PROFESSIONAL CATERING equips readers with the knowledge and tools to start and position a competitive catering business. It addresses industry best practices and emerging trends while taking a practical approach to resources that can be used in implementing business plan. Beautifully illustrated with four-color photography, this easy-to-read text is packed with Tips from the Trade, Ingredients for Success, standard operating procedures, checklists, forms, and hands-on applications designed to develop critical thinking skills. Comprehensive information is provided on each functional catering management task--planning, organizing, influencing, and controlling--helping readers strategically craft a long-term strategy to create a profitable catering operation. It also offers thorough coverage of the business plan, finding and keeping the right client, designing a sustainable operation, resolving conflict, social media, managing risk, understanding legal issues, adhering to FDA and OSHA guidelines, partnering with the event planner to exceed a client's needs, and much more. Bringing catering concepts to life, the available CourseMate Web site provides interactive learning tools and video demonstrating standard operating procedures. PROFESSIONAL CATERING is the ideal resource for managing catering profitability.