Strategic thinking in a creative catering environment

1. Strategic Thinking in a Creative
Catering Environment
Presented by Warren Dietel
Chef’s Commissary
Puff ‘n Stuff Catering
SMG Food & Beverage Directors Meeting
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2. OUTLINE
1. Think Strategic
– Customer loyalty
– Achieving greatness
– The customer journey
2. Catering Trends
3. Catering Competitive Advantage
– What makes you different?
– Real catering examples
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3. ABOUT ME
• Serial entrepreneur
• Professional experience:
• Car detailing, Puff ‘n Stuff Catering, Disney Weddings,
Disney Institute, Scott Kay
• 2003 Purchased Puff ‘n Stuff Catering
• 2013 Established Chef’s Commissary
• Entered a joint venture with Savor… earlier this year
• Active in our industry internationally
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4. LESSONS ALONG THE WAY
• My personal growth from Disney foundations
• Customer service = true understanding of customer’s
expectations
• Creating appropriate guidelines to exceed
expectations
• Customer is at the core of people, place and
processes
• Transforming exceptional customer service into a
culture unified by a common purpose
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5. THINK STRATEGICALLY
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6. GOOD FOOD IS GOOD BUSINESS.
GREAT FOOD IS REPEAT BUSINESS.
WORLD OF SAVOR…
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7. WHO IS YOUR CUSTOMER?
• YOUR unique customer position
– DMC, corporate planner, association planner?
– We are a reflection of our customer…important to remember
• How can you help them deliver their message?
• How do you create product that works for the masses, but still
feels unique and special?
• Feeding the masses and avoiding dreaded rubber chicken?
– Align customer expectations with reality
– Training and development
• The expectation isn’t Blackberry Farm, but today’s customers
are more food educated and discerning
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8. A CASE FOR CUSTOMER LOYALTY
• Customer loyalty happens when an organization
receives the ultimate reward for the way it interacts
with its customers
• Loyal customers buy more, buy longer and tell more
people
• Do your loyal customers force you to bid?
• Quality of product or service leads to customer
satisfaction, which leads to customer loyalty, which
leads to profitability
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9. From SMG’s – View our World
For convention planners nationwide, the SMG
name carries the brand promise of a well-run
facility and unparalleled expertise in all phases
of convention planning. This assurance has won
us national contracts from major corporations as
well as repeat business from event planners
looking to rotate their conventions around the
country.
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10. SOAPBOX SIDE NOTE
I get it… it’s difficult to feed the masses
and feed them well
• Responsibility to your organization
• Responsibility to yourself
• Mediocre or ROCK STAR?
Starts with you!
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11. ACHIEVING GREATNESS
• What drives you?
• Hero examples
• Common threads: Practice, commitment,
determination
• Give before you receive
• Are you taking initiative, learning, researching, and
evolving?
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12. • At 53, he is way past his
prime yet still contends with
the top players in the world,
half his age
• Placed second at The 2016
Quicken Loans National at
Congressional
• He is attributed as the
hardest working player on
the tour
• Singh prides himself on his
work ethic
• He practices for hours daily, -
before and after tournament
rounds
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13. “BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND”
• Begins with trust
• Do your clients trust you to deliver on your promises?
• Dr. James
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14. THE CUSTOMER JOURNEY
• A customer’s experience is based on their
perception, rather than the actual experience
• Perception is based on a person’s true bias
• Need to understand your client in order to see their
perspective
• What are their expectations?
– Lexus vs. Rolls Royce
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15. CUSTOMERSERVICE=PARTNERSHIP
• True customer service is a collaboration through two-
way communication
• Anticipate needs, provide solutions
• Partnership is an ongoing voyage
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Dive deep!

16. CATERING TRENDS
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17. WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT
• Our industry is constantly shifting
• Make better decisions during marketing and sales
process
• Be open to learning and new ideas
• Identify new and missed opportunities
• Keeps you relevant
• Focus on what differentiates you from competitors
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18. SUPERLATIVE INSPIRATION
Go To Conferences
• NACE Experience
• Local chapter meetings
• Catersource
• The Special Event
• The Art of Catering Food
Read Publications
• BizBash
• Catering
• Catering Magazine
• Special Events Magazine
• Food & Wine
• Consumer magazines
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• Think differently and think big
• Eat out more
• Research, research, research

19. OTHER SOURCES
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• International Caterers Association – ICA
• Websites and blogs
• Social media
• Networking
• Google alerts
• LISTEN to your customers
• Observe your competitors
• Track trends within your own organization

20. What inspires you?
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• Eureka! Ranch – Doug Hall
– Transforming innovation from a random gamble to a
reliable system for growth
• Get Stimulated - Dine out…it’s research!
• Seek out wicked cool restaurants, hotels, retail, etc!
• Architecture and Interior Design
• Smart Innovative People and Companies

21. CATERING TRENDS
Prepare for Shorter
Booking Windows
Prepare for the now
generation
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22. CATERING TRENDS
Sustainable Packaging
Options
• Recycled
• Compostable
Savor’s Sustainability
Commitment is on-point!
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23. CATERING TRENDS
Interactive Stations
• Dinner and a show
• Made-to-order
• Conversation starter
• Incorporate interesting
ingredients
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24. CATERING TRENDS
Interactive Plating
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25. Maximize Junk
Food
Make it Instagram Worthy
• Mac and Cheese tooped with Cheese-Its
• Watermelon pickled in Kool-Aid
• Create Conversation starters
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26. CATERING TRENDS
Global Flavors
• Ethnic condiments/spices
• Authentic ethnic flavors
• Ethnic fusion cuisine
• African flavor
• Latin
• Middle Eastern
• Mediterranean
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27. CATERING TRENDS
Craft Cocktails to
Batch Cocktails
• Ideal for large guest counts
• Inevitable
• Batching plan
• Visual appeal
• Maintaining cocktail
integrity
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28. CATERING TRENDS
Regional or Seasonal
Signature Cocktails
• Spring/Summer: Moscow
Mule, French 75,
Margarita, Mojito
• Fall/Winter: Manhattan,
Old Fashioned, Irish Coffee
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29. CATERING TRENDS
Don’t forget the
lightweights
• Infused waters and
sodas
• Creative mocktails
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30. CATERING TRENDS
Build Your Own Bloody
Mary Bars
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31. CATERING TRENDS
Beer Cocktails
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32. CATERING TRENDS
Tapas and Cocktail
Pairing
• Reduce wait time and
expedite service by having
food and drink paired
together?
• Various small bites to
satisfy everyone’s palates
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33. CATERING TRENDS
Fresh Ingredients
• Locally procured
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34. CATERING TRENDS
Ethnic-inspired
Breakfast Items
• Asian-flavored syrups
• Chorizo and eggs
• Coconut milk pancakes
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35. CATERING TRENDS
Incorporate the “It” Cheese – salads, hors d’oeuvres, & appetizers
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36. CATERING TRENDS
Alternative Bacon
• Beef
• Lamb
• Duck
• Turkey
• Slab
• Pancetta
• Candy it, dip it in chocolate
– they don’t care!
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37. CATERING TRENDS
House-made or
Artisan Ice Cream and
Popsicles
• Serve in prosecco or cava
• Can include alcohol
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38. CATERING TRENDS
Hybrid Desserts
• Croissant-Donut
• Ice cream cupcake
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39. CATERING TRENDS
Fastest Growing
Dessert Ingredients
• Rhubarb 47%
• Chocolate Hazelnut 23%
• Mint Chocolate 21%
• Shortbread 16%
• Buttermilk 15%
• Marshmallow 14%
• Butterscotch 12%
• Cream Cheese Frosting 9%
• Butter Pecan 9%
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40. CATERING TRENDS
Educate while offering
something new
• Keep it simple and
approachable
• Alternative white wine –
Rose, Cava, Sancere
• Make cool wine cocktails –
The Hugo
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41. CATERING
COMPETITIVE
ADVANTAGE
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42. DEFINE YOUR ADVANTAGE
“Superiority gained over competitors, allowing an
organization to generate greater sales or margins
and/or retain more customers than its competition.”
• May including: Cost structure, product offerings,
distribution network and customer support
(marketing, sales and execution)
• Creates differentiation, a reason to buy that isn’t
based on price
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43. TELL THE STORY
• Presentation of marketing materials
– Word selection
– Menu formatting
• Quality images
• Engaging video
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44. CUSTOM
PROPOSAL
Emirates Airlines
• Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center
• Simultaneous dinner service
representing a fine dining
experience
• Exclusion of any pork or pork
products in the menu selection
• No use of alcohol in the preparation
of food
• Request for a world class, global
destination menu
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45. CUSTOM
PROPOSAL
The Container Store
• Palm Beach Garden store opening
• 1,200 guests
Menu Sampling
• Black bean hummus Tostada
• Chicken quesadilla
• Short rib slider, picked onions
• Parmesan Reggiano popcorn
• Grouper, coconut & papaya ceviche
• Crab, mango & avocado salad
• Citron financier
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46. CUSTOM
PROPOSAL
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47. CUSTOM
PROPOSAL
Restoration Hardware
• Tampa store opening
• 2,500 guests
Menu Sampling
• Mini beef & brie burger with
caramelized onions
• Cuban cigar spring roll
• Ahi tuna with mango salsa, served on
lotus root chip
• Goat cheese peppadew and chives
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48. UNIQUE EVENTS
Cone Wedding
Menu Sampling
• Braised Short Rib on Corn Cakes
• Canaveral tempura shrimp with
Japanese mayo, kabayaki sauce and
creme fraiche
• Shaved Country Ham with collards,
and served on open face White Lilly
Biscuits with fava beans, smoked corn
• Rose Chicken Tower Station
• Bourbon Pot de Creme topped with
Mini Beignets
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49. UNIQUE EVENTS
Taylor July 4th
Menu Sampling
• Slider Station: Dry aged Prime Slider,
Fried Chicken Slider, and Wagyu
Beef Dog
• House Made Condiments
• Firecracker Char-Grilled Corn on the
Cob
• Adult Popsicles Watermelon Mojito
and Pina Colada
• Patriotic Oreo Pops dipped in white
or milk chocolate with assorted
crunch toppings
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50. UNIQUE EVENTS
E-60
Menu Sampling
• Shrimp Po Boy Brioche
• Wianno Oyster Shooter
• Farm Egg Gnocchi
• Beet Cured Scottish Salmon
• Artisan Cheese and Charcutie Station
• Baked Nantucket Bay Scallop, Au Gratin
Potato, Sherry Cream
• Maine Lobster Hoppin John Lobster Bisque,
Skillet Cornbread
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51. MARKETING YOUR VENUE
• Make the sourcing and planning process as easy as
possible by anticipating needs
• Highlight your unique selling proposition
• Showcase your premier location
• Host a meeting planner “All access tour”
• Strong web presence to attract new clients
• Social proof (testimonials)
• Purchase listings and ads digitally with your CVB
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52. MARKETING YOUR VENUE
“To increase brand awareness and drive qualified lead traffic to
your site, develop a strategy for marketing to planners online.”
Here is where most planners start their sourcing journey:
• 38% use online sourcing
• 29% depend on search engines
• 17% go directly to the venue site
• 12% rely on peer recommendations
• 4% chose “other”
Reference: http://hospitality.cvent.com
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53. Ballroom at Church Street Examples
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54. Ballroom at Church Street Examples
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55. Ballroom at Church Street Examples
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56. Ballroom at Church Street Examples
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57. WE CREATE A CULTURE THAT SUPPORTS
AWESOMENESS AND WE PUT IT OUT THERE
Puff ‘n Stuff Catering
Team Members
• 36 years
• 500+
• Orlando and Tampa
Commissaries
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58. THANK YOU!
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Warren Dietel
warren@puffnstuff.com
407-227-5697
Puffnstuff.com
Chefscommissary.com