Pairing our catering menus with the personas of the guests attending an event is a critical step in exceeding the expectations of our clients. “Persona” is a term that comes out of marketing, which simply means understanding the backgrounds of the people who will be attending the event, and the goals of the event. For a wedding or other personal or family event, the hosts may wish to emphasize their culture, while still meeting the preferences of the people they are inviting.
Great Catering Menus Focus on Guest Preferences
For corporate accounts, we need to understand who is attending, and also what our client is trying to accomplish.
- How can the cuisine we serve help meet those goals?
- What are the dietary preferences of the attendees?
- How much time will they have to eat, and is the meal to be incorporated into activities, or serve as a break or celebration?
Matching our menu and serving methods to the client’s goals will make the event a success!
Here is a quick outline of some of the considerations when focusing a menu on the guests and the goals.
Know your guest profile and preferences
For a successful event, it is important to understand who has been invited. We take the time to discuss with our event planners the guests’ professional level, the frequency with which they attend similar events, their ethnic backgrounds, and other demographic details of the attendees. To provide a unique experience, we must also cater to guest preferences. For instance are they concerned about health, would they appreciate a spicy dish or prefer a mild menu? Put another way, how much “wow” does the client want? We can have a lot of fun creating exotic dishes to serve, but it cannot get in the way of taking the guests where the client wants them to go! Finally, it is important to make sure that our service fits seamlessly into the event schedule.
Provide menu choices
As much as we take into account the guests’ food preferences, we must offer several menu choices. The catering menu should feature options for the entrée, salad, condiment, and dessert. We must offer something for everyone who wants to eat! Some of the special needs to consider are food allergies, food intolerances, religious requirements, and voluntary dietary restrictions. And, in our Silicon Valley market area, food innovations and new trends included as options may pique the guest’s curiosity and enliven the event.
Ethnic and regional menus
As an event caterer for diverse communities from San Francisco to Palo Alto to San Jose, the theme and cuisine we choose with the client can have a huge impact on the success of the event. We weave in ethnic and region-specific foods that will give our guests a new experience. This includes incorporating seasonal and fresh items, depending on the time of year.
Presentation of food and beverage
Guests must get that great first impression from your event’s food service. Whether it is a buffet or table service, the food should look as great as it tastes!
Work with a local event caterer to get truly customized catering menus for your events
In the end, it takes creativity and a detailed understanding of our guests to satisfy their needs and meet their expectations. Whether for a corporate event or a wedding, building catering menus with the guests in mind has been critical to our success at Handheld Catering. Call us at 408-692-4782, ping us through the Chat box on our website, or send us a contact form. How may we help you?
