By Kelly Grogan, Founder of CRUMBS
The best catering programs are not built on promotions. They are built on relationships.
At the start of a new year, it is tempting to focus only on near-term orders. But the operators who win the biggest catering moments later in the year are the ones who spend January building community connections. When teacher appreciation rolls around, when graduation parties start, when back-to-school hits, and when the holiday season returns, they are not introducing themselves. They are getting the call.
Below are six creative, relationship-first ways to grow catering in your local market, even when the immediate payoff is not obvious. These strategies are designed to put your brand in front of the right people now, so the catering orders follow later.
1) Win the youth audience, win the family
One of the most overlooked growth opportunities in catering starts with kids.
Kids influence where families eat. If you create loyalty with youth in your community, you often earn the entire household. More importantly, you build familiarity and trust with parents who work, plan events, and place orders.
A simple way to get involved is to tap into existing kids workshops hosted by brands like Home Depot, Lowe’s, and craft stores. These businesses bring parents and kids in with free activities. You can support those events by providing cookies, snack trays, or even a free meal voucher for every child who signs up. That voucher gets the family into your restaurant, which creates a real relationship instead of a one-time impression.
You can also host your own kids activity in your restaurant. Think about a monthly mini chef event where kids build a sandwich, decorate cookies, or tour the kitchen. The repetition is the magic. If your community begins to associate the first Saturday of the month with your restaurant, you are building a habit, not just awareness.
2) Partner with gyms and fitness studios for high-value local reach
Gyms are community hubs, especially in January. They are filled with motivated people who are building routines and paying for memberships. That typically means disposable income and consistent local presence.
Your goal is to help the gym add value to its membership. In return, you earn direct access to an ideal audience.
Here are a few partnership angles that work well:
- A member discount tied to proof of attendance, like showing the class app
- A free meal voucher for every new member who joins the gym
- A weekend pop-up table during peak class times to meet members and share offers
- A QR code entry to join your email club or enter a giveaway
This does not require a “healthy” restaurant concept. If you sell fried chicken sandwiches, you can still speak the gym’s language by highlighting protein options, bun alternatives, lettuce wraps, or better-for-you sides. The point is to start conversations with people who live or work nearby and are likely to host gatherings, feed families, or order for offices.
3) Apartment complexes are a built-in audience with constant demand
If you are not partnering with apartment complexes yet, start this month.
Apartment communities are centralized clusters of residents who eat locally, order delivery, and gather for events. Property managers are always looking for ways to build engagement, fill calendars, and differentiate their community.
Your outreach script can be simple:
“Can we help you host a tenant appreciation day this month?”
That question removes the friction for the property manager. They do not need to research vendors, manage logistics, or create ideas from scratch. You are offering a turnkey win.
Tenant appreciation can take many forms:
- Morning lobby setup for grab-and-go breakfast
- Box lunch pop-up residents can take to work
- Early evening snack table during the after-work window
- A simple giveaway of free lunch cards or branded offers
The immediate return is brand familiarity. The long-term return is relationship. When residents love the experience, property management often calls you back for staff lunches, resident events, and future catering.
4) Coworking spaces are the modern office lobby
Remote and hybrid work have changed catering patterns, but they have not removed demand. They have redistributed it.
Coworking spaces are full of professionals who spend hours on-site and eventually need food. Many of these spaces also want perks that help them retain members.
You can support them by:
- Hosting a pop-up inside the space
- Leaving coupons or a rotating offer for members
- Creating a simple promo code just for that coworking community
- Providing a “member perk” card that makes them feel valued
The key is not dropping menus and leaving. It is building a relationship with the person who runs the space. Ask how you can add value to their membership, then design a simple partnership that is easy for them to promote.
5) Scouts and youth organizations create long-term loyalty and real community ties
Scouts, youth groups, and similar organizations gather consistently. Parents coordinate. Leaders plan. Fundraising is constant. That means there are always opportunities to support the mission and build relationships.
Ways to partner include:
- Hosting a meeting in your restaurant with a simple food offer
- Helping them earn badges through culinary, finance, or service-related activities
- Supporting community service projects, like building and donating boxed lunches
- Running a fundraiser strategy that is manageable for both sides
When youth groups gather in your space, it creates energy and visibility. It also puts you face-to-face with parents, who are often the same people placing school orders, office orders, and team meals.
6) Stop giving away “free catering” and start giving away “free parties”
One of the most powerful local marketing tactics is the monthly party giveaway.
Many people outside of our industry do not fully understand the word “catering.” But everyone understands a party. A free party for six, hosted by their favorite local restaurant, is easy to visualize and emotionally compelling.
Commit to giving away one party per month. Promote it:
- In your restaurant with a clear QR code sign-up
- On social media with a simple entry mechanic
- Through your email list to build momentum
- By reaching out proactively to local businesses and surprising them
If you do one thing differently, do this: make the giveaway entry digital. QR codes eliminate messy handwriting and manual data entry. You can even use a QR code that pre-populates a text message so the customer only has to hit send.
Your only “requirement” can be the ability to take photos and share on social. Nearly everyone says yes. Then your giveaway becomes content, buzz, and database growth all at once.
Bonus: Tax season is your next three-month opportunity
If you want a near-term outreach target with real catering upside, look at tax season.
Tax offices and accounting firms ramp up hours, add staff, and push through long days. Employees want food that keeps them working. Customers waiting for appointments are a captive audience.
Become the go-to partner by:
- Offering easy staff meal packages
- Placing an eye-catching table offer in waiting areas
- Dropping menus with a simple “scan for a free item” hook
- Starting with your own accountant and asking how you can support their team
This is not about hoping someone sees your catering menu. It is about placing a clear, specific offer that prompts action while people are already sitting and waiting.
Final thought
January is relationship season. It is when you plant the seeds that become the biggest catering orders later in the year.
Pick one partnership idea from this list and implement it this month. Your future pipeline will thank you.
If you want more playbooks like this, plus peer support from operators who are building smarter catering programs, join CaterLinked. It is free for catering professionals and built to help you connect, learn, and grow inside a community that understands your world.
About the Author
Kelly Grogan is the Founder of CRUMBS and host of Restaurant Catering Crumbs on CaterLinked. She is a hospitality executive known for driving revenue growth across B2B and B2C environments through strategic partnerships, hands-on leadership, and relationship-first sales strategy. Kelly has built and scaled sales programs at both corporate and local levels and is passionate about helping restaurant teams grow catering through community connection, operational consistency, and smart marketing.
