11.03.11: Caterer & Hotelkeeper

Getting the first contract

Food service consultant Chris Stern conducted the Pinewood tender that ultimately ended in success for Couture. He shares his thoughts on breaking into a marketplace where reputation remains key to winning business.

It's tough for new catering companies to get their first job, as few clients want to try an unproven business - the recent decline of Restaurants at Work has scared off even more from taking a risk.

The key to success is ideally to have a clear USP. It's also helpful if the principals in the business have a track record. At Pinewood there was a unique situation; this is a commercial client whose core business is in itself risky, so they were less afraid of taking a risk with their caterer and looking for something different to what they had.

These sorts of opportunities are rare but still come up from time to time. Some companies like the kudos associated with being an early adopter of a hot new company - the challenge is in picking the right ones. Couture's success at Pinewood is proof positive that sometimes it's a risk worth taking. We could also point to BaxterStorey's early days when a large, prestigious law client took them on when they had no contracts. They still hold that contract today and, like Couture, are doing a great job.

Full article:

http://www.caterersearch.com/Articles/2011/03/11/337405/The-secrets-of-Couture39s-success.htm