Buffet Production Decisions

The majority of event caterers sell prospects a package using a strong base menu and many optional choices. Once the decision is made to use a buffet approach, the main layout is decided and one or more stations may be added to complete the picture. A modular approach helps to cost the event and determine the presentation.

In general, the more options the guest decides to add to the base buffet layout the less is needed per menu item. Since the total amount of food consumed will be similar for a given time period, you need to produce less of each menu item as the number of menu items increases. Many caterers develop tables to help them calculate the requirements depending on the overall buffet layout.

It is important to understand how much of each menu item you need to produce. Once the guests arrive and the event starts, minor adjustments may be made in the quantities produced. However, for most menu items the production decision is made without perfect knowledge of guest preferences. Because many caterers dread running out of popular menu items (and the preferences won’t be known with certainty until the event) there is a tendency to produce more than the amount required.

Given the current economy, it is important to understand your customers needs and expectations. Work with the event contact to develop a game plan to meet their budget and to make forecasting less uncertain. You can specify limited production on certain menu items to meet their budget target. This understanding can help prevent needless waste from over production. The guest gets a fair price and the caterer gets a clearer idea of purchasing and preparation requirements.

Joe Dunbar
Dunbar Associates
(703) 425-6052
(202) 315-3664 eFax

jdunbar401@aol.com

http://www.joedunbar.com

About the Author

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Joe Dunbar has helped hundreds of companies lower their food cost. He combines a love of cost accounting with a passion for the food service industry. His popular Food Cost Control blog is read by thousands each month. Joe partners with many technology pros to bring state of the art food cost tracking systems to his clients.

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