Use this detailed guide tailored for cafes and restaurants that want to add (or improve) an information-rich catering web page on their website. It focuses on creating a useful resource for visitors and boosting SEO performance. Each section includes suggestions on content, layout, and strategies to make your catering page stand out.
Essential Content on Your Catering Page
1. Introduction and Overview
Hero Section with Eye-Catching Image – A high-quality, mouth-watering photo of your catered food or table setup. – Headline: ‘Exceptional Catering Services for Every Occasion’. – Subheadline: ‘Fresh ingredients, personalised menus, and friendly service for events in [Your Location]’. – Call to Action button: ‘Request a Quote’.
Explain why you offer catering: Begin with a brief, enthusiastic introduction that describes the advantages of your catering services (e.g., personal touch, local ingredients, specialised culinary expertise). Emphasise your restaurant’s unique selling points. For example, mention here if you focus on fresh, locally sourced produce or have a signature dish.
SEO Tip: Use keywords whenever possible on the page eg ‘Catering in [Your Town/City]’, ‘Local café catering’, ‘Artisanal catering services’. Place your primary keywords near the beginning of this introduction to signal relevance to search engines. Add a short paragraph mentioning local landmarks or neighbourhoods in your area. This reinforces local relevance and can help with long-tail local searches.
Consider linking to or referencing your Google Business Profile to encourage reviews and consistency of name, address, and phone (NAP) details.
2. Types of Events You Cater For
Highlight the Variety You Offer… – Corporate events: Breakfast meetings, working lunches, conferences. – Private parties: Birthdays, anniversaries, baby showers, etc. – Weddings and special occasions: Note any specialities like canapés or custom cakes, even if they are small-scale. – Community gatherings: community events, charity fundraisers, local fairs.
Mention Niche Specialties – Dietary requirements: Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, and more. – Culturally specific menus: If your restaurant specialises in ethnic cuisine or fusion dishes, highlight the availability of tailored menus.
SEO Tip: Use long-tail keywords as well as the usual catering terms ie for niche interests eg terms like ‘wedding catering in [Location]’, and ‘vegan catering for corporate events’ can help attract more specific clientele.
3. Showcasing Menus and Packages
Sample Menus – Provide a downloadable PDF: Make it easy for potential clients to get an overview of your offerings. – Include a mix of options: From light bites and finger food to full-course meals. – Seasonal variations: Suggest summer barbecues, autumn comfort food, winter warmers, etc. – Be ready to discuss this with a client who needs advice on quantities and the right variety for a mixed crowd. You avoid making special adjustments on standard items by including plenty of options.
Pricing Guidelines – Transparent but flexible: Offer a starting price range per person or per package. Emphasise that final quotes depend on guest count, menu selection, and other factors. – Value proposition: Underline quality ingredients, your culinary expertise, and excellent customer service. – Be ready with the classic ‘bronze, silver and gold’ set of three options, knowing this will nudge many people to the middle-priced option.
SEO Tip: With menu descriptions, add descriptive text around each dish name so search engines can index relevant keywords (e.g. ‘homemade gluten-free chocolate brownies’).
4. Logistics and Service Details
Delivery and Setup – Locations you cover: Make clear if your service radius is limited to your local town or extends to surrounding areas. – Equipment and staffing: Mention whether you provide serving dishes, cutlery, and waitstaff, as this can be a significant differentiator. Many places charge staff separately unless the food is just delivered. – Setup and teardown: Clarify if you handle venue setup, table arrangements, or decorations. – Start and finish times, and whether this is charged by the job or the hour. Many clients have very little idea about the time it takes to set up and clear, or the fact that many of their guests may be late.
Coordination and Timing – Lead times: State how far in advance bookings should be made and any cut-off dates for final menu decisions and final numbers for payment. – Provide a Process or Timeline – briefly detail the steps from initial enquiry and menu discussion to setup and event day. This reassures potential customers of a smooth, professional service. – Clear contact details: Make it easy to contact for further questions or special requests. Having a specific person as the account manager is reassuring to the customer.
SEO Tip: Incorporate location-specific keywords (e.g., ‘Bristol catering deliveries’, ‘full-service catering in Hill Town’) to boost local search visibility.
5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Including a FAQ section helps address common queries, saves you and your customers time, and enhances on-page SEO. This section should include key keywords and phrases relevant to your catering services. Examples of questions:
1. How many guests can you cater for? 2. Do you handle dietary restrictions? 3 .Do you provide staff for serving/clean-up? 4. How far do you travel for catering events? 5. Do we have to pay for staff travel time? 6. What is your cancellation policy?
6. Strong Calls to Action (CTAs) and Contact Details
Effective CTAs – ‘Request a Quote’ button: Place prominent buttons throughout the page, e.g., after describing your menus and pricing. – ‘Enquire Now’ or ‘Check Availability’: Encourage immediate action, linked to a simple contact form. Make sure there’s an auto-reply email set to bounce back, assuring the customer the message has been received.
Contact Methods – Phone number and email: Ensure this is hyperlinked for mobile users. – Physical address and a map: Reinforces local relevance and trustworthiness. – Business hours: Clarify when you’re available to discuss catering enquiries. Be ready for some out-of-hours calls.
SEO Tip: Use Schema Markup: Implement the ‘Local Business’ schema to provide search engines with structured data about your cafe or restaurant (address, phone number, opening hours). This is one for your website developer – ask them to explain how they will set it up.
Other Valuable Content on Your Catering Page
These sections are not essential but can make a great impression. You can also break out some of this extra content onto separate sub-pages.
7. Testimonials, Case Studies, and Behind-the-Scenes
While not strictly necessary, these build trust and showcase your track record. You can add them over time. – Customer quotes: short, impactful lines about food quality, professional service, and overall satisfaction. – Photos of successful events: Real images of buffet tables, staff in action, or plated meals. – Highlight star ratings or short quotes from these reviews directly on the page (with permission), as it builds trust and can influence your local SEO signals. – Short video introduction – a quick one-minute walkthrough of your catering operation, kitchen, or event setup can engage visitors. Host it on YouTube or another platform for extra local SEO benefits (ensure you reference your location and café/restaurant name).
Case Studies – Highlight special requests: For example, a corporate brunch for 50 guests or a gluten-free birthday party menu. – Brief story outline of an event: ‘The client requested… We provided… The result was…’
Behind-the-Scenes – Show your kitchen or cooking process: Adds transparency and authenticity. – Staff introductions: Let potential clients see who’s behind the delicious food and personalised service.
SEO Tip: Use image optimisation with descriptive file names and alt tags for images (e.g., ‘cafe-catering-buffet-Sydney.jpg’), which can help your site rank in image searches.
8. Offline Marketing Strategies
Although the emphasis is on SEO, don’t forget to promote your catering services offline as well.
– Flyers and brochures: Display them in your cafe or restaurant and on local community boards. Remind people these can also be posted or collected, or drop by for a personal consultation. – Partnerships: Network with local event planners, wedding coordinators, or venues. – Local press: Send a press release to local newspapers or magazines about your catering expansion – make sure this is real news, not just saying how great you are! – Community events: Sponsor or participate in local fundraisers or fairs, handing out samples and business cards. See also How to Make Restaurant Community Sponsorship Work for Everyone.
9. Maintaining and Updating the Web Page
Seasonal and Special Occasions – Festive menus: Christmas, New Year’s Eve, Valentine’s Day, Easter. – Limited-time offers: Encourage potential clients to book early for popular seasons.
Keeping Content Fresh – Blog posts and news updates: Showcase recent events you’ve catered for. – Regularly update pricing: Avoid outdated information that can deter potential customers. – Highlight new testimonials: Request client feedback soon after each event and rotate new quotes on the page.
SEO Tip: Search engines reward sites that update content frequently – the site is fresh, not stale. A regularly updated catering page signals relevance and reliability.
Link Internally to (and from) the New Page – consider adding a clear link or button on your homepage to the catering page for maximum visibility. If you have articles or other service pages that relate to catering, link to them (and vice versa) so visitors (and search engines) can navigate your site easily.
10. Practical Checklists and Downloads
Offer downloadable resources to help customers and boost SEO (as people often search for checklists). Make sure these resources include your branding, contact details, and website URL.
– Event Planning Checklist: Quick tips for planning catering quantities, themes, and dietary requirements. – Booking Form: A straightforward form for customers to fill in their event details, venue, and special requests. – Menu Planner: A template that customers can use to choose courses, side dishes, and desserts.
Use this detailed guide tailored for cafes and restaurants that want to add (or improve) an information-rich catering web page on their website. It focuses on creating a useful resource for visitors and boosting SEO performance. Each section includes suggestions on content, layout, and strategies to make your catering page stand out.
Essential Content on Your Catering Page
1. Introduction and Overview
Hero Section with Eye-Catching Image
– A high-quality, mouth-watering photo of your catered food or table setup.
– Headline: ‘Exceptional Catering Services for Every Occasion’.
– Subheadline: ‘Fresh ingredients, personalised menus, and friendly service for events in [Your Location]’.
– Call to Action button: ‘Request a Quote’.
Explain why you offer catering: Begin with a brief, enthusiastic introduction that describes the advantages of your catering services (e.g., personal touch, local ingredients, specialised culinary expertise). Emphasise your restaurant’s unique selling points. For example, mention here if you focus on fresh, locally sourced produce or have a signature dish.
SEO Tip: Use keywords whenever possible on the page eg ‘Catering in [Your Town/City]’, ‘Local café catering’, ‘Artisanal catering services’. Place your primary keywords near the beginning of this introduction to signal relevance to search engines. Add a short paragraph mentioning local landmarks or neighbourhoods in your area. This reinforces local relevance and can help with long-tail local searches.
Consider linking to or referencing your Google Business Profile to encourage reviews and consistency of name, address, and phone (NAP) details.
2. Types of Events You Cater For
Highlight the Variety You Offer…
– Corporate events: Breakfast meetings, working lunches, conferences.
– Private parties: Birthdays, anniversaries, baby showers, etc.
– Weddings and special occasions: Note any specialities like canapés or custom cakes, even if they are small-scale.
– Community gatherings: community events, charity fundraisers, local fairs.
Mention Niche Specialties
– Dietary requirements: Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, and more.
– Culturally specific menus: If your restaurant specialises in ethnic cuisine or fusion dishes, highlight the availability of tailored menus.
SEO Tip: Use long-tail keywords as well as the usual catering terms ie for niche interests eg terms like ‘wedding catering in [Location]’, and ‘vegan catering for corporate events’ can help attract more specific clientele.
3. Showcasing Menus and Packages
Sample Menus
– Provide a downloadable PDF: Make it easy for potential clients to get an overview of your offerings.
– Include a mix of options: From light bites and finger food to full-course meals.
– Seasonal variations: Suggest summer barbecues, autumn comfort food, winter warmers, etc.
– Be ready to discuss this with a client who needs advice on quantities and the right variety for a mixed crowd. You avoid making special adjustments on standard items by including plenty of options.
Pricing Guidelines
– Transparent but flexible: Offer a starting price range per person or per package. Emphasise that final quotes depend on guest count, menu selection, and other factors.
– Value proposition: Underline quality ingredients, your culinary expertise, and excellent customer service.
– Be ready with the classic ‘bronze, silver and gold’ set of three options, knowing this will nudge many people to the middle-priced option.
SEO Tip: With menu descriptions, add descriptive text around each dish name so search engines can index relevant keywords (e.g. ‘homemade gluten-free chocolate brownies’).
4. Logistics and Service Details
Delivery and Setup
– Locations you cover: Make clear if your service radius is limited to your local town or extends to surrounding areas.
– Equipment and staffing: Mention whether you provide serving dishes, cutlery, and waitstaff, as this can be a significant differentiator. Many places charge staff separately unless the food is just delivered.
– Setup and teardown: Clarify if you handle venue setup, table arrangements, or decorations.
– Start and finish times, and whether this is charged by the job or the hour. Many clients have very little idea about the time it takes to set up and clear, or the fact that many of their guests may be late.
Coordination and Timing
– Lead times: State how far in advance bookings should be made and any cut-off dates for final menu decisions and final numbers for payment.
– Provide a Process or Timeline – briefly detail the steps from initial enquiry and menu discussion to setup and event day. This reassures potential customers of a smooth, professional service.
– Clear contact details: Make it easy to contact for further questions or special requests. Having a specific person as the account manager is reassuring to the customer.
SEO Tip: Incorporate location-specific keywords (e.g., ‘Bristol catering deliveries’, ‘full-service catering in Hill Town’) to boost local search visibility.
5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Including a FAQ section helps address common queries, saves you and your customers time, and enhances on-page SEO. This section should include key keywords and phrases relevant to your catering services. Examples of questions:
1. How many guests can you cater for?
2. Do you handle dietary restrictions?
3 .Do you provide staff for serving/clean-up?
4. How far do you travel for catering events?
5. Do we have to pay for staff travel time?
6. What is your cancellation policy?
6. Strong Calls to Action (CTAs) and Contact Details
Effective CTAs
– ‘Request a Quote’ button: Place prominent buttons throughout the page, e.g., after describing your menus and pricing.
– ‘Enquire Now’ or ‘Check Availability’: Encourage immediate action, linked to a simple contact form. Make sure there’s an auto-reply email set to bounce back, assuring the customer the message has been received.
Contact Methods
– Phone number and email: Ensure this is hyperlinked for mobile users.
– Physical address and a map: Reinforces local relevance and trustworthiness.
– Business hours: Clarify when you’re available to discuss catering enquiries. Be ready for some out-of-hours calls.
SEO Tip: Use Schema Markup: Implement the ‘Local Business’ schema to provide search engines with structured data about your cafe or restaurant (address, phone number, opening hours). This is one for your website developer – ask them to explain how they will set it up.
Other Valuable Content on Your Catering Page
These sections are not essential but can make a great impression. You can also break out some of this extra content onto separate sub-pages.
7. Testimonials, Case Studies, and Behind-the-Scenes
While not strictly necessary, these build trust and showcase your track record. You can add them over time.
– Customer quotes: short, impactful lines about food quality, professional service, and overall satisfaction.
– Photos of successful events: Real images of buffet tables, staff in action, or plated meals.
– Highlight star ratings or short quotes from these reviews directly on the page (with permission), as it builds trust and can influence your local SEO signals.
– Short video introduction – a quick one-minute walkthrough of your catering operation, kitchen, or event setup can engage visitors. Host it on YouTube or another platform for extra local SEO benefits (ensure you reference your location and café/restaurant name).
Case Studies
– Highlight special requests: For example, a corporate brunch for 50 guests or a gluten-free birthday party menu.
– Brief story outline of an event: ‘The client requested… We provided… The result was…’
Behind-the-Scenes
– Show your kitchen or cooking process: Adds transparency and authenticity.
– Staff introductions: Let potential clients see who’s behind the delicious food and personalised service.
SEO Tip: Use image optimisation with descriptive file names and alt tags for images (e.g., ‘cafe-catering-buffet-Sydney.jpg’), which can help your site rank in image searches.
8. Offline Marketing Strategies
Although the emphasis is on SEO, don’t forget to promote your catering services offline as well.
– Flyers and brochures: Display them in your cafe or restaurant and on local community boards. Remind people these can also be posted or collected, or drop by for a personal consultation.
– Partnerships: Network with local event planners, wedding coordinators, or venues.
– Local press: Send a press release to local newspapers or magazines about your catering expansion – make sure this is real news, not just saying how great you are!
– Community events: Sponsor or participate in local fundraisers or fairs, handing out samples and business cards. See also How to Make Restaurant Community Sponsorship Work for Everyone.
9. Maintaining and Updating the Web Page
Seasonal and Special Occasions
– Festive menus: Christmas, New Year’s Eve, Valentine’s Day, Easter.
– Limited-time offers: Encourage potential clients to book early for popular seasons.
Keeping Content Fresh
– Blog posts and news updates: Showcase recent events you’ve catered for.
– Regularly update pricing: Avoid outdated information that can deter potential customers.
– Highlight new testimonials: Request client feedback soon after each event and rotate new quotes on the page.
SEO Tip: Search engines reward sites that update content frequently – the site is fresh, not stale. A regularly updated catering page signals relevance and reliability. Link Internally to (and from) the New Page – consider adding a clear link or button on your homepage to the catering page for maximum visibility. If you have articles or other service pages that relate to catering, link to them (and vice versa) so visitors (and search engines) can navigate your site easily.
10. Practical Checklists and Downloads
Offer downloadable resources to help customers and boost SEO (as people often search for checklists). Make sure these resources include your branding, contact details, and website URL.
– Event Planning Checklist: Quick tips for planning catering quantities, themes, and dietary requirements.
– Booking Form: A straightforward form for customers to fill in their event details, venue, and special requests.
– Menu Planner: A template that customers can use to choose courses, side dishes, and desserts.
Check the other useful blog posts on the Foodie Coaches website…
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