Running a successful catering business starts with great food, but it doesn’t stop there. You also need to find the right customers, deliver memorable experiences, and stay organized — all while juggling the daily demands of cooking, managing staff, and fulfilling orders.

Tony and Paula Marino, the duo behind Catering by Tony in Jacksonville, Florida, know this all too well.

Since launching in 2010, Tony and Paula have been serving up delicious Mediterranean dishes to their loyal customers, but they didn’t have much time to grow the business and expand their customer base. 

Three years later, they partnered with ezCater, and what began as an investment to reach a few new customers now makes up nearly two-thirds of their business. ezCater takes much of the business development pressure off their shoulders, so Tony and Paula can focus on what they do best: delivering good food, from their oh-so-popular gyros to breakfast sandwiches and holiday specials.

Reaching new customers through the ezCater Marketplace

Finding new customers is one of the most challenging parts of running any catering business, but Tony and Paula’s partnership with ezCater has made that challenge more manageable. By joining the ezCater Marketplace, Catering by Tony connected with clients they otherwise wouldn’t have reached on their own.

“We are where we are today because of ezCater. Almost 60% of our business right now is from ezCater.”

Tony Marino, Catering by Tony

The partnership brought in new business, particularly from large groups like pharmaceutical reps who regularly need catering for meetings. Paula noted that building up their customer base was a collaborative effort:

“Between us getting the word out, and ezCater as well, it was a win-win situation, and we started to build up the business.”

Large workplace orders are valuable to Tony and Paula, but it’s not just initial orders that drive value. Business catering orders often have a halo effect, creating revenue beyond the workplace.

A perfect example? A pharmaceutical rep who initially found Catering by Tony through ezCater ended up referring them to cater their sister’s wedding.

“I wouldn’t have had that opportunity if it wasn’t for ezCater. We have various individual parties because of somebody having our food at the office,” Paula explained.

Thanks to ezCater, Tony and Paula can focus on their food while the platform helps them continually attract new clients. As Paula puts it, “At this present moment, I think ezCater is basically the Cadillac of it all.”

Retaining customers

Reaching new customers is one part of the equation — keeping them coming back is the other. Tony and Paula use ezCater to help smooth that process while focusing on the personal touch that keeps their clients loyal.

Paula shared that many of their clients have become consistent, repeat customers.

“Among the pharmaceutical reps that I have, these key 15 of them are ordering from me every single day,” she explained. These reps use catered meals to secure meetings with healthcare professionals, and they know they can count on Catering by Tony for reliable, high-quality food.

It’s not just the convenience of ezCater that drives repeat business. Paula also takes the time to connect with her clients in person. “It’s really important for me as a business owner to be able to meet my clients, especially if they’re first-time clients, so they know that they can trust us and continually use us on a regular basis,” she said.

This personal connection, combined with ezCater’s streamlined ordering process, helps turn first-time customers into loyal clients.

Promoting a menu with wide appeal

Variety is the spice of life… and catering. That’s no secret to Tony and Paula — they know how important it is to offer a menu that appeals to a broad range of customers with different tastes and dietary needs. With ezCater, they can showcase that diversity to so many more people.

“We’re constantly tweaking our menu. We have many different packages: an American package, Italian package, Mediterranean package, and a full breakfast,” Paula explained.

This variety ensures that Catering by Tony can meet the demands of any event, from corporate meetings to casual gatherings. But they don’t stop there. “You need to have all of these elements in order to appease everybody’s needs. We also have the ability to do gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, and pescatarian,” Paula added.

By partnering with ezCater, Catering by Tony can keep refining and promoting their catering menus to meet customer needs. “We are constantly deleting things and adding things. We have to see what the needs of our clientele are in the area,” Paula said. This flexibility to adapt their menu is one of the reasons they’ve been able to attract and retain such a wide range of customers through ezCater.

Staying organized with ezManage

Running a catering business means juggling a lot of details, and staying organized is key. For Paula, ezManage has been a blessing, or as she puts it, “the best thing in the world.” The platform helps her keep everything in order, from managing menus to tracking orders, and having it on her phone is a big plus. “My phone is my life,” she said.

“I do a lot of the delivering,” Paula explained. “With ezManage, I don’t have to write anything down. It’s right there.” Having all the details in one place has streamlined the process, making it easier to focus on the food and customer experience instead of getting bogged down by logistics, even on their busiest days.

Along with presentation, quality, and quantity, timing is very important in this business. While Tony and Paula don’t currently use ezDispatch for their order deliveries, they plan to look into it in the near future because they see its value. 

The right catering partner makes all the difference when you’re looking to reach new customers. Explore ezCater’s Growth Platform now to learn how we can help you drive more business and maximize your profit potential.