Like the breakfast and late-night dayparts, catering took a huge hit from the pandemic. But as events swing back into full gear and businesses attempt to woo employees back to the office via food, catering seems to be experiencing quite a comeback.
To be sure, catering has been on a recovery path for several quarters now, but the channel was a much bigger part of the conversation during the most recent quarter, as indicated by several public restaurant companies.
Consider Red Robin. The company is in the early innings of a five-point “North Star” turnaround strategy, focused on things like elevating the guest experience and removing costs and complexities. Catering is also a piece of that turnaround puzzle. CFO Todd Wilson called it a “bright spot” in the company’s off-premises business.
