Dive Brief:
- Dave’s Hot Chicken launched its first catering service through a partnership with ezCater, the company said Tuesday in a press release.
- The deal allows Dave’s to offer catering for meetings, events and business lunches from the chain's more than 200 restaurants.
- Dave’s expects catering to make up as much as 10% of its business within a year, Jim Bitticks, president and chief operations officer, said in a statement.
Dive Insight:
The potential sales boost from catering partnership could be particularly helpful as Dave's rapidly expands through franchising.
Dave’s has sold the rights to over 1,000 franchised locations in the U.S., Middle East and Canada, and expects to open over 80 units this year, according to the press release. Last year, it reached 250 units with the opening of its first United Kingdom location in London. The chain expects to open 60 restaurants in the U.K. and Republic of Ireland over time.
Dave’s catering menu offers large group options for hot chicken tenders, sliders and sides in individually packaged boxes and trays. Most of Dave’s locations will use ezDispatch, which connects restaurants with local delivery partners, the press release said.
Many other chains have leaned into the catering channel amid growing demand with employers using catering as a way to incentivize workers to return to the office. Catering can increase profitability with higher value orders on average, and chains including Bojangles, Perkins, Taco John’s and Habit Burger Grill have partnered with ezCater within roughly the past year. Restaurant orders on the ezCater platform are typically over $400.
