By: David Reynolds

“If you’re not selling to businesses, you’re missing out on a significant revenue opportunity,” says Dan Roland, Co-Founder at Katalyst.

Many restaurants focus primarily on consumer foot traffic, working to fill tables during lunch and dinner. However, this strategy may overlook a potentially valuable market. Businesses regularly order food for various needs—training sessions, client meetings, department celebrations, and more. These events often require reliable, high-quality catering.

Katalyst is highlighting that many restaurants may be missing out on a valuable source of revenue.

The Problem: Restaurants Focus Too Narrowly

The average restaurant is built for in-house service, with operations, marketing, and mindset centered around walk-in guests. While this focus is important, it often leads owners to miss a high-value audience: corporate buyers.

“When restaurants think about marketing, they usually target consumers,” says Roland. “But some of the most lucrative orders come from people you won’t meet in the dining room.”

Corporate offices, training centers, dealerships, hospitals, and universities consistently order large meals. These orders tend to be reliable, high-value, and often come with larger budgets. They aren’t looking for a cozy dinner table; they need speed, scale, and professionalism.

Catering as the B2B Gateway

The quickest way for restaurants to tap into B2B sales is through catering. Yet many restaurants avoid it, perceiving it as complicated or difficult to manage. Katalyst works to simplify this.

The company offers a straightforward, no-hardware solution that enables restaurants to create a catering menu, set order limits, and get started quickly. Many clients are able to accept their first catering order in a matter of days.

“Restaurants often think they need to overhaul everything to offer catering. That’s not necessary,” Roland says. “All they need is a menu, a login, and a little bit of training.”

Katalyst provides restaurants with the tools to manage every aspect of the catering experience. Orders are placed online, payment processing is included, and restaurants can choose to use their own drivers or partner with local delivery networks. No third-party apps. No hefty commissions.

Why B2B Revenue Matters More Than Ever

Restaurants are facing rising labor and food costs, and their profit margins are often tight. A full dining room doesn’t always translate to strong profits. B2B orders offer a potential solution.

A corporate catering order could range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. These orders can be prepared during off-peak hours and don’t interfere with dinner service. Additionally, they rarely require extra staff.

“One large corporate order could equate to 20 dine-in tables,” says Roland. “And you’re not flipping those tables. You’re just preparing and delivering the orders.”

Katalyst’s clients have seen the benefits firsthand. For example, a location near Johnson & Johnson’s training headquarters began taking weekly catering orders for 100 people. The customer simply asked the restaurant to keep it under a certain price per person, and the recurring revenue was significant.

Restaurants Don’t Always Know How to Start

Many restaurant owners understand that catering can be profitable. However, many aren’t sure where to begin. Some still rely on phone calls or basic website forms, while others just write “Call for catering” on a chalkboard. These outdated methods make it difficult for businesses to place orders.

“There’s no reason to make it hard for customers,” Roland says. “Katalyst provides restaurants with the tools to set up and run catering with minimal effort. Let the system work in the background, collecting revenue as needed.”

Katalyst works with each client to create a digital catering storefront. Orders can be filtered by prep time, menu type, or delivery radius. Restaurants can even set minimum order amounts or quantity requirements, ensuring catering remains financially viable without overwhelming the team.

Gift Cards and Loyalty: Additional Off-Premise B2B Tools

Catering is a significant opportunity, but it’s not the only one. Gift cards also work well in B2B settings.

Many companies purchase gift cards for employees, events, or promotions. Restaurants that sell digital gift cards online can attract corporate buyers who want to support local businesses.

One seasonal restaurant in Massachusetts uses Katalyst to sell over ten thousand dollars in gift cards during the off-season, which provides much-needed cash flow during the restaurant’s downtime.

The Delivery Piece, Handled

A common barrier to corporate catering is delivery. Many restaurants either don’t have drivers or are reluctant to take on the responsibility. Katalyst offers a solution.

Its integrated delivery tools allow restaurants to choose from three options: use their own drivers, implement a hybrid model, or fully outsource delivery.

The system integrates with national and local delivery networks, including services like DoorDash Drive, Uber Direct, and regional partners. Restaurants can still track orders and provide customers with real-time updates.

“Businesses expect updates, proof of delivery, and professionalism,” Roland says. “We’ve built these features into the platform.”

Corporate catering orders are happening every day, but many restaurants are not tapping into this market.

Training departments, athletic directors, and sales teams all order food. They are likely to return to vendors who make the process easy.

Katalyst wants restaurant owners to recognize that this customer segment exists and is ready to make purchases.

Roland concludes with this statement: “It’s not just about filling tables anymore. The restaurants that are likely to thrive in 2025 will be the ones building predictable, high-margin revenue outside their dining rooms.”

Curious how this works? Visit Katalyst’s website for more information on how to improve profits by reaching more B2B customers.