You don’t need a sales team to grow catering—you need a team that sees opportunities everywhere.
Years ago, I walked into a restaurant where the GM told me, “Our catering program is solid—orders go out, guests seem happy, and we’re staying busy.” But the moment I shadowed the front counter team and listened to how they spoke to customers, it became clear: they weren’t selling catering—they were fulfilling transactions. Nothing more.
The delivery drivers were efficient. The kitchen was humming. But no one on the floor had the mindset—or the training—to recognize an opportunity and take it.
And they’re not alone. Most operators treat catering sales as an “extra,” not a capability. It’s something you do after you’ve taken care of the line, rather than a skillset that’s baked into the business. But when you start treating catering sales like a core competency, everything changes.
Selling Doesn’t Mean Being Pushy—It Means Being Present
Let’s get one thing straight: I don’t believe in aggressive tactics or scripted upsells that make your team cringe. This isn’t about turning your staff into salespeople—it’s about turning them into advocates for the brand and solution-finders for the guest.
Selling in catering is often as simple as noticing. That guest who orders lunch for 10 every Thursday? She may be planning events for the whole quarter. That call-in order for 25 sandwiches? Could be the start of a recurring catering contract—if someone takes 30 seconds to ask a smart follow-up.
That’s the shift. Not pushing. Not convincing. Just being curious and confident enough to say, “We can help with that.”
But you can’t expect that mindset to show up on its own. It has to be modeled, coached, and recognized. And most importantly—it has to feel safe. Teams won’t sell if they’re afraid to mess up or unsure of what to say.
Culture First, Tools Second
In one concept I supported, we didn’t start by rolling out scripts or new flyers. We started by sharing stories—real ones. Like the FOH host who casually mentioned to a guest, “We do catering, by the way, if you ever need lunch for the office,” and landed a $2,000 recurring weekly order. Or the driver who noticed the office manager seemed frazzled during setup, stepped in to help arrange trays, and got invited back for an all-staff training next month.
These stories weren’t just motivational. They were educational. They showed the team what good looks like. We turned those wins into shout-outs at pre-shift meetings and reinforced them with small incentives—nothing big, just enough to show we noticed.
The sales started coming more naturally after that. Not because we forced it, but because we celebrated it.
Your Best Sales Team Might Already Be on Payroll
Here’s the secret: you don’t need to hire a dedicated outbound team to grow catering. You just need to coach the people who already interact with your guests.
That starts at the front counter. Every takeout transaction is a chance to mention larger orders, event menus, or recurring programs. Not in a “Can I interest you in…?” way, but in a genuine, helpful way.
It continues with delivery drivers—the most underrated sales asset in your business. They’re already inside the building. They’re already face-to-face with decision makers. And most importantly—they have a window to create trust.
When drivers are coached to represent the brand (not just drop off food), you gain a powerful point of influence. A smile, a “let me help you set this up,” a business card, or a quick mention of new menu options—that’s how future orders are won.
I’ve even seen drivers leave behind a handwritten thank-you note with their delivery. Guess what happened next? That company switched all future catering to our client—just because it felt more human.
This Is a Leadership Challenge—Not Just a Sales One
When catering sales aren’t happening, most operators assume they need more marketing. Maybe. But more often, it’s a sign of leadership misalignment.
If you’re not talking about catering sales in weekly meetings, your team won’t prioritize it.
If your KPIs don’t reflect it, your shift leads won’t track it.
And if you’re not reinforcing the wins—even small ones—your team will default to the safety of the known: take the order, ring the sale, move on.
That’s why building a sales culture is less about pressure and more about clarity. Make it easy for your team to know:
- What to look for
- What to say
- Who to tell
- And how it ties back to business goals and their personal pride
When a manager thanks a cashier for spotting a lead—or recognizes a driver who got a client to rebook—it sends a clear message: This matters.
Sales Grow When You Coach Confidence
One of the biggest misconceptions about sales is that it requires a certain “personality.” But I’ve seen the quietest kitchen team member make the most impactful catering pitch—because she had the confidence, context, and coaching to do it.
Confidence grows when we remove fear. When we give people language they can use without sounding robotic. When we help them see that offering catering isn’t bothering the guest—it’s serving the guest.
At one of my workshops, I asked team members to pair up and practice explaining the catering menu to a guest. The first round? Awkward. Mumbled. Hesitant. By round three? They sounded like pros—because someone took the time to guide them through it, rather than just handing them a flyer and saying, “Tell people about this.”
Training for catering sales shouldn’t be a one-time event. It’s a rhythm. A check-in. A culture of coaching, not correcting.
Final Thought: Sales Is a Behavior, Not a Department
Catering growth doesn’t come from a flashy marketing campaign or a big-budget brochure. It comes from daily behavior—noticed, coached, and repeated.
That’s what separates the brands that grow through catering and those that coast. Not talent. Not luck. Just focus.
When you treat catering sales as a skillset—trainable, repeatable, coachable—you unlock more than revenue. You build a team that’s invested in the growth of the business. A team that sees every guest as an opportunity. A team that takes pride not just in the food, but in the future they’re helping to build.
