Last week I shared my conversation with the admin person at the law firm. And to be honest, the interaction sounded like an Alonti Catering Kitchen commercial, so after my visit I checked them out online. Apparently Alonti started as a ma and pa catering operation in Houston and now has franchises in California, Texas, and Illinois.
I will honestly tell you that the make-your-own-sandwich buffet I saw was formidable. Appropriate items were branded and special printed. Alonti used a minimum of black plastic trays and instead placed the food in customized rectangular boxes with lids. This made it easy to transport and since the food was artistically prepared, it looked great.
Even the ice bucket was unique—a waxed movie popcorn-like container that was covered with the Alonti logo and colors.
Alonti is in three states and I’m sure looking to expand into more. They have figured out how to standardize all of their business practices; undoubtedly everything is recorded in a manual that covers all eventualities.
Most importantly, they understand exactly what is necessary to succeed in corporate catering: serve great-looking food on-time for a fair price.
What you need to do
If you are in a larger city in Texas, Illinois or California, Alonti may already be your competitor. If you are not, I urge you to look at their website and understand how they have standardized their operation so completely that they can open a store in any city that meets their business parameters.
The Alonti experience just reinforces what I have already shared with you previously:
1) Pay attention to your branding
2) Ensure that your food looks great
3) Have an easy-to-understand ordering system
4) Have a great online presence
5) Always set up all orders
6) Don’t be late!
Hope the first quarter is treating you well! Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions. As always, we are here to help!
If you would like to contact Michael Rosman directly about his consulting and coaching services, you may call him at 781-641-3303, email him at [email protected] and visit his membership website www.TheCorporateCaterer.com. Michael is a regular contributor to the Catersource.com website, and also has published two books which are available for purchase at www.catersource.com/catersource-store
