The Secret to Making More Money in Hospitality (Without More Tables)
If you run a cafe or restaurant in Brisbane, you know the grind. You’re open 12 hours a day, the weekends are a circus, and you’re constantly worrying about whether enough people will walk through the door on a Tuesday night.
I’ve seen this time and time again with businesses from North Lakes down to Logan. Owners are working 70 hours a week just to keep the lights on. But there is a better way to make money that doesn't involve hoping for foot traffic: Corporate Catering.
Think about it. While a regular customer might spend $25 on a burger and a beer, a corporate client will spend $1,500 on lunch for a board meeting. And they don’t just do it once; they do it every week.
I recently sat down with a mate who runs a small sandwich shop in Milton. He was struggling with the 11 am to 2 pm rush—lots of stress for not much profit. We shifted his focus to the office towers nearby. Within three months, he was doing $4,000 a week in catering before he even opened his doors for the lunch rush.
This guide isn't about "brand awareness" or "social media engagement." It’s about how to get big businesses to give you their money.
Why Corporate Clients are Better Than Regular Customers
Most hospitality owners are stuck in the "retail mindset." They wait for people to come to them. Corporate catering is the opposite. You go to them, and the rewards are massive:
1. Guaranteed Income: You know exactly how many people you’re feeding 48 hours in advance. No food waste, no guessing. 2. Higher Margins: You aren't paying for front-of-house staff to wait on tables. You prep the food, box it up, and deliver it. 3. Repeat Business: Once an office manager finds a caterer who doesn't mess up the order and arrives on time, they will never leave you. 4. Better Hours: Most corporate work happens Monday to Friday, 8 am to 3 pm. Imagine actually having your weekends back.
The Case Study: From Struggling Cafe to Catering Powerhouse
Let’s look at a real example. We worked with a small bakery in Fortitude Valley. They had great bread and decent coffee, but the rent was killing them. They were obsessed with getting more people in the door during the week.
We looked at their numbers and realized they were spending a fortune on staff just to handle the morning coffee rush. We decided to change the game. Instead of fighting for the $5 coffee customer, we went after the $500 breakfast meeting.
We didn't use fancy ads. We didn't use "influencers." We used a simple, direct approach that focused on solving one problem for office managers: Making them look good.
Step 1: The "Foot in the Door" Offer
You can't just call a big law firm and ask for a $2,000 contract. You have to prove you aren't a flake. We created a "Morning Tea Taster Box." It cost the bakery about $15 to make, and we gave it away for free to the office managers of the top 20 firms within a 2km radius.
Inside was a note: "I know planning office lunches is a headache. Here’s a sample of what we do. If you like it, give me a call for your next meeting."
Within a week, three of those firms had placed orders. One of them is now spending over $2,000 a month with that bakery.
How Your Website Can Actually Make You Money
Most catering websites are rubbish. They have a PDF menu that’s hard to read on a phone and a "contact us" form that goes to an email address nobody checks.
If a busy PA is trying to order lunch for 20 people, they want it to be as easy as buying something on Amazon. If your website makes them work for it, they’ll go to the next person on Google.
Your website needs to do three things: 1. Work on phones: Most people are looking for catering while they're on the move or in a meeting. 2. Show clear prices: Don't make them "enquire for a quote." Give them a starting price per head. 3. Have a clear "Order Now" button: Even if it just opens a simple form, make it obvious.
While you're fixing your online presence, you should also look at how you handle your quietest times. I've written before about how to fill tables on quiet nights without spending a cent on advertising, and the logic is the same: use what you already have to get more value.
Finding the Right Clients in Brisbane
Not all corporate clients are equal. You don't want the company that wants a "cheap deal." You want the company that has a budget and wants quality.
In Brisbane, look at these sectors: Law Firms (CBD/Eagle St): They have long meetings and lots of money. They want high-end, professional-looking food. Real Estate Agencies: Think about Saturday morning auctions or mid-week training sessions. They need reliable delivery. Medical Centres: Pharmaceutical reps often buy lunch for doctors to get 10 minutes of their time. They are some of the most consistent catering spenders in the country. Construction Sites: Big projects in areas like Queens Wharf or the Cross River Rail need bulk, hearty food for site meetings.
The "Secret Weapon": The Office Manager
If you want to win at corporate catering, you need to realize that the CEO isn't your customer. The Office Manager, PA, or Receptionist is your customer.
Their job is hard. If the food is late, or if the vegetarian option is missing, they get yelled at. If you can make their life easy, they will be loyal to you forever.
How do you make their life easy? Label everything: Write "Gluten Free" or "Vegan" clearly on the boxes. Be early: 10 minutes early is on time. On time is late. Provide everything: Include napkins, disposable plates, and cutlery without them asking. Send a confirmation text: "Hi Sarah, just letting you know your lunch order is leaving now and will be there by 11:45 am." This stops them from stressing.
What Most People Get Wrong (And Why It Costs Them Money)
I see so many Brisbane businesses waste money on things that don't work.
Waste of Money #1: Expensive Glossy Brochures. Nobody keeps these. They go straight in the bin. A simple, clean A4 sheet with your best-sellers and a QR code to your website is much more effective and costs 1/10th of the price.
Waste of Money #2: General Social Media Ads. Running a Facebook ad to the whole of Brisbane saying "We do catering" is like throwing money into the Brisbane River. It’s too broad. If you’re going to spend money, spend it on reaching people who are actually searching for "corporate catering Brisbane" on Google.
Waste of Money #3: Not Following Up. If someone orders from you once, and you never contact them again, you are leaving thousands of dollars on the table. A simple phone call a week later—"Hi, just checking how that lunch went? Would you like me to put you on our weekly specials list?"—is the most profitable 2 minutes you'll ever spend.
If you're worried about costs, you need to understand your measuring ROI before you dive into big marketing spends. You need to know that for every dollar you spend on a taster box, you're getting $50 back in orders.
A Simple Plan to Start This Week
You don't need a massive marketing budget to start. You just need a bit of hustle. Here is exactly what I would do if I were starting from scratch today:
1. Monday: Identify 10 businesses within a 5-minute drive of your shop. Find out the name of the Office Manager. 2. Tuesday: Create 10 small "Taster Boxes" with your best items. 3. Wednesday: Walk into those 10 businesses. Don't ask for a meeting. Just say: "Hi, I'm [Name] from [Business]. We’re just down the road. I wanted to drop off some lunch for the team to try. No strings attached." 4. Thursday: Follow up with a brief email or phone call. Ask if they have any events coming up. 5. Friday: Make sure your website has a "Catering" page with your phone number clearly visible.
The Long Game: Building a System
Once you get your first few clients, you need a system. You can't rely on your memory. Keep a simple spreadsheet of every corporate lead. Note down their favourite foods, when they usually order, and any dietary requirements they have.
When you see a slow week coming up on your calendar, you don't have to panic. You just pick up the phone and call your top 5 corporate clients. "Hey, we've got a special on our gourmet wrap platters next Tuesday, thought you might want to get in early?"
This isn't "marketing." This is just being a good business owner.
Why Most Brisbane Businesses Fail at This
I’ll be blunt: most people are lazy. They’ll read this, think "that’s a good idea," and then go back to complaining about how quiet the shop is.
Winning corporate clients takes a bit of legwork at the start. It means getting out of the kitchen and talking to people. It means making sure your website actually works and doesn't look like it was built in 2005.
But the payoff? It's the difference between barely making rent and having a business that actually gives you a life. I’ve seen it work for a sushi joint in Chermside, a cafe in Paddington, and a deli in Morningside. It works because it’s based on real relationships and solving real problems for busy people.
Need Help Getting Started?
If you’re too busy running your kitchen to worry about websites and finding leads, that’s where we come in. At Local Marketing Group, we don't care about fancy awards or technical jargon. We care about making your phone ring.
We help Brisbane business owners get more customers and more sales without the headache. Whether you need a website that actually sells or a plan to dominate your local area, we’ve got your back.
Ready to grow your catering business? Let’s have a chat.