How to Get More Corporate Catering Bookings With Postcards

To get more corporate catering bookings with postcards, build a list of companies within your delivery area that are large enough to order regularly, address each card to the person who books food (usually an office manager, executive assistant, HR lead or event planner), offer a low-risk first step such as a tasting box or a discount on the first team lunch, and mail ahead of planning moments like holiday party season. Then follow up by phone while they're deciding.

Corporate clients are valuable for caterers because one good relationship can turn into regular lunches, meetings and events. This guide is part of our broader guide to generating leads with postcards.

Who books corporate catering

The person who chooses a caterer is rarely the CEO. Address your cards to the people who handle food in practice:

For larger offices, mail two people, for example the office manager and the HR lead, with slightly different messages.

Step 1: Define your delivery area and ideal client

Start with operational limits, then add the kind of company that orders often:

• Delivery radius: only mail offices you can serve on time, by postal code, neighbourhood or drive time.
• Company size: set a minimum headcount that matches your smallest profitable order.
• Meeting-heavy industries: professional services such as law, accounting and consulting, technology companies, real estate brokerages, clinics and training providers tend to host regular meetings and client visits.
• Exclusions: companies with an in-house cafeteria, fully remote teams and current clients.

See how to mail postcards to businesses in a specific city or postal code and how to build a targeted mailing list.

Step 2: Choose an offer that lowers the risk of trying you

Switching caterers feels risky to the person booking, because a late or disappointing lunch reflects on them. Your offer should make the first order feel safe:

A tasting box costs you food and delivery, so limit it to offices that match your ideal client and book the drop-off by phone or through the landing page.

Campaign ideas for caterers

Holiday party bookings

Many companies plan year-end events weeks or months ahead. Mail office managers and event coordinators in late summer or early fall with your holiday menu and the date your calendar fills up.

Onboarding and training lunches

Companies that are hiring often run regular onboarding days. Target HR teams at growing companies with a simple, repeatable lunch package.

Recurring team lunch programs

Offer a weekly or monthly lunch at a set price per person. This is where the long-term value of a corporate client sits, so mention it even in first-touch campaigns.

Boardroom and client meetings

Executive assistants at law firms, financial firms and consultancies book food for client meetings. Focus on presentation, punctuality and a reliable contact person.

New offices in your area

When a company moves into a nearby building, it doesn't have a caterer yet. Welcome them with a card and an office-warming lunch offer.

Example messages

These examples use a made-up caterer. Adapt the details to your own menu and area.

Hi Rachel, planning the holiday party for the King Street office? Our December dates are filling up. Scan to see the holiday menu and hold your date. — Nina, Maple & Thyme Catering

Hi David, we deliver team lunches to offices around Liberty Village every day. Let us send your team a free tasting box before your next meeting. Scan to choose a day.

Hi Amira, onboarding a new group this month? Our onboarding lunch is set up for 10 to 40 people, with vegetarian, halal and gluten-free options labelled. Scan for pricing.

Welcome to the neighbourhood, Brightline team. Your first office lunch with us comes with dessert on the house. Scan to see the menu.

Step 3: Make the landing page do the selling

The card earns the scan. The landing page should answer the questions an office manager has before booking:

• A short menu or package list with price per person.
• Minimum order size, lead time and delivery area.
• Dietary options and how they're labelled.
• One clear action: book a tasting, request a quote or hold a date.
• A direct phone number for the person who will look after their account.

Step 4: Time the mailing

Allow for delivery time. With Yotru, mailing usually starts two to three days after an order is finalized, and delivery usually takes about a week, sometimes two to three weeks. Mail at least four to six weeks before a booking deadline you mention on the card.

Step 5: Follow up and turn first orders into regular ones

Call anyone who scans the same day and offer to schedule the tasting or answer menu questions. About a week after the cards arrive, call the larger offices that didn't respond. After a first order, send a thank-you and ask about their next event. Thank-you postcards after a purchase can help, and later, win-back postcards for offices that stopped ordering.

How to measure results

Track tastings booked, first orders, repeat orders and revenue per client over several months. A catering client's value comes from repeat business, so judge the campaign on what each new office orders over a year, not on the first lunch alone. How to track leads and sales from postcards explains the setup, and postcard campaign costs shows how to work out cost per client.

Common mistakes

• Mailing "To the occupant". Cards without a name often end up in the recycling at reception.
• Printing the whole menu. Use the card for one offer and the landing page for the menu.
• Mailing outside your delivery area. A first order you can't deliver well does more harm than no order.
• Mailing too late for the holidays. By December, most parties are booked.
• No follow-up call. Office managers are busy; a friendly call often turns interest into a booking.

How Yotru helps

Yotru can find offices in your delivery area that match your size and industry criteria, identify the right contacts and mailing addresses, and print and mail a personalized card to each one. Every card has a unique QR code and landing page, and you get an alert when someone scans. You review the recipient list before you pay. See targeting businesses by industry, location and size.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get corporate catering clients?

Identify offices in your delivery area that order food regularly, reach the people who book catering with a personal message and a low-risk first offer, and follow up while they're planning an event.

Who should a caterer send postcards to at a company?

Office managers, executive assistants, HR or people teams, and event coordinators. They usually choose and book caterers.

When should caterers market holiday parties?

In late summer or early fall, before most companies set their dates. Allow several weeks for mail delivery before any booking deadline on the card.

What offer works for corporate catering postcards?

Something that makes trying you feel safe, such as a tasting box, a first-lunch discount or a holiday menu with a booking deadline.

How many offices should a caterer mail?

Enough to fill your available capacity, and no more than you can follow up and serve well. A first test of 100 to 300 well-matched offices is common.

Should a catering postcard include the menu?

No. Put one offer and a QR code on the card, and show the menu, pricing, minimums and dietary options on the landing page.

How do I measure a catering postcard campaign?

Track tastings, first orders and repeat orders from mailed offices, and compare campaign cost with each new client's revenue over the following months.

References

• Wikipedia: Catering
• Yotru Knowledge Base: Should You Send Direct Mail to Every Business in an Area?