REVGEN Catering Program

 

Back-to-school season is one of the most overlooked but highly lucrative opportunities for restaurant catering. It offers a unique dual revenue stream: B2B, targeting schools, teachers, and administrators, and B2C, serving busy families juggling new routines.

This deck outlines a turnkey plan restaurants can use to strategically plan, prep, schedule, and execute a Back-to-School catering initiative. It also emphasizes the importance of developing two distinct messaging strategies to effectively reach both business and consumer audiences.

Now is the time for restaurants to grab their share of the revenue. This guide shows exactly how to do it.

Need help bringing your plan to life?
RevGen Marketing can support you with strategy, planning, and flawless execution: https://revgenmktg.com/

Need help driving orders and making connections?
New Catering Connections specializes in outreach and order generation: Home | New Catering

Back to School – Prime Time for Restaurant Catering

Back-to-school season is a highly underutilized but lucrative time for restaurant catering. It is both a B2B play as well as a B2C play and it’s important to develop two different sets of messaging.

Here’s Why: Back-to-School Catering:

    1. Pent-Up Demand for Convenience (B2C)
    • 70% of parents say the back-to-school season is the most stressful time of year.
    • With busy schedules, school supply shopping, sports, and routines shifting, families look for time-saving meal options.

✅ Opportunity: Pre-packed family meals, grab-and-go dinners, or catering for study groups and sports events.

    1. High Volume of School & Staff Events (B2B)
    • Most schools host 3–5 events in the first month: teacher workdays, staff trainings, open houses, meet-the-teacher nights, PTO/PTA events. Some of these kick off even before the first day of school.
    • These often require group meals for 25–150 people—ideal for catering.

✅ Opportunity: “Staff Fuel” catering packages or large-format trays for district meetings.

    1. More After-School Programs = More Meal Needs
    • Over 10 million students participate in after-school programs annually.
    • These programs often need daily or weekly catering for kids and staff, especially during the first few weeks when routines are forming.

✅ Opportunity: Partner with local YMCAs, tutoring centers, or enrichment programs.

    1. Parents Are Spending Big
    • The average U.S. family spends $890+ on back-to-school shopping, including meals and convenience services.

✅ Opportunity: Position your catering as part of that spend—“Dinner made easy during school chaos.”

    1. Timing Is Perfect to Capture Repeat Business
    • Many fall events (football games, teacher appreciation days, homecoming) begin right after school starts.
    • A successful early-season catering order often leads to repeat business throughout the semester.

✅ Opportunity: Incentivize repeat bookings with bounce-back offers or loyalty deals.

Size of the Prize

    1. For a Single Location (Moderately Active Program): B2B
    • Small school orders (teachers, PTA, clubs, etc.):
      3–5 orders per week in August–September
      → Avg. order size: $200–$500
      → Potential: $2,000–$5,000/month
    • Larger district/vendor events (orientation, open house, training days):
      1–2 bulk events during the season
      → Avg. order size: $750–$1,500+
      → Potential: $1,500–$3,000

🔹 Total Back to School opportunity per location: $3,500–$8,000+

    1. For Multi-Unit Brands (10+ locations): B2B

With a centralized marketing push and outbound B2B sales (targeting schools, districts, and local education foundations):

🔹 10 units x $5,000 average = $50,000+ in seasonal catering revenue
🔹 With strong activation, clients may see $100K+ across 10–15 stores

    1. Per Location Estimates (August–September): B2C

🎯 Typical range: $3,000–$15,000 per location from B2C Back to School catering, depending on local demand, promotions, and menu appeal.

PLANNING (Late June – Mid July). Set the foundation. Strategy leads sales.

Key Objectives:

    • Identify target audience: teachers, PTO/PTA, sports teams, school staff trainings, and after-school programs.
    • Define Back to School offers: bundle meals, staff meeting packages, snack trays, “Weekly Meal Night Bindles, etc.
    • Set goals: revenue targets, # of orders, average order size.
    • Audit resources: catering menu, packaging, delivery logistics, marketing assets.

Action Steps:

      • Segment top school zones by proximity and size.
      • Build a targeted contact list (district offices, principals, PTO leaders).
      • Finalize BTS catering menu and pricing (family-style, boxed meals, etc.).
      • Align internal team: ops, marketing, store managers, and delivery drivers.
      • Identify potential partners: sports leagues, tutoring centers, churches, youth orgs.

PREPARING (Mid-July – Early August). Get the engine running. Build materials, train teams, and warm up leads.

Key Objectives:

      • Educate and equip staff for the catering push.
      • Build and launch marketing assets.
      • Warm up school & parent contacts.

Action Steps:

      • Print/drop off flyers and menus to schools, district offices, and local orgs.
      • Train in-store team on BTS offerings, order flow, and upselling.
      • Launch email and social campaign targeting:
      • Teachers/admins returning early
      • Parents seeking “no-cook” meal options
      • Create early bird incentives (discounts for pre-orders, free delivery).

SCHEDULING (Late July – Mid August). Time to get on the calendar before competitors do.

Key Objectives:

      • Secure advance orders.
      • Confirm logistics and staffing.

Action Steps:

      • Begin outbound calling/emailing to warm leads from planning phase.
      • Leverage limited-time offers: “Book by X and get free dessert tray.”
      • Schedule catering orders for key dates: teacher workdays, meet-the-teacher nights, first week of school.
      • Assign delivery times and confirm staffing.

⚠️ Pro tip:

      • Northern Schools: back week of August 28
      • Mid-Atlantic/Central Schools: back after Labor Day
      • Southern Schools: Back the week of August 7-14

*Most teacher trainings and PTO events happen 7–10 days before school starts.

EXECUTING (Mid-August – Early September). Deliver great food, great service, and build repeat catering behavior.

Key Objectives:

      • Flawlessly fulfill orders.
      • Collect feedback.
      • Turn first-timers into long-term catering clients.

Action Steps:

      • Double-check delivery logistics and packaging.
      • Include branded thank-you notes, bounce-back offers, or referral incentives.
      • Follow up within 48 hours of delivery: ask for feedback, a review, and referrals.
      • Track results vs. targets: number of orders, revenue, repeat customers.
      • Set up the Win for future holidays: share testimonials and success stories

Need help bringing your plan to life?
RevGen Marketing can support you with strategy, planning, and flawless execution: https://revgenmktg.com/