What are the economics of event catering? 🥗
I recently attended networking event which was clearly oversubscribed. I heard the host nervously whisper to a colleague, "we budgeted for 100 people and there must be 300 here now."
She was correct - there were many more attendees than expected, but the catering was quite literally overflowing despite the high numbers.
The buffet was maxed out - heaps of meat, veggies, appetizers, and desserts. Attendees seemed more enamored with the open bar.
Then suddenly, servers removed all the catered food, even though the trays were completely full.
The food was destined for the trash, as after a meal has been presented to guests it can never be served again.
Why waste all that food? It had been prepared, plated, served, and untouched…
Was removing the catering meant to "punish" the hosts for having more guests than anticipated?
It was clearly a signal for attendees to vacate, but I struggle to understand the motivation behind pulling the catering.
I'm certain this was not an isolated event. Perhaps an opportunity for dynamic event products and pricing, or at a minimum food donation?
#catering #events #foodwaste
Awesome! I like that so much! 👍