Spotlight

Food Packaging Strategies

Today, all aspects of foodservice operations are under scrutiny, from sourcing to water conservation to food waste. Consumers and lawmakers are increasingly pushing the foodservice industry to adopt practices that will get us closer to creating a sustainable food ecosystem.

This heightened awareness creates unique opportunities for caterers to stand out. Businesses that embrace this shift can refresh their brand identity, attract eco-conscious clients and potentially command premium pricing.

Personalizing the Big Day

Creating weddings that capture a couple’s personalities is what it’s all about for event planner Brian Worley.

Based in Atlanta, Worley has produced and designed about 250 weddings in his career—including his own mother’s. CFE recently caught up with Worley to get his take on wedding design trends and to learn what inspires him when planning a couple’s big day.

ECEP Caterers Are Mad for Mocha Mousse

The rich, warm hue of Mocha Mousse—Pantone’s Color of the Year 2025—is adding sophistication to both desserts and décor. Caterer members of ECEP have embraced the earthy brown tone, creating irresistible desserts in the indulgent shade.

Collective Wisdom for Catering Excellence

At the annual symposium for Elite Catering + Event Professionals (ECEP), top catering business owners come together with thought leaders to exchange ideas and best practices. From HR and operations to culinary, kitchen, sales and finance, the event is a dynamic gathering of collective hospitality wisdom. Attendees leave with actionable insights designed to elevate their business and further the relationships started that week.

As ECEP prepares for its 2025 Symposium in Napa Valley, California, we’ve summarized five of the most impactful sessions from previous symposiums, with actionable strategies to help any catering business grow and prosper.

Creating a Positive Workplace Culture

It’s a conundrum for hospitality businesses. Customer service is only as good as the people providing it. Yet it’s difficult to find and keep committed employees in an industry with one of the highest job turnover rates.

To find out how one large catering company successfully does it, CFE reached out to Atlanta’s Proof of the Pudding. LaTosha Marks, Proof of the Pudding’s senior vice president of human resources, shared six strategies the company employs to attract and retain quality staff members as the company grows.

Complying with Foodservice Standards

Compliance in the foodservice and catering industry has grown increasingly complex as regulations become more stringent.

With over 12 federal regulatory agencies and more than 30 laws linked to monitoring food safety, allergen labeling, hygiene and traceability, companies must grapple with an array of legal issues. These standards, which are higher than ever, require catering businesses to automate and streamline their compliance approach to meet federal and local regulations successfully.

Sensational Sweets and Sips

Wedding receptions are a time to indulge.

To help you plan your big events accordingly, we’ve rounded up some of the latest trends in scrumptious desserts and celebratory cocktails. Let’s get this party started!

Double the Opportunity

The co-located 2024 Florida Restaurant Show and Pizza Tomorrow Summit were so successful that the event is being expanded to three days in 2025.

“The number-one reason people come to these shows now is to learn,” says Glenn Celentano, partner and CEO of Restaurant Events LLC, owner of the events. “Every restaurant operator has something that’s keeping them up at night, and the education is what really drives people to come. With two days, there’s not enough time to sit down and take in all the education and see the whole exhibit floor. Expanding to three days gives [attendees] that opportunity.”

The Five Biggest Catering Trends of 2025

In 2025, catering will continue to transcend the traditional concept of just feeding guests—it’s becoming an art form, an immersive experience designed to engage every sense. At the forefront of this evolution is Constellation Culinary Group, a catering company bringing restaurant-quality cuisine with elevated presentations across a wide range of venues, from cultural landmarks like Carnegie Hall and the Philadelphia Museum of Art to intimate weddings and high-profile events.

This year’s catering trends emphasize globally inspired flavors, refined interpretations of quiet luxury and more. Discover what’s on the horizon for 2025 with insights from Constellation’s culinary director, Meg Grasso.

Meet Maneet

At the Florida Restaurant Show in Orlando in November, Chef Maneet Chauhan shared this advice to attendees who gathered to watch her prepare Tandoori Shrimp & Grits: “Be as authentic as possible.”

It’s a maxim Chauhan has clearly followed herself as she’s charted a meteoric rise in the culinary world since arriving in the U.S. in 1999 to study at the famed Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, New York.

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