CaterCow: Catering Made Easy
If you've ever hired a caterer before, you'd probably agree that it can sometimes be a bit of a hassle. From deciding on a menu to determining the pricing and accommodating each other's schedules, there are times when a caterer and a client can't see eye to eye, and the minute details of events can cause the whole thing to go to shambles.
This notion is where CaterCow comes from, a new website designed to aggregate caterers in different cities into one place, a place where clients can find them and seamlessly plan their events. With more than 450 caterers on the site in nine different cities, CaterCow is making the business of catering easy, for both the caterer and the consumer.
One thing the website does that's unique is push the caterers to get organized and present their product right off the bat. Rather than contacting a caterer and spending days chewing your nails over their menu options, you can easily choose from predetermined packages that CaterCow has the caterer plan out. In order to be featured on CaterCow's site, a caterer has to develop "packages" that they sell, and even better, give a price per person for each of the packages right off the bat. What's unique about this service is that it does away with uncertainties like menu and cost per person. CaterCow already brings you a couple of steps ahead, by offering developed packages, like Sigmund's of New York City handmade pretzels and dip for $6 a person, or a vegan taco bar for $18 per person by The Vegan Food Truck in Chicago.
The website doesn't just let you filter by city, but you can also filter by number of people, date, and time, so if there's a caterer on their site that can't accommodate a certain amount of people or that date or time, you won't even bother contacting them.
Even better is that CaterCow helps build relationships between the caterer and the client. They've already vetted these caterers enough to allow them to be on their site, so you're already one step ahead of the game, and by finding your match on CaterCow, you'll have a reliable source to turn to for party after party. CaterCow even allows you to connect with a caterer personally, too, and develop your own packages with them — the good old-fashioned way.
The beauty of technology is all about connecting with each other, right? So start meeting your caterer now.
Anne Dolce is the Cook editor at The Daily Meal. Follow her on Twitter @anniecdolce