 Over the past few years, the expense and challenges of the operating environment have made it necessary for restaurant operators to think more creatively about their business models. For many operators, running a dining room with takeout capabilities is no longer enough to get by – or certainly to grow. As a result, restaurants have been conceiving of new ways to extend their brand well beyond their walls. Restaurants have been reimagined into businesses that are far more multidimensional than they once were – and this is an exciting thing for the industry, even as the outlook for 2024 appears to be more optimistic than it has been in recent years. Beyond the dining room, some operators have been creating retail operations that offer select foods from the restaurant that guests can prepare for special gatherings at home. Some have been diving into education, offering guests an opportunity to learn about regional wines, make handmade pasta or bake pastries. Others are operating wholesale foodservice businesses that ship food to other restaurants around the country, helping them draw revenue during times when their own restaurant is experiencing slower periods. These developments are allowing operators to think beyond the daypart when considering sources of revenue: They are crafting recurring revenue streams through subscription services, for example, and offering classes and events that tap into consumers’ year-round desire to improve their lives by learning new skills. In so doing, these restaurants are weaving themselves into their guests’ lives in different ways. It’s a good way to build loyalty, operate leanly, and offer new kinds of development opportunities to the people you want to hire and retain.
 At a time when having multiple income streams is vital for restaurant brands, catering services can be an important contributor to the bottom line. Last year, business-to-business catering sales rebounded to 2019 levels, according to remarks by Jim Rand, founder of CaterStrat, at an education session at the recent National Restaurant Association Show. What’s more, he said segment leaders such as Panera and Olive Garden don’t command a majority of overall catering sales, so there is ample room for smaller brands to carve out their own niches in catering for consumers and events. Now that COVID-19 seems to be receding into the distance, consumers and organizations are looking for opportunities to gather with friends and staff again. Fine-tuning your catering capabilities now can help you take advantage of summer sales and also give you some momentum to capture catering orders leading into the holiday season. As a recent Restaurant Dive report advises, developing business in this area requires many of the same approaches operators use to strengthen other parts of restaurant sales right now: ensuring orders are accurate, consistent and quick. (This is especially true for corporate catering, for which a restaurant generally doesn’t have more than one or two chances to recover after an error with an order.) Having a catering-specific ordering platform can help support these customers, along with a marketing strategy to spread the word about your brand and its catered offerings.
 When the economy is struggling or feels uncertain, marketing budgets can take a hit as business owners tighten their belts. Still, it continues to be important to get the word out about your restaurant – even if you don’t have the budget you’d like at the moment. It may help to look at your existing streams of income and focus on building up those that are inherently helpful in marketing your restaurant. Catering is one likely possibility. It can be a valuable tool for growing brand awareness – all while allowing a restaurant to maximize efficiencies when it comes to inventory and staffing. Rob McColgan, CEO of Modern Restaurant Concepts, said in a recent interview with Modern Restaurant Management that he sees catering as an essential marketing component that helps drive the overall success of his restaurant’s brands. It can open doors for a restaurant trying to gain traction in new markets, as well as allow a business to access new pockets of guests at scale. Even though business catering may not be back to pre-pandemic levels, this simply means there are other potential opportunities restaurants can now tap into for group business. Consider the social gatherings happening in your community – book clubs, community service meetings and school-related gatherings, to name a few. These outlets can serve as free marketing opportunities that organically drive interest and help spread the word about your business.
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