Commercial Food Equipment

There is no surefire guide to success when starting out a catering business at home. However, if you’re a skilled cook, can do some business planning, and have loads of patience and determination, it’s a great way to start. Take note that even though your catering business will be at home, you will still need a lot of commercial food equipment, including utensils, food preparation, food service, and storage.

We recommend starting small, especially if this is your first time starting a business. Start by catering small events like birthday parties for your neighbors or perhaps a luncheon for the local PTA. This will give you a taste of what’s in store for you later on as you expand, and you will also be able to get a good idea if this is something that you really want to do.

Focus on what you know and what you’re good at. It’s good that you want to try and learn new stuff in the kitchen, but if you’re just starting out, it’s better to lead with what you know. A lot of start-ups flourish because the owner focused on what he or she knew best. For example, if you have mastered the grill, it’d be a waste of time, money, and effort to start your catering business by preparing teppanyaki dishes or Mexican cuisine.

Decide first on what kind of food you will want or are able to prepare most of the time. Is there a specific cuisine you’re particularly good at, or maybe you’re looking to cater to specific functions or events? Some people prefer catering for children’s birthday parties, while others would rather serve a hundred guests at weddings or business functions than handle a kids’ party.

If you know what you want for your catering business, the next step would be to purchase or rent commercial food equipment for your kitchen. That means spending a lot of money, but if you have already finetuned your business plan and know exactly what type of catering you’re going to do, you can pick and select the equipment you need out of hundreds of options.

Buying or renting commercial food equipment does not only mean getting the appliances, like the refrigerators, ovens, ranges, stoves, and grills. You’d also have to secure utensils, food service items, food storage and containers, and a lot more. In some cases, a caterer will also need to take care of the décor for the tables and chairs, so if you’re planning to do that, you also need to do more shopping.

Don’t forget to meet with your local health department to see what legal paperwork you need to take care of. Since you’re going to operate a commercial kitchen, you will have to secure licensing, permits, and insurance. Make sure you are fully aware of any legal regulations that govern your type of business, including taxation and employment policies.

Have you also thought about how you’re going to market your catering business? Social media is the go-to marketing platform these days, but you might also want to take a look at a few old school advertising techniques to let people know about your business.