize front-of-house staff to mention it.</li>
<li>Announce it via posters and with postcards in check holders and takeout bags.</li>
<li>Include a QR code on your print promotional materials to direct customers to a holiday party page on your website.6</li>
</ul>
Seek to enhance your year-end profits by positioning yourself as a key contributor to your guests&rsquo; successful holiday celebrations. Begin with the superior meal quality strategically packaged into versatile bundle options. Then dynamically promote these offerings with all the resources at your disposal for success.
Content courtesy of <a href="https://www.perduefoodservice.com/resources/trends-insights/3-profitable-holiday-catering-best-practices/" target="_blank">Perdue Foodservice</a>
12022 State of Restaurant Tech Report, <a href="https://www.spoton.com/blog/2022-state-of-restaurant-tech-report/" target="_blank">https://www.spoton.com/blog/2022-state-of-restaurant-tech-report/</a>
2The Familiar, Made Fantastic&trade;, Our Food, Panera, <a href="https://www.panerabread.com/en-us/food-values/food-beliefs.html" target="_blank">https://www.panerabread.com/en-us/food-values/food-beliefs.html</a>
3&ldquo;How Your Restaurant can Offer Holiday Catering,&rdquo; pos.toasttab.com, <a href="https://pos.toasttab.com/blog/on-the-line/catering-holidays" target="_blank">https://pos.toasttab.com/blog/on-the-line/catering-holidays</a>
4&ldquo;A Holiday Party Caterer&rsquo;s 10 Tips for Making Your Party Festive and Fun,&rdquo; Amysculinaryadventures.com, <a href="https://www.amysculinaryadventures.com/post/a-holiday-party-caterer-s-10-tips-for-making-your-party-festive-and-fun" target="_blank">https://www.amysculinaryadventures.com/post/a-holiday-party-caterer-s-10-tips-for-making-your-party-festive-and-fun</a>
5&ldquo;Bob Evans Restaurants is Putting the Focus Back on Family Time with Complete Holiday Meals to Go for Thanksgiving and Holiday Gatherings,&rdquo; Bob Evans, Nov. 4, 2022, <a href="https://www.prweb.com/releases/2022/11/prweb19000853.htm" target="_blank">https://www.prweb.com/releases/2022/11/prweb19000853.htm</a>
6&ldquo;8 Holiday Party Tips to Drive Restaurant Profit,&rdquo; sevenrooms.com, Oct. 6, 2021, <a href="https://sevenrooms.com/en/blog/8-holiday-party-tips-to-drive-restaurant-profit/" target="_blank">https://sevenrooms.com/en/blog/8-holiday-party-tips-to-drive-restaurant-profit/</a>

To make the most of the season and boost profits, position your restaurant as the top source for festive fare this holiday season with these best practices.

3 Profitable Holiday Catering Best Practices

Catering is one of the most rewarding areas of foodservice, offering chefs and operators the chance to showcase creativity, design unique menus, and create memorable experiences for clients and guests. At the same time, catering presents unique operational challenges: food must travel, be held safely in temporary setups, and served efficiently without compromising quality or safety. Unlike restaurants with fixed kitchens and stable systems, caterers operate in unpredictable environments from ballrooms to outdoor tents, from office lobbies to even parking lots.
That unpredictability is what makes catering exciting, but it also raises the stakes. Food safety lapses in catering can spread quickly, leaving not only guests sick but reputations damaged beyond repair. The best caterers understand that success doesn&rsquo;t rest on the menu alone: it rests on earned trust through discipline, consistency, and safety at every step.
Here are five best practices that outline catering excellence today, paired with simple, practical tools that can help operators execute them.
1. Reduce Risk of Cross-Contamination
<ul>
<li>Operational Complexity: Every catering operation begins with preparation, and this is where the foundation of food safety is laid. Cross-contamination is one of the biggest hazards in any kitchen, and catering prep often involves juggling large amounts of raw proteins alongside ready-to-eat items.</li>
<li>Right tool for the task: The best caterers build safeguards into their systems, using disposable gloves - often task-specific or color-coded - to establish barriers that reduce mistakes and prevent pathogens from spreading across food.</li>
</ul>
2. Maintain Safe Food Temperatures
<ul>
<li>Operational Complexity: Few challenges are as critical - or as difficult - as temperature control. Food safety rules are clear: hot items must remain above 140&deg;F and cold items below 40&deg;F.1 The challenge is keeping food out of the danger zone while it&rsquo;s being transported, staged, or served in temporary setups.</li>
<li>Right tool for the task: Caterers are increasingly relying on steam pan liners which help retain heat and cold more effectively while also preventing direct contact between food and equipment. This added consistency protects both food quality and safety &ndash; all while cutting labor costs and increasing efficiencies.</li>
</ul>
3. Limit Direct Contact with Food
<ul>
<li>Operational Complexity: Speed defines catering service. Whether it&rsquo;s a wedding or a corporate lunch, hundreds of guests often need to be served in a short window of time. The temptation to cut corners is real, especially in venues where handwashing stations aren&rsquo;t convenient. But every unnecessary touchpoint creates risk.</li>
<li>Right tool for the task: That&rsquo;s why smart caterers train their teams to lean on protective barriers like disposable aprons, hairnets and bouffant caps or chef hats, and a wide variety of disposable gloves, which reduce bare-hand contact and reinforce a culture of food safety without slowing service. Make sure to include the proper handwashing techniques and glove changes between tasks or when they become soiled, torn, or have been worn more than four hours.</li>
</ul>
4. Standardize Portions for Control and Safety
<ul>
<li>Operational Complexity: Consistency matters in catering, for presentation as well as for safety and compliance. A diabetic-friendly or low-sodium meal isn&rsquo;t safe if portions are improvised on the fly. Portion control also reduces waste and ensures each guest receives an equal share.</li>
<li>Right tool for the task: The solution is simple: use pre-portioning bags to streamline prep and service. This approach keeps portions accurate, minimizes last-minute handling, and helps kitchens deliver with both precision and speed while reducing food waste and increasing efficiency.</li>
</ul>
5. Strengthen Transport and Cleanup Practices
<ul>
<li>Operational Complexity: Food safety doesn&rsquo;t end when dishes leave the kitchen. In fact, some of the greatest risks occur during transport and after service. Spills, leaks, or exposure en route can undermine hours of careful preparation. Cleanup after an event can also increase exposure if staff handle soiled equipment or contaminated surfaces.</li>
<li>Right tool for the task: That&rsquo;s why successful caterers depend on reclosable bags and pan liners to keep food protected in motion and to make cleanup faster and safer once the event ends.</li>
</ul>
Earned Trust through Discipline and Reliable Disposable Tools
Great catering isn&rsquo;t defined only by inventive menus or flawless presentation. It&rsquo;s defined by earned trust: the trust that food is safe, consistent, and handled with care from preparation through cleanup. Clients expect meals that delight, but they also expect confidence in how that food was managed along the way.
By adopting disciplined best practices and pairing them with reliable disposable tools, caterers can navigate the unpredictability of their work with professionalism. In doing so, they not only protect their guests but also safeguard the reputation and long-term success of their business in one of the toughest, most rewarding corners of foodservice.
1<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/food-safety/prevention/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/keep-food-safe.html" target="_blank">About Four Steps to Food Safety, Food Safety, CDC</a>, 2024

Here are five best practices that outline catering excellence today, paired with simple, practical tools that can help operators execute them.

Five Best Practices That Separate Great Caterers from the Rest

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Safety & Sanitation

3 Profitable Holiday Catering Best Practices

Five Best Practices That Separate Great Caterers from the Rest