How do I check a catering company’s tastings and consultation process?
Sit in on a tasting and a consultation, then read the notes and follow-up that came after. Ask who leads them, what they cost, how many turn into bookings and what clients say about the experience. If one person runs every tasting, the sales process depends on them.
A tasting is where a catering company wins or loses a client. Ask to attend one, or at least see the materials: the menu samples, the questionnaire, the quote template and the follow-up email. Watch how the host listens, handles dietary needs and answers questions about price.
Then look at the numbers behind it. Ask how many tastings happen, how many become bookings and how long the decision takes. Check whether tastings are free or charged, and how the cost of food and staff time is handled. Read client feedback, especially from people who did not book, to learn where the process loses them.
Finally, find out who does the work. If the owner is the face of the consultation, ask how that would change under you. Look at whether anyone else has been trained, whether the process is written down and whether the company records client preferences for later events. A repeatable system is worth more to you than a talented host who leaves. Ask what the tasting menu costs the company to put on, and who buys and prepares the samples. Check how the company follows up with people who did not book, and whether anyone keeps records on what clients asked for.
Key takeaways
- Attend a tasting and review the follow-up that comes after it.
- Ask how many tastings turn into bookings and where clients drop out.
- Find out whether anyone besides the owner can run a consultation.
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Succession
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Sources
This answer is checked against primary sources. Links were last confirmed on the dates shown.
- 01Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentHow to conduct due diligence when buying a business
- 02Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentWhat are the steps to buying a business?
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