Updated September 2026. This post was first published three months into the Padrino’s catering program. It has been updated with the full-year results.
Most restaurants say they want to grow catering. Few actually do.
And even fewer treat it like the revenue pillar it deserves to be.
When they do, the results are real. Not always what you planned. But real.
Our client Padrino’s Restaurants is a 30-year-old family-run brand with 5 locations across South Florida. Their goal for the year was to double catering sales.
Here’s what happened, with the numbers in order.
Month three: catering sales were up 85% year-over-year. That’s the number this post originally reported, and it was accurate at the time.
March through October: 62% year-over-year growth across the non-holiday months.
Full year: 52% year-over-year growth.
They did not double. A 52% full-year increase on a business that has been operating for 30 years is a strong result, and we’d rather show you the whole curve than the peak. The early number was a launch spike. The full-year number is the system. Notice that the non-holiday months outgrew the year as a whole. That’s the signal the growth was driven by recurring business, not by a holiday season.
Here’s how it was built, and what you can take from it.
What it really takes to grow catering
Growing catering isn’t adding a tab to your website or posting trays on Instagram. It takes a full-funnel effort where every channel points at the same buyer.
This is what we put in place with Padrino’s.
1. Paid lead generation aimed at office decision-makers. Hyper-targeted paid campaigns put Padrino’s in front of the people who actually place office orders: office managers, executive assistants, and HR. Not “everyone within five miles.”
2. A recurring order pitch. We built a simple system to turn a first office order into a standing weekly account. This is the single biggest reason the non-holiday months grew faster than the year. Recurring accounts don’t care what month it is.
3. SEO built to compete with catering companies, not just restaurants. We rebuilt the catering content and structure on the site to rank against national catering platforms in local searches. Padrino’s now ranks #1 for several high-intent local catering terms.
4. Full-funnel visibility. Organic social content built around real catering use cases. Website UX designed for catering conversion. Four-wall signage and table toppers in every location. Email signature banners on every staff message. Direct online catering ordering through Appfront.
5. Operations buy-in. The Padrino’s team is trained, responsive, and integrated with the marketing. Without that, none of the above works. Marketing fills the pipeline. Operations keeps the account.
Key takeaways
- Catering requires commitment. Treat it like a core revenue channel, not a side hustle.
- Paid media is the fastest route to office clients, but only with the right pitch. Awareness without a recurring offer produces one-time orders.
- SEO matters more than ever. You’re competing with national catering platforms, not just the restaurant down the street.
- Your entire presence should reinforce catering. Website, signage, staff emails, social.
- Alignment across teams is non-negotiable. Marketing only works when operations can deliver every time.
- Judge the program on the full year, not the launch spike. Month-three numbers are exciting. Twelve-month numbers are the business.
FAQ: restaurant catering growth strategy
What if we don’t have a big catering operation yet? Start with what you have. Build a basic menu, put it on your website with direct online ordering, and begin collecting leads. You don’t need to go big overnight. You do need to start.
What channels work best for catering lead generation? Paid ads targeting office managers and admins, local SEO, email and SMS to your existing guest database, email signature banners, and in-store signage. They work together, not individually.
Should I invest in a catering ordering platform? Yes. Direct online ordering on your own site (Padrino’s uses Appfront) removes the phone call from the sale and keeps the customer relationship yours. Marketplaces can bring first orders, but they own the buyer and take the margin on every repeat.
Can I do this without paid ads? It’s possible, but much slower. Paid ads accelerate demand while your organic reach is still small.
How long does it take to see results? Padrino’s saw an 85% year-over-year jump by month three. Over the full year it settled at 52%, with 62% across March through October. Expect an early spike, then a steadier rate driven by recurring accounts.
Want to talk through what a catering growth system could look like for your restaurant? I keep a few strategy calls open each week. No pitch, just a conversation about what’s working and what isn’t.
Sebastian Stahl Founder, Breadth Restaurant Marketing