FOOD CONSISTENCY To successfully create or establish a brand, your product MUST be consistent.

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1 LUNCH CATERING 1

2 LUNCH CATERING LUNCH CATERING 2 Resource Document Consistency, Consistency, Consistency FOOD CONSISTENCY To successfully create or establish a brand, your product MUST be consistent. ASSORTED CONFUSION Often, a customer will order ASSORTED sandwiches on the premise that they will receive a good variety with something for everyone. It is important that you define what assorted means. Otherwise, human nature dictates that it will vary depending on the preferences of the sandwich maker. EXAMPLE Company X orders 20 assorted sandwiches. What will they get? First, there should be consistency with your staff, and who does what every day. While we are strong advocates for employees being cross- trained as much as possible, consistency is important here. If three different people make your tuna salad in a given week, they need a recipe book defining how much mayonnaise per can of tuna. Without it, you will not have a reliable product, which is a building block of your brand. Think of your brand as a promise. You will never be known for having the best tuna salad this side of the Mississippi if it is being prepped differently day- to- day. If you want to be known for having the best tuna salad this side of the Mississippi on Wednesdays and Saturdays only, or when Emma makes it, go without a recipe book.

3 LUNCH CATERING 3 As often as possible, the same crew should produce the sandwiches every day. Hopefully you will reach a point when multiple people are required to keep up with the volume. So while Liz may make Company X s assortment on Monday, Bill may make them on Wednesday. Without written rules, Liz the vegetarian might include seven or eight vegetarian (too many), while Bill the carnivore, may include one or two (not enough). CATERING PLAYBOOK The key is: Everything needs to be in writing and clearly documented. That way, your well- intentioned employees are not guessing, or more likely, doing what seems right based on their own tastes. Having a comprehensive manual, which we call the Playbook, for your business will also eliminate the same questions being repeatedly asked, such as, How many slices of tomato go on a sandwich? or, How many vegetarian sandwiches should be on an assorted platter? or, When should I use horseradish spread instead of honey- mustard on a roast beef sandwich? If you have your Playbook you will LOVE the ability to say, Look in the book, it s all in there. Equally important, your Playbook should include situational policies. What will you employees do if there is no ham in the house, and the order they are working on has specified four ham sandwiches? Will they shrug their shoulders and say, Oh well? Will they substitute the next closest item that is available? Will they tell a supervisor? Will the customer be called? What if it happens again for the same customer? If it is not documented, you may have five employees handling the same situation five different ways. If standardizing and documenting your menu feels like a painful, arduous task, you re right it is.

4 LUNCH CATERING 4 If it feels very time consuming, right again. But if consistency is an essential ingredient for success, this is really, really important. If this is just not your thing or instead of transcribing your Playbook for your catering business undergoing a root canal without Novocain is preferable, our individual consulting services can custom design one for you. For the record, our decades of research have shown that the vast majority of restaurants and/or catering companies do NOT have written guidelines. So, if you are part of this group, do not beat yourself up; you are in the majority. The good news is that if you invest the time or have The Corporate Caterer create one, you will have an immediate advantage over your competition. Although it may feel far in the future, the day will come when you want to sell your business. Possessing your Playbook will absolutely, positively, without question, add value to what your business is worth. So, in answer to that what comes in a twenty sandwich assortment? question: TRY THIS 4- Turkey 4- Chicken Salad 3- Roast Beef 3- Tuna 2- Ham 4- Veggie Depending on what part of the country you are in, or what your specialties are, these numbers may shift proportionally. Most importantly, if Company ABC orders twenty assorted sandwiches for delivery on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, it should be the same, consistent assortment every time. You may be asking, Isn t variety a good thing? Well yes, variety can be a good thing. Over time, you don t want your regular customers getting bored with lunch.

5 LUNCH CATERING 5 Clients often ask, Doesn t variety contradict consistency? It is a great question. The answer is, The key is to have your variety be consistent as well. EXAMPLE Repeat customers are the life- blood of a corporate catering business. You want to be able to say, We would love an opportunity to cater your standing Monday lunch order for 30 people. I understand you want sandwiches, side salads, and desserts. Because we will be feeding the same people every week we suggest a consistent variety, within the framework of your budget. Here is an example of a four- week menu rotation. SANDWICHES Week #1 Substitute: Roasted Turkey with Smoked Turkey, Chicken Salad with Grilled Chicken Week #2 Substitute: Ham with Ham Salad, Tuna Salad with Egg Salad Week #3 Substitute: Egg Rolls with Bulkie Rolls, Rollup Bread with Pita Pockets Week #4 Substitute: Deli Mustard with Honey- Mustard, Mayonnaise with Russian Dressing SALADS Week #1 Substitute: Pasta Salad for 30 with Pasta Salad for 15 and Green Salad for 15 Week #2 Substitute: Potato Salad with Sweet Potato Salad Week #3 Substitute: Tossed Salad with Caesar Salad Week #4 Substitute: Seasonal Salad Special

6 LUNCH CATERING 6 DESERTS Week #1 Substitute: Brownies with Cookies Week #2 Substitute: Desserts for 30 with Desserts for 15 and Fruit Salad for 15 Week #3 Substitute: Cake Slices with Sheet Cake Week #4 Substitute: Mini Pastries with Chocolate Dipped Strawberries