How Do I Get My Deli Staff to Sell Catering?

The Real Barrier: Fear, Not Laziness

Here’s what most deli owners miss: your staff isn’t avoiding catering sales because they’re lazy or disinterested. They’re avoiding it because they’re afraid. Afraid of sounding pushy. Afraid of messing up the order. Afraid of the extra work when a catering order comes in during the lunch rush. Afraid of not knowing how to answer questions about platter sizes, delivery fees, or dietary restrictions.

Walk through your deli during a typical morning. Watch your counter staff. They’re already juggling sliced meats, custom sandwich builds, customers asking for “extra crispy” bacon, and someone who wants their turkey on a specific brand of rye you stopped carrying last month. Now add “sell catering” to that mental load. Without clear scripts, simple pricing guides, and a process that doesn’t add chaos to their shift, most staff will instinctively avoid the topic. It’s not malice—it’s survival.

The fix starts with removing ambiguity. Create a one-page “Catering Quick Reference” that lives at every register. Include three things: the three most popular platters with prices, the answer to “how far in advance do I need to order,” and a simple line like “Our minimum for delivery is $75, and we cover a 5-mile radius.” When a customer asks about catering, your staff can hand them that sheet and say, “Here’s everything you need—I can take your order right now or you can call ahead.”

Also, roleplay the fear out of them. Spend 10 minutes in a morning huddle running through the three most common catering objections: “I’m not sure how many people,” “That seems expensive,” and “Can you deliver to my office?” Give them two-word responses that work. For price objections: “Let me show you the per-person cost.” For unsure quantities: “We can do a half-tray—feeds about 10.” For delivery questions: “What’s the address? Let me check our route.”

When staff realize they aren’t being asked to become professional salespeople—just to hand over a sheet and ask one simple question like “Are you feeding a group today?”—the resistance drops dramatically. The fear dissolves when the ask is small and the support is visible.

Make Catering the Easy Path, Not the Hard One

Your staff will sell what’s easiest for them to sell. Right now, selling a single sandwich is easy: customer points, you slice, you wrap, transaction done. Selling catering feels hard: questions about quantities, special requests, delivery timing, deposit requirements, and the dreaded “Can you split the payment between three people?” If you want catering sales to increase, you need to make the process of selling catering feel easier than selling that single sandwich.

Start by auditing your current catering process from your staff’s perspective. Do they have to manually write down orders on a notepad and then type them into a separate system? Do they need to calculate tax and delivery fees in their head? Do they have to call the manager for every order over $100? Every friction point you remove from their workflow directly increases the likelihood they’ll proactively offer catering.

Consider implementing a simple paper order form that lives under the counter. It should have checkboxes for the top 10 platters, a space for the customer’s phone number, and a “pickup time” field. When a customer says “I need food for my office,” your staff can slide that form across the counter and say, “Just check what you want and I’ll ring you up.” No awkward sales pitch. No complex system. Just a tool that makes the transaction faster than building a custom sub.

Another overlooked lever: make the catering menu visible to customers without staff having to say a word. Place a laminated catering menu on the counter where customers wait. Hang a small sign near the register that says “Feeding a group? Ask us about our party platters—starting at $45.” When the customer brings it up first, your staff doesn’t have to initiate the sale. They just have to close it. That’s a much easier ask.

Finally, consider a “catering shortcut” on your POS system. Program a button that rings up the three most common catering orders with a single tap. When a customer says “I’ll take the Italian combo tray,” your staff hits one button instead of hunting through menus. Speed reduces anxiety. When the transaction feels fast and familiar, staff will offer it more often.

The Incentive That Actually Works (It’s Not Just Money)

Commission sounds like the obvious answer. Pay staff a few dollars per catering order and watch the sales roll in, right? In practice, it’s more complicated. Pure commission can create tension—staff fighting over who gets the credit, customers feeling pressured, and resentment when one shift consistently outsells another. There’s a better way that combines recognition, small immediate rewards, and team-based goals.

Start with a “Catering Champion” program. Each month, the staff member who books the most catering orders (measured by number of orders, not total dollar value) gets a $50 bonus and their photo on a small “Catering Champion” sign near the register. The focus on number of orders rather than dollar amount keeps it accessible for newer staff and part-timers who might not handle large corporate accounts. It also encourages frequency over waiting for the big fish.

Pair that with a team-based weekly goal. For example: “If we sell 5 catering orders this week, everyone gets a free lunch on Friday.” This creates peer accountability. Suddenly, the staff member who was hesitant to mention catering has three coworkers gently reminding them to ask. The social pressure works in your favor instead of against you.

Don’t underestimate the power of immediate small rewards. Keep a jar of $5 bills or gift cards to a nearby coffee shop. When you see a staff member proactively offer catering to a customer—even if the customer says no—hand them the reward right there. “I saw you ask about catering. Good job. Here’s your coffee money for tomorrow.” This reinforces the behavior you want, not just the outcome. Staff who get rewarded for asking will keep asking, and eventually some of those asks will convert.

Finally, consider a quarterly “Catering Bonus Pool.” Set a quarterly catering revenue target that’s achievable—maybe 10% above last quarter. If the team hits it, split a bonus equally among all front-of-house staff. This aligns the entire team, not just the salespeople. The person slicing meat, the person bagging chips, and the person wiping tables all benefit when catering grows. Everyone becomes invested in making sure the catering process runs smoothly, from order entry to pickup.

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Sources

• National Restaurant Association — industry research on catering trends and staff sales training
• Catering Institute of America — best practices for building catering sales culture in food service
• Harvard Business Review — articles on employee motivation and upselling techniques
• Food Service Director magazine — case studies on deli and catering operations
• U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) — guides on sales training and staff incentives for small food businesses
• Toast Restaurant Blog — practical tips for restaurant and deli staff upselling and catering programs

FAQ

Why won’t my deli staff just ask customers if they want catering? They likely aren’t rewarded for it. If your staff’s pay or recognition is tied only to counter speed or sandwich accuracy, catering feels like extra work with no upside. Shift incentives—even a small commission or bonus—so they see catering as part of their job, not a chore.

Do I need to hire a separate catering salesperson? Not necessarily, but it can help if your volume justifies it. Many delis start by training one or two existing staff as “catering champions” and giving them a small cut of each order. That keeps costs low while building expertise.

How much commission should I offer to motivate staff? A common range is 2% to 5% of the catering sale, or a flat $5–$15 per order depending on size. Test a few levels—too little won’t move the needle, too much can eat your margin. Start modest and adjust based on response.

What if my staff says they’re too busy to sell catering? That’s a sign your current reward system isn’t aligned. If they’re rewarded for speed, they’ll rush. Instead, give them a simple script (e.g., “Would you like a party tray for your next meeting?”) and a small incentive for each lead, even if they don’t close it. That turns “too busy” into “worth a few seconds.”

Should I use a contest or a permanent bonus structure? Both can work, but a permanent structure usually wins long-term. Contests spike short-term effort but fade. A steady commission or bonus builds a habit. If you run a contest, keep it short (one to two weeks) and pair it with a permanent change.

How do I track who sold what without adding admin work? Use a simple paper log or a free Google Form at the register. Have staff note the customer name and order size when they hand off the lead. Even a weekly tally by hand takes less than 10 minutes and gives you clear data to reward fairly.