Professional Catering ─ The Modern Caterer's Complete Guide to Success

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 resource 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. PROFESSIONAL CATERING is the ideal resource for managing catering profitability.

Dr. Stephen B. Shiring, Sr., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Hospitality Management at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP). His professional work experience includes catering, consulting food broker, and restaurant management. Integrating unique service learning experiences into his classes, Dr. Shiring has taught 21 different hospitality management courses, including catering and special events, hospitality marketing, strategic planning, principles of management, cost management, fundraising for special events, introduction to casino, human resources management, food production, purchasing, introduction to hospitality, and hospitality business model. Both an academic and internship adviser, he is the IUP faculty representative to the Walt Disney World College Program. He served as chairperson of the Department of Hospitality Management for seven years and is a member of the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education as well as serving on advisory committees representing both community colleges and vocational-technical high schools. In addition, he volunteers as a subject specialist for the Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Education, serving as an on-site evaluator for Hospitality & Tourism Management Programs seeking accreditation. Dr. Shiring's numerous awards include the IUP African American Cultural Center's Award of Recognition. He received his doctorate degree from the University of Pittsburgh