Catering Cage Podcast

Catering Cage Podcast

Welcome to Catering Cage with Erle Dardick, the ultimate podcast for restaurant operators looking to innovate and excel in the catering industry. Hosted by Erle Dardick, a seasoned expert in catering strategies, this podcast delves into the future of catering with insightful discussions on technology, marketing, culture, sustainability, and more. Each episode features industry experts and successful operators who share their experiences, tips, and predictions for the next wave of catering trends. Whether you're a seasoned pro or new to the catering scene, Catering Cage is your go-to resource for staying ahead of the curve and driving your business forward. Tune in to discover how you can elevate your catering operations and meet the evolving demands of today's consumers.

Episodes

Why Every Brand Needs Catering Leadership

April 22, 2025 • 22 mins
In this insightful episode of The Catering Cage podcast, host Erle Dardick interviews Jennifer Saunders-Haynes, Catering Strategist at Elizabeth Jewel Consulting. The conversation explores the critical importance of executive-level catering leadership, with Jennifer emphasizing how a Chief Catering Officer coordinates across operations, marketing, and supply chain departments. They discuss community building in the catering industr...
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The Future of Catering: AI, Robots, and Strategic Growth

April 15, 2025 • 31 mins
In the latest Catering Cage podcast, host Erle Dardick and CaterZen's Michael Attias discuss how AI and automation are transforming restaurant catering while emphasizing the need for specialized management systems, strategic investment during economic uncertainty, and community collaboration. They predict a future with AI order-taking and robot-assisted preparation but stress that investing in catering strategies now can potentiall...
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Economic Downturns and Catering: Investing in People During Challenging Times

April 8, 2025 • 8 mins
In this insightful episode of The Catering Cage, host Erle Dardick shares crucial advice for restaurant catering operations facing economic uncertainty. Drawing from 30 years of industry experience, he explains that while corporate spending cuts often impact food budgets first during downturns, these challenges are always temporary. Dardick emphasizes that the most powerful investment during tough times is in people—spreading cater...
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Doubling Down on Catering During Economic Uncertainty

April 1, 2025 • 40 mins
In this insightful episode of The Catering Cage, host Erle Dardick joins catering experts Kelly Grogan and Cherryh Cansler to discuss why restaurants should invest in catering during economic uncertainty. The trio reveals how catering can contribute up to 50% of profits while only representing 20% of sales, making it a strategic focus during challenging times. They preview the upcoming Restaurant Catering Workshop in Austin (Octobe...
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AI, Hustle & Hospitality: The New Sales Playbook

March 25, 2025 • 35 mins
Join Danna Navarro from Boudin Bakery as she reveals game-changing strategies for catering sales in today's challenging business landscape. Learn how to leverage AI, integrate operations and sales teams, and build lasting client relationships through authentic human connection. From technology tools to sales techniques, this episode offers actionable insights for restaurant professionals looking to thrive amid market uncertainty.

Sp...
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Scaling Catering Delivery: Insights from FIRST's Andrew Nakkache

March 18, 2025 • 25 mins
In this insightful episode of The Catering Cage, host Erle Dardick speaks with Andrew Nakkache, Co-founder and CEO of FIRST (YC W19), about revolutionizing catering delivery. Andrew shares FIRST's journey from managing their own delivery fleet to becoming a technology company that connects restaurants with delivery providers through their innovative Delivery Display System. The conversation explores the high-stakes nature of cateri...
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Restaurant Results: Turning Catering into Profit with Jeremy Hood

March 11, 2025 • 18 mins
Join Erle Dardick as he interviews Jeremy Hood, founder of Restaurant Results Partners and former restaurant owner, who reveals how independent operators can leverage catering to dramatically increase profits. Jeremy shares his journey from working in his family restaurant to creating systems that allowed for a successful exit, and offers practical advice on menu costing, pricing strategy, and database marketing. Learn how to imple...
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Garden Catering's CEO Frank Carpenteri on Growing B2B Catering

March 3, 2025 • 41 mins
In this eye-opening interview, Garden Catering CEO Frank Carpenteri reveals how his multi-unit restaurant operation transformed their catering strategy from "saying yes to everything" to a focused Monday-to-Friday business lunch model that's driving significant profit margins. Carpenteri shares practical insights on kitchen operations, technology integration, community partnerships, and the coming AI revolution in restaurant cateri...
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From Food Truck to Catering Empire: Mary Shillue Goldberg Reveals Clover's Secret Sauce

February 17, 2025 • 31 mins
In this insightful episode of "The Catering Cage," host Erle Dardick interviews Mary Shillue Goldberg, Director of Catering at Clover Food Lab, who shares her journey from making early morning box lunches to leading catering for Boston's beloved vegetarian restaurant chain. Mary reveals practical strategies for building successful catering operations, including prioritizing operational excellence before aggressive sales, training "...
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Tech, Teams, and Tactics: Building a $Million Catering System

February 10, 2025 • 23 mins
Discover how restaurant operator Nick Panos transformed his family's pizza business into a thriving catering operation through innovative technology and operational excellence. Learn his proven strategies for maximizing profit margins, building effective teams, and leveraging unused capacity to scale your catering business. From custom tech solutions to timely delivery systems, Panos shares practical insights on how restaurants can...
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From ZERO to HERO: Catering Strategies That CRUSH the Competition

February 3, 2025 • 30 mins
Restaurant industry insider Jason Brooks reveals the shocking truth about why most restaurants are leaving MILLIONS on the table with their catering strategies. Discover the hidden fears, critical mistakes, and game-changing solutions that can transform your food service business from struggling to successful. Whether you're a restaurant owner, manager, or aspiring food entrepreneur, this eye-opening breakdown will show you exactly...
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Mastering B2B Catering Sales: Insights from a Restaurant Industry Veteran

January 27, 2025 • 41 mins
Dive into the world of professional catering sales with industry veteran Lance VanHemel as he shares invaluable insights on building a successful B2B catering operation. From managing relationships between sales and operations teams across 42 locations to his proven strategies for identifying high-value accounts, VanHemel reveals the secrets behind his impressive track record. Learn about his lightning-fast response time approach, ...
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Leveraging Technology to Empower Restaurant Teams

January 20, 2025 • 27 mins
Join us for an enlightening conversation with Quinn McKenna, co-founder of Byte Kitchen, as he shares his journey from restaurant operations to tech innovation. Learn how this groundbreaking platform is revolutionizing restaurant catering operations by consolidating multiple marketplace channels into a streamlined system. McKenna discusses how small and medium-sized restaurants can compete with larger enterprises, unlock additional...
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Catering Technology Trends Transforming Restaurants

January 13, 2025 • 27 mins
In this insightful discussion about the future of restaurant catering, industry experts explore how technology and operations are evolving to meet growing demand. From capacity management challenges to the integration of AI, the conversation reveals how restaurants are adapting to handle multiple revenue streams while maintaining operational efficiency. The discussion highlights the importance of unified platforms that can handle b...
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Restaurant Innovation That Actually Worked: 2024 Wrap Up Edition

January 6, 2025 • 56 mins
In this eye-opening industry review, we explore how restaurants revolutionized their catering operations in 2024 through innovative technology and relationship-building strategies. From massive $400,000 single-event orders to AI-driven ordering systems, discover how leading brands balanced automation with personal touch to dominate the B2B catering space. Learn the secrets behind successful packaging innovations, operational excell...
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Restaurant Survival Guide: Is B2B Catering Your Missing Revenue Stream?

December 30, 2024 • 30 mins
Meet Szabi Bako, the innovative CEO who transformed a family-run catering startup into Helsinki's largest B2B catering operation in just three years. From launching during the pandemic to hitting million-euro revenue, Szabi reveals the crucial differences between drop-off and event catering, why most restaurants fail at B2B catering, and how the right mix of technology, operational excellence, and flexible service can create a thri...
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Event Catering Exposed: The Game-Changing Strategy No One Talks About

December 16, 2024 • 39 mins
Discover how Ryan O'Neil's Curate is revolutionizing the catering industry with cutting-edge technology that transforms event management for restaurants. From AI-powered insights to flexible workflow solutions, this game-changing platform helps food service professionals unlock new revenue streams, streamline operations, and create unforgettable dining experiences. Learn how multi-unit restaurant operators can strategically expand ...
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Catering Tech: The Secret Weapon for Restaurant Growth

December 9, 2024 • 46 mins
Discover how modern catering technology is revolutionizing restaurant operations by providing integrated solutions that transform B2B catering from a peripheral service to a strategic, profitable business channel.

Guest: Terry Matthews

RestaurantTech #CateringInnovation #FoodServiceDigital
🫶 Subscribe NOW - Unlock a world of knowledge, innovation, and growth from the largest podcast network in food service! - https://savorfm.substack...
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The Untapped Potential of Catering: Transforming Restaurant Business Models

December 3, 2024 • 47 mins
Catering is emerging as a transformative business channel for restaurants, requiring a strategic shift in organizational culture, technological infrastructure, and operational approach. Experts argue that successful catering goes beyond traditional food service, involving specialized transaction methods, comprehensive B2B strategies, and a dedicated focus on group ordering that can potentially drive 30-40% of a restaurant's revenue...
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AI Impacts Pizza with Pizza Hut's Taras Malyshev

November 26, 2024 • 47 mins
In this podcast episode, Taras Malyshev from Pizza Hut explores how AI can transform restaurant operations, focusing on sales, marketing, order entry, and delivery. He emphasizes AI as a strategic partner that enhances human capabilities, offering insights into dynamic pricing, personalized customer experiences, and innovative technology applications in the catering industry.

RestaurantTech #AIInnovation #CateringFuture
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