Most restaurants evaluate delivery partners like they’re comparing ride-share apps. That’s a $12,000 mistake.
A multi-unit operator I know lost their biggest corporate account because their logistics partner sent an unprofessional driver to a $800 board meeting lunch. Late arrival, poor setup, no communication. The client—a law firm ordering twice weekly for eight months—switched to a competitor permanently.
Annual revenue lost: $12,000. The lesson: your logistics partner doesn’t just move food. They carry your reputation to every client’s door.
Most operators focus on fees and coverage zones when evaluating partners. The smart ones ask different questions.
Test their understanding of catering stakes
Regular delivery and catering delivery are different businesses. Catering clients often have careers riding on successful events. A missed lunch delivery disappoints someone. A failed catering delivery can embarrass them in front of colleagues, partners, or clients.
Questions that separate real catering partners from delivery services:
- How do you handle high-stakes corporate events differently from regular orders?
- What protocols do you have for building access, setup requirements, and client communication?
- Can you provide references from restaurants with similar catering volume and client types?
If they treat catering like scaled-up takeout, they’ll eventually cost you clients who can’t afford delivery risks.
Evaluate driver standards, not just availability
Corporate clients notice everything about your delivery execution: appearance, punctuality, setup quality, communication. These details either reinforce your professional brand or undermine it.
Professional standards to verify:
- Dress code requirements and enforcement
- Training protocols for corporate environments
- Quality control processes for driver presentation
- Escalation procedures when drivers don’t meet standards
Partners who can’t answer these questions confidently don’t understand corporate catering requirements.
Avoid commission structures that penalize growth
Commission-based pricing becomes more expensive as your catering grows. You end up paying higher percentages on larger orders—exactly when you need better margins most.
Pricing models that protect profitability:
- Transparent, predictable delivery fees instead of sales commissions
- Costs based on delivery complexity, not order value
- Volume discounts that reward growth instead of penalizing it
The best partnerships make your catering expansion more profitable, not less profitable.
Verify system integration capabilities
Manual order handoffs create delays, errors, and coordination headaches during busy periods. If you use EZ Cater or similar platforms, your logistics partner should integrate seamlessly.
Integration requirements:
- Automatic order import from your platforms
- Real-time tracking accessible to clients
- Delivery confirmations with photo documentation
- Performance reporting for optimization insights
Partners requiring manual coordination limit your catering capacity and create operational bottlenecks.
Prioritize local expertise over national scale
National platforms have coverage but often miss local context critical for catering success. Regional partners understand traffic patterns, building protocols, and corporate client expectations in your market.
Local expertise indicators:
- Knowledge of major office complexes, medical facilities, corporate centers
- Established relationships with building security and management
- Understanding of optimal delivery timing for your market
- Experience with your specific client segments
This knowledge becomes essential during peak seasons and complex events.
The framework that works
Your logistics partner determines your catering capacity ceiling. If you can’t trust them with important clients, you’ll limit growth to protect relationships.
Evaluation process:
- Stakes assessment:Do they understand corporate catering risks?
- Standards verification:Can they maintain professional execution?
- Pricing analysis:Does their model support your growth?
- Integration testing:Will they streamline or complicate operations?
- Expertise validation:Do they know your market and clients?
Most operators who lose catering accounts trace the failure back to logistics partner choice. The smart ones get this decision right from the start.
Want to see how restaurants are choosing logistics partners that support profitable growth? Listen to our podcast on catering challenges—including partner selection strategies that work. Listen here
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Weknock handles catering logistics the way corporate clients expect. We integrate with EZ Cater for order capture while maintaining professional delivery standards. Transparent pricing, trained drivers, local expertise, and proven systems that scale with your growth.
Ready to work with a partner who understands catering stakes? Let’s discuss your requirements.
