Ok, THE answer to this continuous question :)

Posted by Carl Jones on January 27, 19100 at 09:09:10 :

In Reply to: Help, opening homebase catering? posted by Jan on January 26, 19100 at 11:49:32 :

: I would really aprreciate what info (about license, commercial kitchen equiptment etc.) I need to open a homebase catering, anyone? Thankyou....

Greetings Jan, I am about to seriously answer your question, once I have answered it, IF you are still interested, please feel free to email me and I will guide you as much as possible, but statistically, it won't help too much.

Anytime someone says, "please help, I dont know how to get started in the catering business" then I can only suggest that you get a job in the industry for several years until you DO know how to get started. Once you have done that, read on :

Here are a few of the things to know to get into this "easy" business. ;)

Food Protection and Sanitation
Local Codes
Marketing and Advertising
Business Financing
Business Accounting
Inventory Controls
Cash Management
Food Preparation techniques
Food Science & Holding food properly
Talent and Knowledge

when you master those, then you need this.

Business license
Food Service Permit from Health Dept.
Legal kitchen including:
Commercial appiances
Triple sink
Commercial utensils
Commercial equipment
Separate kitchen from family
Absolutely, no family pets!
Food storage equipment (approved)
Food holding equipment
Direct access from the outside, not thru the home.
(anywhere from $25,000 to $50,000.00 to start)

Then once this is accomplish, look at the statistics... 90% fail the first year... (but in all fairness, the reason the % is so high is that most get into it without mastering the first list.) So, I am sure if you do master the first list, you will stand a better chance.

Also what that tells me is if 90% of ALL fail the first year, then the failure % of those who don't master the first list may very well be very close to 100% failure rate. And that would NOT surprise me.

Being in the foodservice business for 19 years in an area of 300,000 ppl, I have seen many come and go and I have NEVER seen a restaurant or caterer survive more than 3 years without a strong business background and lots of money.

I could go on and discuss the specifics of why they fail, pricing, not knowing they are losing until it is too late and they have lost their life savings, etc....

So, what to do??? If you love this business, find a great caterer and go to work for them. ( I know a few) Then you can do what you love, actually MAKE money and sleep well at night. (something I do very little of)

Sorry to be morbid, but you would thank me later.

Blessings,

Carl

Carl Jones, CaterGreat@aol.com
Premier Place Catering
Specializing in Weddings, Corporate, Banquets, Picnics.
From Casual to Upscale

Follow Ups:

• Re:Thanks Carl Carl 13:13:50 1/27/100 (0)