As we go along in the conversation today, understanding the complexity that sits with the restaurant operator is critical to building out a new, successful restaurant catering strategy. Additionally, online ordering and automated ordering are changing the entire dynamics of how customers are placing their orders. Because the data shows that $19 billion to $20 billion is spent on B2B transactions, while $23 billion goes to consumer catering. Of course, the brand has to execute at the business to consumer level to capture these sales dollars.

Key Takeaways:

• For the first time in history, consumers will spend more money with restaurants in the U.S. than they will on grocery—think about that. We are now seeing a change in how consumers interact with restaurants, with technology being at the forefront of these changes.
• Catering has to be defined for your brand, and that means taking a look at what already exists within your restaurant portfolio offerings. This process starts with creating new consumer solutions on a menu level.
• As of right now, there are two ordering channels to consider: the business to business (B2B) channel and the business to consumer (B2C) channel.

“The key is to develop new customer solutions that leverage the same raw ingredients and idle assets already at work within your restaurants.”

https://www.foodnewsfeed.com/fsr/vendor-bylines/how-dominate-restaurant-catering-2017

Feeling thankful that gas prices are pretty low at the moment. Well don`t get to comfortable because these gas prices are expected to rise. With rising gas prices on the rise this could spell bad news for restaurant sales especially same-store sales. As more and more people look to get their food from the grocery stores as gas prices rise.

Key Takeaways:

• Gas prices plunged late in 2014 and in 2015. Unsurprisingly, restaurant sales in early 2015 were spectacular.
• Gas prices remain exceptionally low. Even if they increase 50 percent, they will still remain 25 percent below all-time highs.
• Still, gas prices have increased for 14 days straight, and now average $2.21 per gallon, according to AAA. That’s about 20 cents per gallon more than a year ago, or a 10-percent increase.

“Gas prices are creeping back up as the price of oil rises. It’s more likely that gas prices will keep increasing than it is that they’ll fall again.”

http://www.nrn.com/consumer-trends/higher-gas-prices-are-big-sales-risk