Why Catering Delivery is the Next Big Opportunity

Catering delivery continues to be a massive opportunity in the hospitality and event industry. In fact, according to the most recent catering services market report, the catering industry is predicted to grow by $104.92 billion between 2020 to 2025. If you haven’t yet leveraged catering delivery, now is the time to focus on your catering delivery services.

What is catering delivery?

You probably understand the basic concept of catering delivery. Simply put, it is prepared food and beverage that is ordered in advance and then delivered to a specific location. The catering order is placed for a scheduled off-premise event that includes weddings, social gatherings, and corporate events. Size, budget, menus, à la carte options, and amenities can vary.

But what you may not have considered is the changing landscape of who is providing these delivered meals for events. 

Traditionally, catering companies, hotels, and select restaurants offered catering delivery. We are excited to see more types of food service and event businesses have recently added catering to their business models, including unique venues, personal chefs, ghost kitchens, food trucks, and more. 

Why is online catering and delivery growing?

The food service industry was, without a doubt, hit particularly hard over the past couple of years. Yet, resiliency and creativity made many try new business practices to generate much-needed revenue. 

One of these profound operational shifts was online ordering and catering delivery. It was trial by fire for many food and beverage businesses that opted to fulfill online orders and deliver catered food to supplement the loss of revenue from on-premise dining and events. There was an explosion of hybrid business models that retained a dine-in experience but added off-premise delivered catering services and brought in significant revenue.

Today, as we look ahead at a growing market where consumers are scheduling events, catering plays a huge part. The number of weddings is expected to rise to 2.5 million, a substantial increase compared to pre-pandemic numbers. Corporate events are also expected to be a booming category that has shifted dramatically since offices have re-opened for workers and companies are adding delivered meals as an employee benefit. 

Additionally, we are witnessing many existing restaurants, hotels, and more entering the catering space. New catering entrepreneurs are also starting their businesses. 

How technology plays a role in catering delivery growth and success

There has been an unprecedented mass adoption of technology, especially within the food and beverage industry. Most clients now expect convenience-focused offerings. Interestingly, the catering business has been a bit behind in the digital shift, but this is undoubtedly expected to change as catering demand grows. 

In the hospitality and event business, cloud-based tech solutions are sought after to replace legacy systems. We anticipate those businesses entering the catering market will utilize technology to streamline their business and handle many more catering deliveries.

Choose the right tools for catering delivery at your business

Tripleseat+ Direct enables restaurants and hotels to offer on-premise and off-premise events and catering to be booked by their clients directly from their website, social media platforms, or EventUp. Tripleseat+ Direct provides your customers with a simple online booking solution where they can book, plan, and pay for in-house private events, off-site catering, pickup, and delivery with zero friction.

If your venue isn’t using Tripleseat+ Direct yet, head on over to our Tripleseat+ Direct page for more information or to book a demo.