Risk Management in Catering: Handling Emergencies and Contingencies

The success of your catering business often boils down to one word: reliability. Delivering a high-quality product at the promised time and quantity is key to ensuring customer satisfaction, earning referrals, and attaining repeat business. The reputation you build with consistency, quality, and white-glove service will set your business apart from the many others on the market.

However, many unlikely emergencies can negatively impact your ability to deliver that consistent experience. Knowing how to surmount event hurdles, and having pre-planned measures in place, is therefore essential. In this article, we’ll break down some of the most common risks faced by catering businesses, and posit strategies that will allow you to get your next delivery back on track.

Transportation difficulties

Nothing will derail a delivery like your catering vehicle breaking down. Automotive problems are the peak of Murphy’s law: food will be prepped and ready to go—then, all of a sudden, your van’s battery fails, its transmission quits, or an unseen nail flattens one of your tires. Having a plan in place to secure backup transportation is crucial, as these kinds of unforeseen delays seriously compromise your ability to deliver as promised. 

In this event, your first go-to may be to use a personal car to make the delivery. There are benefits to using a personal vehicle for your business, such as greater tax write-offs and a higher degree of flexibility. However, there are also some drawbacks you should be aware of.

Personal vehicles used for business purposes tend to accrue a greater amount of wear and tear as a result, shortening their overall lifespan. You’ll also need to insure it using a plan that covers business use, an additional expense that can pressure your business’s budget, especially if you’re working under tight financial constraints. Liability becomes murkier, as you’ll have to handle the aftermath of accidents independently, much like you would if your vehicle was only used for personal reasons.

That said, having a personal vehicle set aside for emergencies can help you prepare for unforeseen company vehicle trouble. With a personal car on standby, you can ensure all deliveries are made on time, boosting your reputation and leaving your customers unaware of your near calamity.

Staffing shortage

Every member of your food prep team has a part to play in executing orders, and some have skillsets that aren’t easily transferable. What do you do when, on the eve of a massive delivery, one of your main prep cooks calls in? Or how can you compensate for that dreaded morning voicemail informing you that a disgruntled yet highly skilled member of your team has decided to quit without notice? 

Clear communication with staff is essential to ensuring good teamwork, and it becomes doubly so when crucial workers are missing. In a high-stress environment, you’ll need to create a culture where skilled employees can train the less capable on the fly without allowing pressure to boil over into conflict. The more prep work you do in installing these rules before an emergency occurs, the more prepared your team will be to function without missing links.

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Instilling these practices so they become second nature is crucial to encouraging teams to work together as a cohesive unit and fill the gaps that others have left behind.

Food safety issues

Finally, there’s the issue of food safety. When signs start showing spoilage, the worst thing you or your team can do is ignore them in favor of making a delivery. Instead, the best practice is to back up essential food items and designate clean and cold storage spaces. 

You can also institute rigid cleaning guidelines, preventing bacteria from growing in vital areas like workstations, fridges, or freezers. Holding employees accountable for their cleaning duties and best practices for safe food preparation will prevent this highly avoidable issue from occurring in the first place.

We hope this primer gave you the tools to proactively prevent and respond to catering emergencies. Make sure you’re fully prepared by training staff to be backups, designate a “just-in-case” vehicle, and store some extra food. If you get ready for the worst, you can offer the best and satisfy your clientele.