Any large event calls for a meal for everyone involved, and this can be for lunch or dinner (though breakfast is sometimes catered, too). Events such as a sports game, a charity obstacle course run, an outdoor concert, a birthday party, or a corporate meeting may call for large-scale lunch or dinner options for everyone involved, food catering is a fine way to do that. Food caterers can be found in nearly any city or town, and all kinds of food from Mexican to salads can be ordered. Some people may be in the mood for barbecue catering, and BBQ is a popular lunch idea across the United States. Today’s barbecue catering can offer a variety of smoked or grilled meats and side dishes such as corn on the cob, as well as refreshing drinks of all kinds. Barbecue specials may also be available during some times of the year or if a caterer has a special deal ongoing, and customers may look for such opportunities. What is there to know about ordering from a caterer, and eating out in general?
Americans and Eating Out
Do Americans love catering and finding food away from home? Quite a bit. Getting catering may be considered loosely related to going to restaurants for lunch or dinner, and trends in that industry may suggest how often Americans may order or want catering at events. In today’s numbers, it has been found that the average American eats out 4.5 times per week, excluding breakfast. There are over one million restaurants in the United States, and nearly 15 million people are employed among them all. And what about catering in particular? This particular industry employs many Americans as well, roughly 261,189 of them for catering companies of all kinds. What is more, the worldwide catering market is predicted to grow at a CAGR of 4% from 2016 to 2021, according to Azoth Analytics. Weddings alone make up a big percentage of this catering work; The Knot released data in 2017 showing that caterers service an average of 71 weddings each, every single year. So, what about a barbecue catering service?
Cater Some BBQ
A barbecue catering service may be in real demand today, for anything from a birthday party to a charity run to corporate gatherings. The Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association (HPBA), for one, has predicted that barbecue, including barbecue catering, will continue to see more growth in the coming months and years, and this may mean a lot of meat. The average party being catered has 100 to 250 people in it, and this means that plenty of food should be prepared. For outdoor events in the spring or summer, barbecue catering may feel very thematic, and a large gathering of people may easily agree to get this sort of catering.
What can a barbecue catering company do? They will have many grills and meat smokers to prepare the food ahead of time when an order is placed, and meats such as bratwursts, pork, steak, lamb chops, and more may be grilled and smoked according to the order placed. A fine BBQ caterer will make sure that it buys and maintains the finest grills and smokers, and such items should be big enough to prepare a catering order in good time. Some catering orders may be quite large, and customers would be unhappy if they are kept waiting due to a slow rate of grilling. Instead, a catering company can have grills and smokers big and small to handle an order of any scale, and they can also prepare other edibles along with the meat. A good barbecue caterer will also provide all sorts of sauces, spices, and powders for the meat for flavor, and a caterer may also offer vegetable skewers for interested customers (to be flexible, there may be a vegetarian option in the menu). Catering companies may also offer beverages typical to barbecue, anything from bottled water to soft drinks and beyond.
Caterers for weddings in particular may be an open bar. At weddings, guests may expect an open bar during the reception, and catering for these drinks will be greatly appreciated. There may typically be a bartender and drink mixer on hand to serve all this.