From Side Hustle to Catering Empire: The 5 Stages of Growth

In this episode, we break down the 5 Levels of Event Catering and what it takes to move from a side hustle to a full-time, multi-location catering business.

The conversation covers the key challenges at each stage, strategies to scale, and the operational pitfalls that keep many caterers stuck. Whether you're just starting or looking to expand, this episode is packed with real-world insights from industry veterans who’ve built seven-figure catering businesses.

Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro & the flashquotes origin story 11:05 - The Goodhart Coffee story 15:20 - What are the 5 levels of event catering? 17:00 - Level 1: Side Hustle 25:57 - Level 2: Going Full-Time 36:20 - Level 3: Scaling with a Team 50:40 - Level 4: Market domination 55:44 - Level 5: Multi-city Key

 

Takeaways:

✅ The 5 Stages of Growth for a Catering Business

✅ Why Most Catering Businesses Get Stuck at Level 3

✅ The #1 Mistake New Caterers Make (And How to Fix It)

✅ How to Price, Staff, and Market Your Catering Business for Growth

✅ The Equipment & Logistics Setup That Will Make or Break Your Business

 

The Catering Growth Playbook

🚀 Level 1: The Side Hustle • Getting your first 50 events • Avoiding the “bad website” trap • How to follow up with leads to maximize bookings

⚡ Level 2: Full-Time Catering Business • How to go all in without burning out • The biggest time management mistake at this stage • When and how to raise your prices

💡 Level 3: Scaling Beyond Yourself • Why hiring baristas is not enough • The logistics trap that keeps most caterers small • The “trailer problem” and why you should avoid it at all costs

🏆 Level 4 & 5: Multi-City Expansion & Dominating Your Market • Building a scalable team & systemizing operations • When to invest in warehouses, vans, and logistics • The future of event catering & where the market is going

 

Notable Quotes:

"Nobody can do it as good as me"—every Level 2 caterer ever (and why that mindset is holding you back)." — Justin

"The moment I let someone else run an event, I realized I was the bottleneck." — Justin

"If you’re still using a trailer to transport your cart, you’re playing the game on hard mode." — Daniel

 

Resources for Caterers:

📌 Flashquotes - The #1 software for mobile caterers: flashquotes.com

📌 Mobile Catering Accelerator - Private community for serious caterers: skool.com/mobile-catering-accelerator/about

📕 The E-Myth Revisited - www.amazon.com/Myth-Revisited-Small-Businesses-About/dp/0887307280 Follow Us on Socials:

📍 Twitter: @FlashquotesHQ

📍 Instagram: @FlashquotesHQ

📍 LinkedIn: Flashquotes

 

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