The Challenges of the Restaurant-Catering Hybrid
As one of our basic needs, food plays a critical role in our daily lives. This explains the continued growth of the food and drinks industry, which contributes around £28.2 billion annually to the UK economy alone. Success like this often comes with a price, though. In this case, it has resulted in market oversaturation, as many entrepreneurs have flocked to the food market and restaurant sectors.
One way businesses can combat this is by standing out from the steep competition. This can be done by implementing hybrid services in one’s restaurants. One example is offering catering in Dubai alongside the typical dine-in experience. However, while helpful, it still does come with its own set of challenges.
Additional Stress
Running a restaurant can be a stressful endeavour. In a way, it’s almost like a gamble. Restaurateurs bet their money on a business that might fail. This is the same for established brands that delve out into catering services.
A less risky way of funding catering operations is by using money made from one’s restaurants. However, it isn’t at all a move without potential drawbacks. Restaurateurs risk sinking their restaurant if they don’t establish themselves as a reputable catering company and make back the money they spent on their additional services.
Organisational Mess
The restaurant sector demands a lot from its entrepreneurs. They must be capable of handling finances. They should also be capable of multitasking, considering there’s staff management, branding and marketing, as well as food quality to think about.
All that is doubled when a catering operation is added to the mix. Not only that, but people in this line of business have to worry about the success of off-site events, too. Often, these events require personnel for food delivery and set-up.
Food Problems
Some restaurants have menus that just won’t work on a large-scale operation like catering. It might be because of how intricate the dishes are, which can cause quality problems if they have to be prepped in large batches.
Also, excess food can be quite worrisome. While catering companies should work to deliver the best services to their clients, they shouldn’t risk losing money by creating servings that are too big for their price.
With that said, these problems have easily accessible remedies.
The food and drinks industry is one that’s filled with competition. For a restaurant and catering business to succeed, restaurateurs should look into ways that will allow them to work efficiently without costing their businesses too much money.