What can be better than a great location for a mobile catering pitch? Location and location is the key factor in the mobile catering business. Once you secure the right place, it will generate half the business for you. The location is the best marketing tool in any retail business. If you get that right, then the focus is in managing the customers. Getting the customer to your pitch becomes an easy task. Investing in the perfect location will pay back always. Some of the mobile catering pitches include trade shows and events, markets, car boots, industrial areas, licensed pitches and franchisee locations. You can even get creative and rent a garage space. The sites can be either static like a permanent car park to do your trade from. Else, it can be temporary site which allows you to experiment, regarding the locations. Types of mobile catering pitches Events and trade shows Tie up with event and trade show organizers. It is a great place to do some roaring business. Event planners conduct events based on certain themes. They decide on a location depending on the number of visitors and the focus of the theme. Then, the decoration of the entire venue is in co-ordination with the idea, in terms of colours, cutouts, banners. The entire concept is marketed and well advertised. Entry fee is either free or nominal. These events are great crowd pullers and there is no other place that a mobile caterer will want to be present. The event organisers rent the stalls and at nominal costs. You must do your bookings early. Today, event planners of London are organized and plan for their events many months in advance. So, it is vital that you list the event planners and register your details with them. They will intimate you the particulars of the events held and the costing related to it. Once you have made your choice, gather and arrange all the equipment, the stocks, and the pamphlets and discount coupons for marketing. Train your staff to handle large crowds. Retail parks Retail parks often offer mobile catering pitches. Shopping and food are complementary. Most customers enjoy a bite either before or after shopping. It makes general good sense. It is a symbiotic gesture for both the traders. These pitches can be hired or bought. Smaller retailers offer them at lower prices, which is affordable for fresher’s or low investment caterers. The retailers do not allow converted catering trailers as they are neither safe nor hygienic. They insist on purpose built catering trailers with taps and sinks. Markets In the UK, markets offer pitches at competitive prices on a temporary, speciality or theme basis. While choosing a mobile catering pitch at a market, consider: location, competitive caterers and their menu, account for all costs (license fee, rental and insurance charges), meet the legal compliances and start on a temporary basis. These steps will minimize any unexpected occurrences and help you with a smooth start Industrial locations The best way to succeed as a caterer is to feed the ravenous industrial crowds. Find a nice industrial park in London, check for suitable sites and kind of food available, finalize your niche area and get off to a flying start. It is imperative that you keep your prices low for a volume business. Fresh and hygienic food at competitive rates will ensure you are in business for a long time. Licensed Pitches Licensed mobile catering pitches are specified locations of a street authorised for trading by a council or an authorised officer of London. The caterer must adhere to the regulations mentioned and pay the license fee in advance. Schools, club houses, sports complexes generally offer sites and if you belong to that community, there is no better place to start. Franchisee Pitches Take a franchisee pitch in case you are brand conscious. They provide brand identity and access to many events. They have various operational schemes and charge you a franchisee fee. Customers identify with the brand and are conscientious regarding the quality and taste of the menu offered. It could be ice cream vans, burger vans, hot dogs, cold drinks and so forth. While locating a franchisee business, be specific regarding cost, requirements and location. Take time to make contact the franchisers, follow up and plan your business. Carnivals, Fairs and Sport events are also great places to use as mobile catering pitches but they are highly competitive. Prerequisites to consider Legal requirements that include mainly the Food and Hygiene Certificate, hours of work, location and staff are critical to your catering business. An LPG Test and Electric certificates show that you comply with health and safety standards. Display all these certificates in your mobile catering kitchen. This will keep you in business at the catering site. Good mobile catering pith in the right location is an undue advantage. These pitches are cheaper in comparison to starting restaurants, can be a lucrative cash business, require lesser trading hours and are highly personalised in terms of the menu, its preparation, delivery and service given. The biggest disadvantage is that it is a short-term venture and finding the right location can be tiresome. Just when you have regular clientele, your term will require an extension or you will have to find a new pitch. Securing a Mobile Catering Pitch Market research is crucial. Check all the classifieds and follow up regularly. Ask at the local Sunday markets. Send mailers to the key personnel at various industrial estates; check out the neighbouring car boots, try the DIY stores, enlist with event planners and trade show organizers, tie-up with real estate agents who rent sites of the retail parks. Finding the right mobile catering pitch Ensure the pitch is a niche for you, as far as possible. Do some market research of the nearby locations to give you details regarding your competition. Select the menu after serious consideration and get the trailer customized to your requirements. Food has a way of selling itself. Some catering pitches offer trailers also at good rates. Do a feasibility analysis of your catering business and just move on, after all you are mobile. mobilecateringuk.co.uk/mobile-catering-pitch.htm
Posted on: Wed, 29 Oct 2014 09:23:02 +0000
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