# How to Get Catering Clients: Corporate Accounts, Venues and Repeat Bookings

> How to get catering clients: win repeat corporate lunch accounts, get on venue and planner preferred lists, use ezCater or Just Eat for Business wisely, convert inquiries with tastings and clear contracts, and handle US/UK allergen rules.

Source: https://fullybookedguides.com/blog/how-to-get-clients-catering-business/
Published: 2026-10-05 · Category: Food Business · Publisher: Fully Booked Guides

**Short answer:** Most small caterers get their best clients from **repeat corporate accounts and referral partners**, not one-off ads. Win a few offices that order lunch every week, get onto venues' and wedding planners' preferred-caterer lists, and turn inquiries into bookings with a fast proposal, a tasting and clear written terms. Behind all of that you need a menu that is easy to quote, allergen information you can stand behind, and reviews from real events.

This guide is for independent caterers and small catering companies in the US and the UK, whether you cook for drop-off office lunches, full-service weddings or private parties. It covers which clients to chase first, how to work with venues and planners, using marketplaces, turning inquiries into deposits, and the allergen, licensing and tax rules that clients will ask about. If you also sell from a counter, our [bakery marketing ideas](https://fullybookedguides.com/blog/bakery-marketing-ideas/) and [food truck marketing ideas](https://fullybookedguides.com/blog/food-truck-marketing-ideas/) cover the walk-in side.

**Key takeaways**

-   Corporate clients who order every week or month give you the steady base that one-off parties can't.
-   Venues and event planners are your biggest referral sources. Being on their preferred list can fill your calendar.
-   Marketplaces such as ezCater (US) or Just Eat for Business (UK) can bring first orders, but plan to move repeat clients to direct ordering where their terms allow.
-   Speed wins inquiries. Reply the same day with a clear proposal, then offer a tasting for larger events.
-   Put deposits, final numbers deadlines, cancellation and service charges in writing before you take money.
-   Allergen information is a legal duty and a selling point: 9 major allergens in the US, 14 in the UK.

## Which catering clients should you go after first?

Go after the clients who will book you again: offices, venues and planners first, then private events. A wedding is a big order, but it usually happens once. An office that orders a team lunch every Thursday can be worth more over a year, and it gives you predictable shopping, prep and staffing.

| Client type | How they buy | What wins them |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Corporate offices | Office managers, executive assistants (US) or PAs (UK) order team lunches, meeting platters and staff events | Reliable delivery times, easy reordering, clear labeling, invoices that fit their accounts process |
| Event venues | Keep a preferred or exclusive caterer list and recommend it to every couple and event client | A good tasting for the venue team, smooth load-in, insurance and hygiene paperwork ready |
| Wedding and event planners | Recommend two or three caterers per event and protect their own reputation | Consistency, quick quotes, flexible menus, staff who work well with other suppliers |
| Private hosts | Birthdays, anniversaries, graduation parties, memorials; often search online or ask friends | Simple packages, friendly guidance on quantities, reviews and photos from similar events |
| Schools, charities and community groups | Board meetings, fundraisers, galas; often need quotes in advance for a committee | Fixed per-head pricing, dietary options, written quotes they can share |

Pick one or two of these as your focus for the next six months. A caterer who tries to market to everyone at once ends up with a website that speaks to no one. Our guide to [client acquisition strategies](https://fullybookedguides.com/blog/client-acquisition-strategies/) explains how to choose a target client and build your outreach around them.

## How do caterers win corporate lunch accounts?

Make it easy for one person in an office to order from you again and again. That person is usually an office manager, executive assistant or PA, and their goal is simple: lunch arrives on time, everyone can eat it, and nobody complains.

1.  **Build a short corporate menu.** Boxed lunches, sharing platters and breakfast trays with per-head prices and a minimum order. Label every item for dietary needs and allergens.
2.  **List nearby offices.** Business parks, coworking spaces, law and accounting firms, clinics, real estate offices and schools within your delivery area.
3.  **Drop off a sample.** A small tray of your best items with a printed menu and a simple ordering link often opens more doors than a cold email.
4.  **Follow up once, then offer a first-order discount** or a free dessert tray with the first booking.
5.  **Make reordering effortless.** Save each client's usual order, send a reminder before regular meetings, and invoice the way their finance team prefers.
6.  **Ask for introductions.** Office managers talk to other office managers, and many move between companies.

Keep in touch with corporate clients by email, not just when they need you. In the US, marketing emails must follow CAN-SPAM; in the UK, PECR applies, and business email addresses at limited companies are treated differently from sole traders' and personal addresses, so check the ICO's guidance before you add anyone to a list.

## How do you get on venues' and planners' preferred caterer lists?

Ask for a meeting, show up prepared, and then prove yourself at a real event. Venues and planners add a caterer to their list when they trust that you won't cause problems on the day.

-   **Bring a tasting.** Invite the venue's events team or the planner to taste three or four signature dishes, served the way you would serve them at an event.
-   **Have your paperwork ready.** In the US, venues usually ask for a certificate of insurance (COI) naming them as additional insured, plus your health permit. In the UK, expect requests for public liability insurance, your food hygiene rating and your allergen procedures.
-   **Learn the venue.** Kitchen or no kitchen, power, load-in times, how far the kitchen is from the dining room and what the venue supplies. Mention it in your pitch.
-   **Ask about commission or fees.** Some venues charge caterers a fee or percentage to be on their list. Ask openly and build it into your pricing.
-   **Look after the planner.** Send menus and timings on time, share your final numbers process, and give the planner photos they can use.

Wedding catering has its own directories: The Knot and WeddingWire in the US, Hitched and Bridebook in the UK. They can work, but couples still ask venues and planners for recommendations. Our guide on [how wedding planners get clients](https://fullybookedguides.com/blog/how-to-get-clients-wedding-planner/) shows the world from their side, which helps you pitch them.

## Should caterers use marketplaces like ezCater?

Marketplaces are worth testing for corporate orders, especially when you are new and have no reviews. Treat them as one channel among several, because you pay commission or fees and the platform owns the customer relationship.

| Channel | United States | United Kingdom | Best for |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Corporate catering marketplaces | ezCater, plus office-lunch services such as Fooda and ZeroCater | Just Eat for Business (formerly City Pantry) and similar corporate food platforms | First corporate orders and reviews |
| Wedding directories | The Knot, WeddingWire | Hitched, Bridebook | Couples comparing caterers |
| Local search | Google Business Profile, Yelp | Google Business Profile, Yell | Private hosts searching for caterers in their area |
| Referral partners | Venues, planners, florists, rental companies, photographers | Venues, planners, florists, marquee hire, photographers | Weddings and larger events |
| Your own website | Menus, sample packages, inquiry form, photos | Menus, sample packages, inquiry form, photos | Every client checks it before booking |

Read each platform's current terms before joining, including commission, delivery rules and whether you may contact customers directly. Set up a [Google Business Profile](https://fullybookedguides.com/blog/google-business-profile-optimization/) as a service-area business if clients don't visit your kitchen, and list your event types and catering photos.

## How do you turn catering inquiries into bookings?

Reply fast, quote clearly and remove the client's worries before they ask. Many people send the same inquiry to several caterers, and the first useful reply often wins.

1.  **Use an inquiry form that asks the right questions:** date, guest count, venue, service style (drop-off, buffet, plated, family style), budget range and dietary needs.
2.  **Reply the same day** with two or three menu options at different price points, not a single take-it-or-leave-it quote.
3.  **Offer a tasting for larger events.** Many caterers charge for tastings and credit the fee against the booking, which filters out people who aren't serious.
4.  **Send a written proposal and contract** covering menu, service times, staff, rentals, deposit, final numbers date, payment schedule and cancellation terms.
5.  **Take a deposit to hold the date,** then confirm final numbers and dietary requests in writing ahead of the event.
6.  **Follow up after the event** with thanks, a review request and a note to the venue or planner.

Price per head from your real costs: ingredients, labor, rentals, travel, disposables and overheads. Our free [service pricing calculator](https://fullybookedguides.com/tools/service-pricing-calculator/) helps you work out a price that covers them. Be clear about service charges: in the US, the IRS treats automatic service charges as wages rather than tips, so explain on the quote what the charge is for. In the UK, the Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 2023 means tips and service charges must go to workers in full. In the UK, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 also requires deposit and cancellation terms for consumers to be fair, so tie them to your real losses.

## How can caterers get more reviews and referrals?

Ask at the moment the client is happiest, usually the day after the event. Send a short thank-you message with a direct link to your review page; you can make one with our free [Google review link generator](https://fullybookedguides.com/tools/google-review-link-generator/). For corporate clients, ask the office manager for a short testimonial you can use on your website, with their permission.

Don't offer discounts or free food in exchange for reviews. Google's policies ban incentives, the FTC's rule on consumer reviews and testimonials covers incentives tied to positive reviews in the US, and the DMCC Act 2024 bans fake reviews in the UK. Our guide on [how to get more Google reviews](https://fullybookedguides.com/blog/how-to-get-more-google-reviews/) has wording you can copy, and our guide to [customer retention strategies](https://fullybookedguides.com/blog/customer-retention-strategies/) shows how to turn one event into the next booking.

Photos matter as much as reviews. Ask the photographer at each event if you may use a few shots of your food and setup, credit them, and share their work in return.

## What food safety and allergen rules should caterers know?

Clients, venues and planners will ask about these, so being clear and confident helps you win work. Rules vary by state, county and council, and this is general information, not legal advice. Check your local rules before you start trading.

| Area | United States | United Kingdom |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kitchen and permits | A permit from your state or local health department and a licensed commercial kitchen; cottage food laws generally don't cover catering | Register with your local council at least 28 days before trading; you'll be inspected and given a food hygiene rating |
| Allergens | The FDA recognizes 9 major allergens (sesame added in 2023); state and local food codes set what you must tell customers | You must give information on the 14 regulated allergens; prepacked-for-direct-sale food needs full ingredient labels (Natasha's Law) |
| Alcohol | Serving or selling alcohol needs the right state license or the venue's license; many caterers leave bar service to the venue | Sales need a premises licence (with a designated premises supervisor) or, for small one-off events, a Temporary Event Notice (England and Wales); Scotland has its own system |
| Tax | Sales tax on catering varies by state, including how delivery and service charges are treated | Catering is standard-rated for VAT once you pass the registration threshold |
| Insurance | General liability, product liability, commercial auto and workers' comp where required | Public and product liability; employers' liability is compulsory once you employ staff |

Ask every client about dietary needs and allergies before the menu is final, label each dish at the event, and make sure staff know who to ask if a guest has questions.

## What marketing mistakes do caterers make?

-   **Chasing only one-off events.** Without repeat corporate or venue work, every month starts at zero.
-   **Slow replies.** An inquiry answered three days later has often already booked someone else.
-   **Quotes that are hard to understand.** Hidden charges for staff, rentals or travel make clients nervous. Itemize them.
-   **No written terms.** Missing deposit, final numbers and cancellation terms lead to disputes and lost money.
-   **A website with no menus or prices.** Even a "packages from" range helps clients decide to contact you.
-   **Weak allergen answers.** Venues and planners won't recommend a caterer whose team can't answer allergen questions.
-   **Forgetting partners after the event.** A thank-you note and photos for the venue and planner are the cheapest marketing you'll do.

To turn these ideas into a weekly routine, try our free [marketing plan generator](https://fullybookedguides.com/tools/marketing-plan-generator/).

## Frequently asked questions

### How do I find clients for my catering business?

Start with clients who reorder: local offices that need team lunches, event venues with preferred-caterer lists and wedding or event planners. Add a clear website with menus and an inquiry form, a Google Business Profile, and test one marketplace or directory for first orders and reviews.

### How do caterers get corporate clients?

Build a short corporate menu with per-head prices, list offices in your delivery area, drop off a sample tray with a menu and ordering link, and follow up. Then make reordering easy with saved orders, reminders and simple invoicing.

### How do I get on a venue's preferred caterer list?

Arrange a tasting for the venue's events team, have your insurance, permits or hygiene rating and allergen procedures ready, learn the venue's kitchen and load-in rules, and ask whether there is a listing fee. Then do an excellent job at the first event there.

### Is ezCater worth it for a small caterer?

It can be in the US, especially for first corporate orders and reviews, but you pay fees and the platform controls the relationship. Read the current terms, price your menu to cover the fees, and build direct relationships where the terms allow.

### Should caterers charge for tastings?

Many do, especially for weddings and large events, and credit the fee against the booking if the client goes ahead. It covers your costs and filters out people who are not serious. Small drop-off orders usually don't need a tasting.

### What should a catering contract include?

The menu, guest count and final numbers deadline, service times, staffing, rentals, deposit and payment schedule, cancellation terms, service charges and allergen responsibilities. In the UK, terms with consumers must be fair under the Consumer Rights Act 2015; check your local rules either side of the Atlantic.

**Want more bookings and clients who come back?** Caterers win business the same way good restaurants do: food people talk about, local partnerships, private events and loyalty that turns one booking into the next. _A Beginner's Guide to Restaurant Marketing_ is written for restaurant owners, but its step-by-step plan for partnerships, private events, food photography, email and referral programs carries straight over to a catering business.

[**See the book →**](https://fullybookedguides.com/books/restaurant-marketing-beginners-guide/) · [**Browse all guides**](https://fullybookedguides.com/books/)