How to Upsell Catering Packages to Corporate Clients

Getting a corporate catering client is the hard part. Once they're ordering, your job is to increase the value of every order. A $400 weekly lunch can become a $600 weekly lunch with the right upsell strategy — and that $200/week difference adds up to $10,000/year from a single account.

Here's how to upsell without being pushy.

The psychology of catering upsells

Corporate catering buyers are spending company money, not personal money. This changes the dynamic:

• They're not price-sensitive in the same way individual consumers are
• They want to look good — choosing premium options reflects well on them
• They value convenience — they'll pay more to avoid extra planning
• They have budgets — but those budgets are usually higher than what they're spending

According to Harvard Business Review, B2B buyers (including corporate food purchasers) are more likely to upgrade when presented with clear value differentiation rather than pressure. Your upsell strategy should make the upgrade feel obvious, not forced.

Strategy 1: Good/Better/Best package tiers

This is the most effective upsell technique in catering. Offer three tiers for every occasion:

Example: Corporate Lunch Packages

Most customers choose the middle tier. The National Restaurant Association reports that Good/Better/Best pricing increases average order value by 15-25% compared to single-option menus.

The key: make the middle tier feel like the "right" choice by giving it the best value-to-price ratio. The top tier exists to make the middle tier look reasonable.

Strategy 2: Add-ons at checkout

Add-ons are the easiest upsell — the customer has already decided to order, and adding $30-$50 to a $400 order feels trivial. Structure your online ordering to offer add-ons prominently during checkout:

High-margin add-ons:

• Beverage package — $3-$5/person (bottled water, canned drinks, or premium beverages)
• Dessert platter — $35-$75 per platter (cookies, brownies, fruit)
• Breakfast pastry add-on — $4/person for morning meetings
• Extra protein — $3-$4/person for additional options
• Serving supplies — chafing dishes, utensils, linens ($25-$50 rental)

These items typically have 60-70% margins and require minimal extra kitchen work. If 50% of orders add a beverage package and dessert, you've increased average order value by $150-$200.

Strategy 3: Suggest for the occasion

Different occasions have different upsell opportunities. When you know why someone is ordering, you can make relevant suggestions:

Regular team lunch:

• "Would you like to add beverages? Most offices add our drink package."

Client meeting or board meeting:

• "For client-facing events, our Executive package includes premium presentations and setup."

Celebration (birthday, milestone):

• "We can add a custom dessert platter for $45 — popular for celebrations."

Holiday party:

• "Our holiday catering menu includes seasonal items — would you like to see the upgraded options?"

Catering software that tracks customer context and order notes makes these suggestions easy to automate or prompt.

Strategy 4: Seasonal and limited-time upgrades

Create urgency and novelty with seasonal offers:

• Summer: "Upgrade to our BBQ package — available June through August"
• Fall: "New: Harvest lunch package with seasonal sides"
• Holiday season: "Premium holiday party platters — book by Dec 1"
• Game day: "Super Bowl / March Madness catering packages"

Seasonal items create a reason for regular customers to order something different (and usually more expensive). Promote these through your email marketing to your CRM list.

Strategy 5: Volume incentives that increase order size

Instead of discounting, create incentives that reward larger orders:

• "Order for 30+ and get free dessert" — increases headcount you're serving
• "$500+ orders include free delivery" — pushes order value up
• "Add 10 extra people and we'll include setup" — captures the full meeting, not just leadership
• "Monthly accounts get priority scheduling" — incentivizes commitment, not just single orders

These feel like rewards, not upsells. The customer perceives value while you increase revenue.

Strategy 6: Make reordering and upgrading easy

Friction kills upsells. If upgrading or adding items requires a phone call, it won't happen. Your ordering system should:

• Show add-ons prominently during checkout (not hidden in a submenu)
• Display tier options side by side so the comparison is visual
• Allow one-click reorder with easy modifications (last order + add dessert this time)
• Save customer preferences so you can suggest relevant upgrades

Strategy 7: The "post-order" upsell

After a customer places an order, there's still an opportunity:

• Confirmation email — "Great choice! Want to add beverages? Reply or click here."
• Day-before reminder — "Your lunch is confirmed for tomorrow. Last chance to add a dessert platter!"
• Post-delivery follow-up — "How was everything? For next time, check out our Premium package."

These touchpoints work especially well through automated email workflows.

Measuring upsell success

Track these metrics monthly:

If your average order value isn't growing, test new add-ons, adjust tier pricing, or improve how options are presented in your ordering flow.

The revenue impact

For a restaurant with 10 corporate catering orders per week:

That's $62,000/year in additional revenue from the same number of customers — just by presenting better options.