How to Handle Large Catering Orders as a Small Restaurant

A 100-person catering order lands in your inbox. First reaction: that's a $1,500-$2,500 order. Second reaction: your kitchen serves a 50-seat dining room and you've never prepped for 100 people at once.

Don't say no. Large orders are the highest-margin work your restaurant will see. You just need a plan.

Before you say yes: the capacity check

Before you accept, run through this.

Kitchen capacity

Can you prep this alongside normal service? If the order is for Thursday lunch, your kitchen has to handle the catering prep and the Thursday lunch rush at the same time. Most large orders can be prepped starting 3-5 hours before delivery, and some items (BBQ, braises, baked goods) can start the day before. Then count equipment: oven space, burner space, sheet pans, hotel pans, cooling racks. A 100-person order might need 10-15 hotel pans.

Staff

A 100-person order typically needs 1-2 extra staff for 3-4 hours of prep and packaging. If it's a delivery order, someone also has to load, drive, unload, and possibly set up.

Supplies

• Packaging - do you have enough catering containers, lids, utensils, napkins, labels? Order extra with at least a week's lead time
• Ingredients - can your suppliers deliver the extra volume? Place the order early
• Transport - do you have containers/bags large enough? A 100-person order might fill an entire vehicle

Timing

Don't accept a 100-person order for tomorrow. Require 48-72 hours minimum for large orders, ideally a week, and if you use catering software the lead time is enforced automatically. Day of week matters too. A large order on your slowest day is much more manageable than on your busiest.

If you can check all these boxes, say yes.

Step 1: Lock in the details early

Large orders punish vagueness. Get every detail confirmed in writing at least 48 hours before delivery:

• Exact headcount - and plan for 10% overage
• Menu selections - every item, every quantity, every dietary accommodation
• Dietary restrictions - how many vegetarian, vegan, GF, allergies? List them out
• Delivery address and access - which entrance, which floor, is there an elevator, who's the on-site contact?
• Setup expectations - are you dropping off food, or setting up a buffet line?
• Payment - collected in advance for large orders. Always.

Put it in writing (email or your ordering system) so nobody's relying on memory.

Step 2: Build a prep timeline

Work backwards from the delivery time.

Example: 100-person lunch delivery at 11:30am

Tape it to the wall. Everyone should know what happens when.

Step 3: Use a packing checklist

A printed packing checklist isn't optional on a large order. Every single item:

• Brisket - 3 hotel pans
• Mac & cheese - 2 hotel pans
• Green salad - 2 bowls
• Rolls - 120 count (2 bags)
• Butter portions - 100 count
• BBQ sauce - 4 squeeze bottles
• Serving utensils - 6 spoons, 2 tongs
• Plates - 110 count
• Napkins - 120 count
• Forks/knives - 110 sets

One person packs. Another checks off. That's how you catch the forks before the truck leaves, not after.

If you use catering software, packing lists are auto-generated from the order.

Step 4: Handle the delivery

Delivery is its own job.

Vehicle

A 100-person order might weigh 100-200+ lbs and take up an entire SUV or van. Use insulated bags or cambros to hold temperature, and secure everything so nothing slides on the first turn.

Staffing

Send two people for orders over 50 people, one to drive and one to help unload. If setup is included, allow 15-30 minutes for a 100-person buffet setup.

Communication

• Call the on-site contact 30 minutes before arrival
• Confirm the unloading location and any access requirements
• Have the contact's cell phone number (not just an office line)

Step 5: Price large orders correctly

Price large orders to cover the extra logistics. The full pricing guide goes deeper, but large orders have their own rules.

• Don't discount heavily - 5-10% is a reasonable volume discount. 25% off is giving away margin
• Charge for delivery - a 100-person delivery might take 2 hours round trip with 2 staff. That costs real money
• Require payment in advance - no exceptions for large orders. You're investing $400-$800 in food before delivery
• Add setup fees if applicable - $75-$150 for buffet setup with chafing dishes

At $18/person for 100 people plus a $50 delivery fee, that's $1,850 in revenue against roughly $600 in food.

Step 6: Follow up and build the relationship

Large orders come from places that order again: corporate offices, schools, hospitals, event planners. One perfect 100-person delivery can turn into a $20,000-$50,000/year account, so the delivery isn't the end of the job.

• Same-day text/email to the on-site contact: "How did everything look?"
• Next-day follow-up email: "We hope the team enjoyed lunch! We'd love to cater your next event."
• Add to your CRM - track this customer in your catering software so they get automated re-order prompts
• Ask for a referral - "If you know anyone else who needs catering, we'd appreciate the recommendation"

The learning curve

Your first large order will feel hectic. Your fifth will feel routine. The difference is process.

• Standardized prep timelines that your team follows every time
• Printed packing checklists for every order
• Delivery procedures with communication protocols
• Software that tracks everything so nothing lives in someone's head

Small restaurants that get through their first 100-person order rarely go back to saying no. The money's too good, and once the process exists, you just run it again.