2025 Schedule
Beyond the Plate: How Chefs Impact the Whole Business
Peter McCaffrey (Culinary Director, Leading Caterers of America)
Location: Handel
Date: Monday, November 10
Time: 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Track:
Culinary Innovation Group (CIG)
Vault Recording: TBD
Chefs are more than creators of food; they are key drivers of financial performance. This session reveals the full ecosystem of a catering P&L and how culinary decisions ripple through profit and operations.
Key Learning Points:
● % of expenses chefs directly influence (food, labor, waste, tastings, etc.)
● Profit margins: what impacts them most
● Pricing and portioning as strategic, not just culinary, decisions
Interactive Exercise: Chef/principal pairs review a mock P&L and identify blind spots and opportunities together.