15 Proven Catering Marketing Ideas with Examples for 2025

If you run a catering business, good marketing isn’t optional. It’s how you get clients and keep them. In this article we give you 15 practical catering marketing ideas with examples you can use. Whether you’re starting or already established, these catering promotion ideas will help your catering business grow.

1. Build a Signature Dish Campaign

Choose one standout dish and make it the face of your brand.

Example:

Pinch Food Design in NYC created a “Donut Wall” a custom display of gourmet donuts. It looked great in photos and took off on Instagram. It got shared over 50,000 times and led to a 35% bump in bookings. Now it’s part of all their marketing, and they’ve added seasonal versions to keep it fresh.

How to do it

• Pick a dish that shows your style and looks good in pictures.
• Get pro photos and videos of it in action.
• Make a landing page for it on your website.
• Ask clients to post event photos using a branded hashtag.

2. Work with Complementary Businesses

Partner with other event-related businesses that aren’t direct competitors. Share your audience and promote each other.

Example:

Feast & Fettle, a catering company in Rhode Island, teamed up with five local wedding venues. They hosted “Taste of the Venue” nights where couples tried food and toured venues at the same time. 42% of guests booked both the caterer and the venue. The venues and Feast & Fettle split the cost of the events, which cut marketing expenses and boosted exposure.

How to do it

• Make a list of potential partners like venues, planners, florists, and photographers.
• Pitch a simple idea that helps both sides.
• Create shared promo materials.
• Set up a way to track referrals.

3. Use Targeted Email Marketing

Don’t send the same email to everyone. Group your clients and send each group what they actually care about.

Example

Tasty Catering in Chicago split their email list into three groups: corporate clients, wedding clients, and social event planners. Corporate clients got a monthly “Office Lunch Ideas” email with quick ordering tips and etiquette advice. Their open rate went from 12% to 28%, and corporate lunch orders went up 15% in three months.

How to do it

• Segment your list by client type and past events.
• Make a basic content calendar for each group.
• Set up automated emails that match typical client needs.
• Track what’s working, like open rate, clicks, orders, and adjust.

4. Use Interactive Food Stations at Marketing Events

Set up food stations at trade shows and expos where people can customize their own dish. It shows off your food and gives you time to connect with potential clients.

Example

Culinary Capers Catering in Vancouver did a “Build-Your-Own Poke Bowl” station at a wedding expo. Their chefs helped people build their bowls while chatting with them about the food and service. They got 175 solid leads and booked 22 weddings. That was a 450% return on what they spent for the event.

How to do it

• Plan stations where guests can customize food
• Train your team to talk to people while prepping food
• Set up a simple way to collect contact info
• Follow up with a quick message after the event

5. Share User Photos on Social Media

Get guests to post photos of your food and events. Then reuse those posts for your own marketing.

Example

Constellation Culinary Group ran a “Share Your Plate” campaign. They added table cards with their hashtag and social handles. They also made photo zones with good lighting and branded backdrops. They got over 3,000 tagged posts in six months. Sharing those posts helped them grow their social following by 40% and led to 28 new event bookings.

How to do it

• Make a hashtag for each event
• Place cards on tables with social info
• Set up spots that are good for photos
• Ask permission and reshare guest posts

6. Promote New Seasonal Menus

Create small campaigns each time you launch a seasonal menu. It keeps your offerings fresh and gives you something to talk about.

Example

Bartleby & Sage Catering in New York does this every quarter. For summer, they launched a farm-to-table menu. They invited past clients and industry folks to try it early. They made a landing page with pro photos and ran social ads. That launch led to a 32% bump in bookings over the previous summer and some nice local press.

How to do it

• Time new menus around what ingredients are in season
• Get good photos and videos of the food
• Invite VIPs to a small preview
• Run simple multi-channel ads to share the news

7. Use SEO to Get Found Online

Make sure people can find your catering business when they search online.

Example

A small caterer in Austin added local keywords like “BBQ catering Austin” and “event catering near me” to their homepage, service pages, and blog posts. They also made sure their Google Business profile was complete. Within six months, their website traffic doubled. Most new clients said they found them through Google.

How to do it

• Use simple keywords your clients would search for (e.g., “wedding catering Chicago” or “catering marketing ideas example”)
• Add those keywords to your homepage, service pages, and photo captions
• Write blog posts that answer common questions (like pricing, menus, or venue options)
• Set up and update your Google Business profile
• Get reviews on Google Business’s profile with strong ratings.
• Contact a professional SEO services catering company to take care of all of your site and business profile.

8. Set Up a Clear Referral Program

Give past clients a reason to refer to your catering business.

Example

Savory Cuisines Catering in Boulder ran a referral program called Share the Flavor. It had three reward levels:

• Small events earned a gift card
• Medium events came with free appetizers
• Large events got a big discount on the next order

Steps to do it

• Decide what rewards to offer
• Make a one-pager or flyer that explains it
• Track who referred who
• Thank people who send clients your way

This is one of those catering promotion ideas that works best when you keep it simple and stick to the plan.

9. Make Short Educational Videos

Teach people something useful about catering. Answer real questions.

Example

Thomas Caterers of Distinction in Indianapolis made a YouTube series called Behind the Perfect Event. Each video was 3–5 minutes. Topics included:

• How to figure out how much food you need
• What to do about dietary restrictions

The videos hit 200,000+ views. People who watched were 3x more likely to become leads.

Steps to do it

• Make a list of FAQs from clients
• Record short, clear videos
• Use simple titles with keywords people search for
• Post on YouTube, your site, and social media

This is a solid catering marketing idea because it builds trust without selling.

10. Show Your Sustainability Efforts

Let clients know what you’re doing to reduce waste and source locally.

Example

Footers Catering in Denver created a “Zero Waste Catering” program. It included:

• Compostable plates and utensils
• Local ingredients
• Waste reduction tracking

They shared this on their site and in proposals. They even published a report with numbers. It worked. Corporate bookings jumped 45%, and they could charge 15% more for sustainable packages.

Steps to do it

• Improve your practices first. then talk about them
• Take photos and write down what you’re doing
• Add a page to your site just for sustainability
• Look into certifications that back it up

Clients looking for eco-friendly vendors will notice. This is one of the smarter catering advertising ideas if you’re targeting businesses with ESG goals.

11. Use Location-Based Ads

Focus your ads on people near your kitchen or delivery area.

Example

Catering by Design in Philly ran a Google Ads campaign within 15 miles of their kitchen. They made different ads for each business district. Each ad had details like:

• How fast they deliver
• What lunch specials they offer

The result? A 4.2% click-through rate and 28 new corporate accounts in three months. Average client value: $24,000/year.

Steps to do it

• Map your delivery area
• Write specific ads for each neighborhood or zone
• Set up geo targeted ads on Google and social media
• Watch the data and tweak based on results

If you’re looking for catering advertising examples that actually bring leads, this one’s worth trying.

12. Host Collaborative Tasting Events

Team up with other event vendors to run full-experience tasting nights.

Example

Catering Works in Raleigh pulled this off with quarterly “Wedding Experience” events. They worked with a venue, florist, DJ, photographer, and rental company. Each event was set up like a real wedding. Guests got a multi-course tasting, heard music samples, saw table setups, and met all the vendors. Tickets were $75 per couple and usually sold out. About 65% of attendees booked with at least one vendor and many booked several.

How to do it

• Pick vendors with the same target clients and standards.
• Plan an event that shows how everything fits together.
• Agree on how to split costs and profits.
• Follow up with guests as a team.

These kinds of events are strong catering marketing ideas are simple, effective, and high-impact.

13. Develop Industry-Specific Catering Packages

Build catering packages for specific industries. Aim straight at their needs.

Example

Epicurean Group in Detroit made a “Tech Company Culture Package.” It had focus-boosting foods, food stations for networking, and flexible hours. They pushed it through LinkedIn and direct messages. Six months later, they had 14 new tech company clients worth $380,000 in sales.

How to do it

• Research what different industries actually need from catering.
• Build packages around those needs.
• Make marketing materials that speak their language.
• Share those materials where they’ll see them.

14. Start a Customer Loyalty Program

Give repeat clients rewards. It works especially well with corporate and recurring event orders.

Example

Crave Catering in Austin rolled out the “Frequent Feaster” program. Clients earned points based on how much they spent. They could trade points for extras or discounts. It had more points, better perks. After launch, order frequency went up 23%. Average order value rose 17%.

How to do it

• Build a point system that actually gives value.
• Make it easy to track.
• Explain the program clearly to clients.
• Keep in touch with members and remind them what they’ve earned.

This is one of those catering advertising ideas that pays off over time.

15. Build a Brand People Recognize

Make your catering business easy to recognize and hard to forget.

Example

Smoke & Honey Catering in Nashville focused their brand on wood-fired cooking and local honey. They picked a strong look of charcoal gray and amber yellow and used it everywhere. Their packaging, uniforms, and even serving trays told the same story. It worked. Within two years, 85% of local survey respondents recognized their brand. They also started charging 20% more than similar caterers.

How to do it

• Hire a pro to create your logo, colors, and fonts
• Keep everything consistent from your website to your menus
• Add personal touches (custom packaging, uniforms, signage)
• Train your staff to reflect your brand values

This is one of the most effective catering marketing ideas if you want to stand out in a crowded market.

16. Use Before-and-After Content to Show Your Value

Show people what your catering really does for an event space.

Example

Occasions Caterers in DC ran a “Venue Transformation” campaign. They filmed time-lapses of their team setting up full events going from empty rooms to fully designed spaces. They posted these clips online. The result? More engagement and a 35% bump in venue partnership leads. It also helped clients picture how their own events could look.

How to do it

• Work with clients and venues to get permission to film setups
• Capture before, during, and after shots
• Turn your best transformations into short case studies
• Share them online, especially where your clients spend time

This is one of the smarter catering advertising examples if you want to build trust fast.

Conclusion

Strong catering marketing isn’t just about showing off food. It’s about showing your process, your style, and the kind of experience you create. Use the catering promotion ideas that match your strengths. Start small if you need to. Test what works. Then build from there.

The best caterers don’t just serve meals. They tell clear stories and deliver on them. Use real results and real content. That’s what makes a marketing plan stick.