The person paying isn't the only person to win over
A catering order has one buyer and a room full of people experiencing the restaurant. Kelly Grogan wants operators to pay attention to both. The administrator arranging lunch may have a prescribed purchasing platform. The people eating it may be deciding where to take their family this weekend.
In her ChatGTM conversation with Michael Beck and Chad Horn, the Crumbs co-founder treats catering as both a revenue channel and an introduction. That second role only works if the food arrives well, people know where it came from and the restaurant gives them a sensible reason to return.
It is easy to send a discount for the next large order and overlook everyone who did not place this one. Grogan's perspective broadens the assignment: care for the buyer's relationship while making the brand memorable to the people gathered around the table.
Start by trying to buy your own catering
Grogan challenges operators to visit their own ordering website and attempt an order for a group. Stop before paying if necessary, but go far enough to experience the uncertainty. Is it clear how many people an item serves? Does the buyer understand the portion? Can they assemble an appropriate mix without knowing the restaurant's menu by heart?
Her point is particularly relevant to an administrator ordering for people whose preferences they do not know. A menu that requires ten separate sandwich decisions has transferred considerable work to the customer. A thoughtfully designed assortment can remove some of that burden while leaving room for clearly stated requirements.
This does not mean hiding choices or making unsupported assumptions about dietary needs. It means using the restaurant's knowledge to make the offer intelligible. Describe quantities, explain what is included and make important exceptions visible. Ordering technology becomes useful when the customer can make a confident decision inside it.
Give the group variety without giving the kitchen chaos
Grogan rejects the idea that a catering menu is simply the dining-room menu multiplied by a headcount. Travel, preparation, presentation and profitability all affect which items belong. So does the connection to the restaurant: someone who discovers a dish at work may want to find that experience again in person.
She also warns against a selection so narrow that one buyer cannot reasonably accommodate a group. The balance is enough useful variety without unnecessary operational complexity. Add-ons should make sense in that same system. Drinks and desserts can complete an occasion when the restaurant can execute them reliably.
A practical test is to assemble the order as it would actually leave the building. Check the packing list, carrying requirements and setup. Ask a person unfamiliar with the menu to explain how they would serve it. Any hesitation is useful information before a paying customer becomes the first person to solve the puzzle.
Make the restaurant visible at the table
Grogan describes the familiar office invitation to claim leftovers in the break room. People enjoy the food without knowing who made it. From the restaurant's perspective, the sampling opportunity happened but the connection back to the brand was missing.
Her suggestions do not require branding every disposable item. A visible cup, bag, sticker or labeled box can establish identity. Packaging can also guide how the food is arranged and enjoyed. In her build-your-own bowl example, the sequence of rice, protein, toppings and sauces matters to the experience.
The next action should suit the person who sees it. A route to the restaurant, a useful offer for an individual visit or an easy way to find the menu may make more sense than assuming every diner needs to order catering. Measure actual responses rather than treating the number of people fed as a guaranteed number of new customers.
Keep the relationship human, including marketplace orders
Grogan urges operators to recognize the people behind transactions from third-party marketplaces. An order can still arrive with a personal thank-you and evidence that someone cared about packing it. The purchasing channel does not prevent hospitality.
She also distinguishes between forcing a buyer to change channels and serving them well where they need to purchase. A company may require its administrator to use a particular marketplace. That does not prevent the restaurant from earning the next office order or making a positive impression on the people eating the meal.
Her broader approach is active and gradual. Test the menu, make catering visible in existing marketing and build relationships with nearby buyers. The work is less glamorous than switching on a platform and waiting for demand, but it gives the restaurant control over something real: how easy it is to buy, how well the food arrives and whether anyone remembers who made lunch.
