Managing Headcount and Menu Changes
Catering details shift right up to the event. Here is how to manage changes without chaos.
Manage changes without chaos by treating them as normal and keeping one current headcount and menu everyone works from, so the kitchen never cooks the wrong number or dishes. Confirm the figures with the client before your final deadline, and flow every change through to the BEO automatically rather than retyping.
Change is normal
Headcounts move and menus adjust as an event approaches. Treating change as a normal part of catering, with a clear way to handle it, keeps a shifting event from becoming a stressful scramble. Related: From Inquiry to Booked Catering Event
Keep reading: From Inquiry to Booked Catering Event, Writing a Catering Proposal That Wins, What a Banquet Event Order Needs. See how CaterLoom helps you catering proposals and banquet event order generator.
Keep one current number
The danger with changes is losing track of the current truth. Keeping a single, up to date headcount and menu, that everyone works from, prevents the kitchen from cooking for the wrong number or the wrong dishes.
Confirm before the deadline
Most caterers set a point after which the numbers are final. Confirming the headcount and menu clearly with the client before that deadline gives the kitchen a firm target and protects you from last minute surprises.
Flow changes to the BEO
A change is only handled when it reaches the people executing the event. Ensuring that an updated headcount or menu flows through to the BEO, automatically rather than by retyping, is what keeps changes from getting lost.
- Changes are a normal part of catering
- Keep one current headcount and menu everyone uses
- Confirm the numbers before the final deadline
- Flow every change through to the BEO
Julien Jimenez
Julien Jimenez is an independent software builder based in Paris. He designs, ships, and operates focused SaaS products for small businesses and independent professionals. Read the full author page.
Frequently asked questions
How do you keep a shifting event from causing confusion?
Maintain a single, up to date headcount and menu that every team works from, so there is one current truth instead of conflicting versions floating around.
Why confirm numbers before a final deadline?
A clear cutoff gives the kitchen a firm target and protects you from last minute surprises, so confirming the count and menu with the client beforehand is essential.
From proposal to banquet order in one flow
Catering proposals and banquet event order generator. CaterLoom is built to help you put this into practice.
Build a proposalMore from the CaterLoom blog
From Inquiry to Booked Catering Event
Writing a Catering Proposal That Wins
What a Banquet Event Order Needs
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