Operators in today’s restaurant economy are under constant pressure to do more with less. Margins are tightening, guest acquisition costs are rising, and the battle for labor continues.
But amidst these challenges, one channel consistently outperforms others in terms of predictability, profitability, and operational leverage: Catering.
At Checkmate, we work with multi-unit and enterprise restaurant brands across the country. And we’ve seen the same story play out time and time again: restaurants that operationalize catering as a core pillar of their growth strategy see stronger contribution margins, improved resource planning, more reliable revenue, and higher customer lifetime value.
Here’s why we believe catering should be your most profitable and strategic channel — and how Checkmate is purpose-built to help you get there.
1. Catering Orders Drive Exponential Revenue
The average catering order is 8–10x larger than a standard delivery or dine-in check, enabling a substantial increase in order value means achieving higher sales with fewer transactions.. And that’s just the beginning.
- According to ezCater, the average catering order is $283.
- Checkmate clients routinely process orders in the $250–$1,000+ range, especially for corporate accounts, team lunches, and event-based requests.
- And the real upside? Recurring orders. One law firm, school district, or regional office placing weekly catering can generate 5–6 figures in annual revenue — with minimal acquisition or operational lift.
When you build for high-value transactions and long-term relationships, your business shifts from quantity to quality — while your team works smarter, not harder. And when those orders become recurring? That’s where the true value compounds.
2. Pre-Scheduled Orders = Operational Control
Unlike on-demand orders that hit your kitchen at peak times, catering orders are usually placed hours or days in advance. That gives you something extremely valuable: Predictability.
- Labor planning improves: You know exactly when volume is coming and can schedule accordingly.
- Kitchen efficiency increases: Prep can be batched during slower periods, balancing out daily throughput by smoothing out production capacity across shifts.
- Food waste drops: Accurate forecasting and batching reduce excess inventory and spoilage.
With Checkmate, all scheduled catering orders flow directly into your operations dashboard. Prep and fulfillment windows are clearly surfaced, and orders are automatically routed to the right team — helping you balance demand across service channels and avoid unnecessary stress during peak hours.
3. It’s Your Margin. Keep It.
Third-party delivery platforms are essential for convenience, brand discovery, and initial customer acquisition — but they come at a steep cost.
- You lose ownership of the customer relationship, data, and experience
- Brand control is limited, and even loyal customers can be diverted to competitors due to marketplace promotions or cross-selling tactics
- Orders placed through third-party platforms may include platform service fees
That means you’re not just losing margin — you’re ceding long-term value. Compare that to a direct catering order placed through your own branded channel, where you keep up to 95% of the revenue and control the client journey from end-to-end.
Checkmate enables full-service direct catering experiences, including:
- A branded ordering interface (web & app) that routes orders directly into the right kitchen workflow
- Menu customization by service type (pickup, delivery, catering, etc.)
- Tiered pricing, minimums, and lead times/scheduling logic
- Real-time status updates, including prep and delivery timing
You own the channel, the customer, and the outcome — and that translates directly into stronger, more sustainable profit.
4. Customer Retention Is Built-In Via Your Own Relationship Channel
Catering is one of the few channels where repeat business is the norm, not the exception. From law firms, healthcare organizations, to schools to regional offices, many corporate clients order on a weekly or monthly basis. Retention is not only achievable — it’s expected.
- Properly integrated loyalty and retention tools increase repeat order frequency by 20–40%
- Businesses are 2–3x more likely to become long-term partners if the first experience is seamless
- Each recurring account improves forecast accuracy and lifetime revenue
Checkmate integrates with your existing Tech Stack including your POS, loyalty & marketing platforms, and platforms like EZCater, giving you a centralized system to:
- Trigger automated re-engagement campaigns
- Track client-specific preferences
- Offer incentives based on order volume or frequency
- Segment and personalize outreach by order behavior
The result? A recurring revenue engine with built-in brand advocacy.
5. Tech Stack Integration = Scalable Execution
One of the biggest challenges we see? Operators trying to scale catering through disconnected systems, manual workarounds, or tools built for single transactions — not enterprise grade workflows.
That leads to:
- Missed or duplicated tickets, leading to inconsistent fulfillment
- Lack of prep visibility
- Siloed reporting
- Frustrated teams and guests
Checkmate eliminates this friction by consolidating all digital ordering channels — First-party (Web & App), Third-party, Catering, Kiosk, Loyalty & Marketing — into one unified operations layer.
Key technical capabilities include:
- Real-time POS sync (Toast, Brink, Revel, SpotOn, etc.)
- Centralized menu management by location, channel, and service type
- Intelligent order routing to kitchen stations or prep teams
- Scheduling tools for throttling, blackout windows, and batching
- Fulfillment analytics to track accuracy and timeliness
This is more than a single digital layer — it's a scalable operating system for multi-channel revenue.
6. Executive-Level Value: Profitability and Predictability
If you’re looking at your revenue mix strategically, catering is more than a line item — it’s a margin strategy.
From a leadership perspective, catering delivers:
- Higher contribution margin than almost any other channel
- Lower labor-to-revenue ratio
- Predicable cash flow due to scheduled ordering
- Better allocation of kitchen and labor resources
- Increased brand visibility through corporate and community engagement
When executed at scale, catering isn’t just a revenue stream — it becomes a powerful lever for both top-line growth and operational efficiency. With Checkmate’s unified platform, you can eliminate fragmented tools and confidently scale catering across every location — without adding complexity or burdening your team.
Final Thought: The Channel Hiding in Plain Sight
If your catering revenue represents less than 10% of your total off-premise volume, , you're likely sitting on one of your business’s biggest untapped margin drivers.
Let’s fix that.
Checkmate helps ambitious brands build, scale, and streamline catering operations — integrating them seamlessly into your digital strategy, POS, and workflows.
If you’re ready to make catering your highest-margin channel, we’re ready to help.
