For Franchise Owner Jay Andrews, who oversees 15 Firehouse Subs locations across four states, catering wasn’t just a side business - it was the most profitable part of his operation. He knew if he could scale catering across his locations, it would have the biggest impact on his bottom line. That’s when he turned to CaterZen's catering software.
Running a fast-growing, multi-faceted catering business should feel rewarding—not like hitting your head against a wall every week.
Kristen Bailey, Co-Founder and Co-Owner of Sweets & Meats BBQ, knows that pain all too well. Between running a restaurant, three food trucks, full-service catering, and vending events, she found herself buried in manual paperwork, handwritten kitchen tallies, and sleepless weekends.
But once Kristen discovered CaterZen's catering software, everything changed.
Cuban Kitchen’s journey with CaterZen is a story of taking control and simplifying what used to be a cumbersome process. Alejandra Baladón, the Catering Coordinator, shares how switching from an old, clunky platform to CaterZen's catering software has reshaped their operations for the better. Let’s dive into her story and see how a few smart software features are making a big difference every day.
Before switching to CaterZen, Paul Hubbard, owner of Deep Run Roadhouse, relied on a basic Excel sheet and manual emails to manage his catering orders. While it got the job done in the early days, it quickly became clear that as the business grew, so did the inefficiencies.
After researching multiple catering software solutions, Paul chose CaterZen for its intuitive design, powerful features, and the best value for his business.
When Michael Leake first started catering, he had no real system in place. Today, after being with CaterZen for 15 years, his business thrives with better client retention, improved efficiency, and unmatched organization. His journey from restaurant owner to a full-time off-premise caterer and catering hall manager showcases howCaterZen's catering software revolutionized his operations.
Taco Lulú, a vibrant Mexican eatery in downtown Chicago, was already serving up fresh, bold flavors to its customers. But when it came to catering, owner Michael Stadnicki saw an untapped opportunity—one that CaterZen's catering software helped him seize in a big way.
Lunch Wired, a successful catering company based in Colorado, had been growing rapidly but struggled with outdated and fragmented systems. Tobi Drori, the CFO, shared her journey to finding a comprehensive catering software solution in CaterZen and how it transformed their operations.
Before implementing CaterZen, Big Dan’s BBQ relied on a patchwork of tools like Google Calendar, Square, and emails to manage their catering operations. This fragmented system led to frequent mistakes, frustrated customers, and inefficiencies that held back their growth.
CaterZen helped them change the game. By switching to a centralized, all-in-one catering software solution, Big Dan’s BBQ streamlined operations, drastically reduced errors, and saved time for both their team and customers.
Before adopting CaterZen, Pasta Pantry’s catering management system was as old-school as it gets: a giant wall calendar. Each day of the year was filled in manually, with additional pages added as orders piled up. While this approach worked in the early days, it quickly became cumbersome as the business grew. Keeping track of past orders or coordinating future ones often required digging through pages and guessing at the details.
Red Hot & Blue, a beloved barbecue chain, had been managing their catering operations with outdated software that required manual order entry and lacked the convenience of online ordering. As demand for their catering services grew, General Manager Rachid Elkhasouani found that the manual processes were slowing down their ability to keep up with customer expectations. To meet the needs of their growing customer base and improve efficiency, Rachid knew it was time for a catering software upgrade. That’s when Red Hot & Blue turned to CaterZen.
