He Found a Way to 10x His Company’s Revenue Stream — And Smart Business Owners Are Doing It, Too

Why It Matters

Catering is becoming a high‑margin revenue engine for restaurant chains and a strategic employee‑engagement tool for corporations, reshaping how food service firms allocate resources and market to B2B customers.

Key Takeaways

• Bojangles' catering now in 600 stores, 10x typical order revenue.
• Cracker Barrel catering makes up 20% of its sales.
• McAlister’s Deli hit $1 billion sales, catering a key driver.
• 91% of workplaces will maintain or increase food spend in 2026.
• Corporate catering used for employee retention and team building.

Pulse Analysis

The surge in corporate catering reflects a broader shift in workplace culture, where meals are leveraged as a retention and collaboration catalyst. Restaurant brands like Bojangles, Cracker Barrel, and McAlister’s Deli have capitalized on this trend by integrating dedicated catering platforms such as ezCater, turning what was once an ancillary service into a core revenue stream. By scaling operations across hundreds of locations, these chains are extracting tenfold returns on each catering order compared with standard meals, a margin differential that reshapes profit dynamics.

Data from ezCater’s 2026 Catering Growth Forum underscores the durability of this demand: 91% of employers plan to sustain or increase food spending, with one‑fifth anticipating a rise exceeding 25%. As hybrid work models persist, companies view regular catered lunches and breakfasts as low‑cost perks that boost morale and reinforce corporate identity. This spending elasticity provides a predictable pipeline for restaurants, encouraging them to invest in dedicated logistics, menu engineering, and digital ordering experiences tailored to bulk orders.

For restaurant operators, the implication is clear: building a robust B2B catering capability is no longer optional but essential for growth. Success hinges on seamless integration with third‑party platforms, streamlined order fulfillment, and menu items optimized for transport and bulk consumption. As the market matures, we can expect further consolidation among catering aggregators and deeper data analytics to personalize corporate menus, driving both customer satisfaction and incremental revenue for foodservice brands.