The winter has gone and the spring is coming. Outdoor catering to enjoy the breeze and sunlight is becoming the optimal choice for people who desire to relish delicious food and beautiful nature at the same time.
But making preparation work for catering outdoor won’t be as easy as pie. Many things should be taken into consideration before holding outdoor event catering, including how to book a suitable tent and get necessary permits from local officials, what kind of special cuisines should be prepared and what can help this catering event to gain in popularity.
This is an insightful and lucid article that will provide you with details about how to host an outdoor catering event.
Understand Outdoor Catering Market Demand
The warmer weather will stimulate people’s desire to hold outdoor catering, especially for those who want to enjoy romantic outdoor weddings, interesting picnics or elegant open-air concerts. Under charming weather and peaceful nature, guests who participate in these activities can enjoy tasty food and a joyful atmosphere simultaneously.
Also, some people may choose to hold a graduation party or birthday party outside. When the ceremony finishes, the guests on site can feast on delicious dishes heartily.
In addition, many races will consider outdoor catering as the best choice for after-race rest. For example, the organizers of small marathons, cross-country runs and cycling races will provide catering services for the participants at the finishing point. The form of catering may be similar to an outdoor picnic: preparing energy foods, fruits, beverages and so on, so that the participants can replenish their energy after the competition.
Prepare Outdoor Catering Venues
For outdoor catering venues, whether they have parking lots nearby, how to prevent fires, and how many people they can accommodate are all important questions.
Since outdoor catering is often hosted in remote places, so many guests choose to get there by self-driving. If there is no parking lot near the catering venues, the spot traffic order will fall into chaos, bringing both guests and hosts terrible memories.
Another key consideration is fire safety. Outdoor catering is usually held in nature where many trees and plants exist, so preventing fires is of ultimate importance. Do not choose places rich in flammable vegetation such as mountains, forests and grasslands, especially during dry and windy seasons.
In addition, before you choose venues, you should make sure how many guests will take part in your catering activity, in case of an embarrassing scene: a lot of people are crowded in a small space.
After you decide on a venue, you are required to book a suitable outdoor catering tent that is waterproof, fireproof, big and unique enough. Well, I suppose these two kinds of tents will meet these requirements: the Glitzcamp Nordic Tipis and the Glitzcamp Stretch Tent.
Inspired by the homes of Native Americans, Tipis make great outdoor dining tents. They create a strong cultural vibe and give people a sense of connection to nature, offering a unique and rustic experience. In addition, with the PVC blackout fabric and aluminum alloy framework, the Glitzcamp Nordic Tipis is designed to perform well in preventing fires and dealing with rainy days.
Though with a pointed roof, it still features big interior space, which means that an 8m tent space can accommodate about 20 people. In addition, the Glitzcamp Nordic Tipis can remain tent space ventilated due to the electric fans or ventilation systems that it is equipped with.
Another unique option is the Glitzcamp Stretch Tent. Unlike traditional square tents, it has a flexible layout that brings a relaxed, carefree vibe to your outdoor dining experience. With Q235 steel and the newest generation of PVDF tension membrane material, the Glitzcamp Stretch Tent shows excellent fire resistance and water prevention strength.
It can accommodate a large number of people, for example, the S100 tent allows 100 people to stand up in the tent simultaneously. So, a super-large scale party like a graduation party will consider it as the best choice.
Comply with Regulations and Permits
As a host of commercial outdoor catering, you should apply for a Food Business License and a Business License. Besides these, many places will require you to get approval from the health department, fire marshal, and other officials. The specific condition depends on zoning ordinances, so you ought to make sure what kind of certificates must be used during the outdoor catering setup.
Create Special Dishes and Services
Outdoor catering is different from indoor catering. So, the host must consider the temperature of food, the energy to cook food, and what kind of cuisine fits outdoor catering most. It is often held in the open air, so it may require specialized equipment to maintain food at the proper temperature.
For example, you have to prepare refrigerators to store ice cream, and insulated food containers to keep food like pizza warm. Besides, outdoor catering often uses liquid propane or natural gas to cook food. Liquid propane is more energy-efficient while natural gas is more cost-effective, so you are free to choose energy according to your requirements. Also, you must consider what kind of food is fit for such activity most.
Here, I will introduce some convenient but popular food.
| Dishes | Drinks | Fruits | Desserts |
| Sandwich | Water | Strawberry | Brownie |
| Salad | Cider | Blueberry | Cookies |
| Grilled Meat | Wine | Watermelon | Fruit Takt |
| Pizza | Cola | Pineapple | Apple Pie |
| Burger | Coffee | Grape | Chocolate Cake |
| Cheese | Tea | Orange | Cheesecake |
| Pizza | Beer | Mongo | Panna Cotta |
| Macaroni and Cheese | Fruit juice | Apple | Creme Brulee |
| Roast Chicken | Cocktail | Banana | Eclair |
| Tacos | Milk | Peach | Cinnamon Bun |
Promote the Brand
Preparing outdoor catering is not so difficult. In fact, how to attract people to attend your catering is much more complicated. I conclude some common but useful promotion methods, so you can choose some of them to help your catering activity gain in popularity.
• Create eye-catching invitations: Design attractive invitations with beautiful outdoor-themed photos, such as pictures of green lawns, colorful flowers and picnic-related items. Don’t forget to add the date, location and a brief description of the event.
• Take advantage of social media: Use platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to share posts about your activity. If you are an expert in websites, you can set up a website or landing page for the event with detailed information, including the schedule, food and drinks, and a map of the location.
• Give out gifts: Provide some gifts to encourage people to attend, including picnic-related items like picnic blankets and gourmet food baskets. You could also offer discounts on tickets or entry fees for those who bring a certain number of friends.
Work with Suppliers
If you want to establish the business of outdoor catering, you can consider setting up long-term relationships with all kinds of suppliers. Food suppliers, equipment suppliers, venue suppliers and transportation suppliers, all play an important role in this process.
Food suppliers can supply fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, seafood and other ingredients to meet the needs of the guests who want to cook by themselves outdoors. Or they will provide various pre-prepared foods for outdoor activities, such as pizza, salad and so on.
Equipment suppliers will supply folding tables and chairs, picnic tables and chair sets. If the guests want to cook food by themselves on site, the supplier will provide portable gas-stoves, cartridge-stoves, barbecues and other cooking equipment, as well as some basic kitchen wares like pots, shovels and tongs.
Venue suppliers can offer a suitable outdoor space, ensure venue furniture like tents, and manage the venue. Usually, they have a variety of venue options, such as scenic parks, spacious grasslands or by-the-lake areas. If you want to find a venue supplier who features in constructing cultural tourism projects and customizing high-end hotels, you can consider Glitzcamp, a subsidiary of Shelter Structures established in 2016. It can offer you not only the designing schemes for layout of your venue, but also furniture like durable tents, lounge chairs and dining tables.
If the catering location is far away and requires self-driving, the transportation suppliers can provide various types of vehicles, such as minibuses, SUVs, to meet the needs of different numbers of people and road conditions.
Summary
If you want to join outdoor catering businesses, you must consider who your target customers are, how to prepare the venue, what permits are necessary for your activity, what should be focused on when you provide catering services, how to boost popularity, and what suppliers you must establish relationships with.
If you’re considering setting up an outsider catering business, you might find the suggestions I’ve mentioned quite helpful. Then, what are you waiting for? Just shoot us a message as soon as possible so that we can offer you professional outdoor space planning services and convenient plans!
