Restaurant Catering Workshop

How to deliver like a pro

The Restaurant Catering Workshop will share how to manage the complexities of delivery.

Photo: Connect Media

August 26, 2026 by Bradley Cooper — Editor, Connect Media

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Delivery is one of the most challenging aspects of the restaurant business, but it absolutely cannot be ignored. It's a multibillion-dollar industry, with DoorDash reporting $13.7 billion in revenue in 2025, and customers expect their favorite restaurants to offer some form of delivery. The Restaurant Catering Workshop will offer restaurants, food trucks and other food service businesses a working model for delivery during a live panel.

Hosted from Oct. 6 to 7 in Arlington, Texas, the panel "Deliver like a pro: Logistics, packaging and execution that earns reorders" will bring together Nicole Augilar, catering sales manager, Houston TX Hot Chicken, Dave Baer, COO, Mahana Fresh, Gabriela Keown, director of catering operations, Craveworthy Brands, Heather Rideaux CEO and owner of The Redwagon Delivers LLC and Becca Ridgeway, ops services manager at honeygrow to discuss how to develop and execute a delivery strategy.

The panel will focus on workable insights from delivery models to setup, tracking, proof-of-delivery and issue recovery.

Read on below for a preview of what the panelists will share during the session.

Q: What's one of the most common mistakes in the delivery experience?

Aguilar:A multitude of mistakes can happen when delivering a catering order. Many of these mistakes can be avoided with proper planning at the restaurant before the order even leaves the four walls. Proper checklists, route details, and timing for the order will alleviate many common issues, but only when these planning tools are properly used! A checklist should be used multiple times during preparation and handoff to ensure the guest receives all items, including the proper serving utensils and sides.

Baer:There are so many moving part in regards to delivery that can go sideways but incomplete or inaccurate orders are one of the most common errors in my experience. Next would be not understanding the guests' expectations is it a straight drop-off and leave or is setup expected. Are utensils and plates required is there a need for serving utensils etc.

Rideaux: One of the biggest mistakes we see is treating the drop-off as the finish line instead of the moment that actually defines the guest's experience. A lot of operators nail the food and the packing, but lose points on the last ten feet. There's no heads-up call or text before arrival, unclear instructions for loading docks or building access, or food that's been perfectly packed but not staged for how it'll actually be transported (think trays that shift, sauces that separate, or hot and cold items riding together and ruining texture by the time they arrive). The order can be flawless in the kitchen and still feel like a mistake to the client if the delivery itself is disorganized or if nobody set expectations on timing.

Q: What's one tip or strategy you plan to share at the panel?

Aguilar:With HHC's operations team firing on all cylinders, we have started to tackle the biggest pain point in the Hot Chicken Catering business: temperature control. I look forward to discussing a new, innovative way we deliver our crave-worthy sandwiches without sacrificing temperature or quality.

Baer:Have a consistent process for organizing the order. The first catering order is as important as the next and needs to be treated as such. Pre-rush prep is vital. Make sure to label, stage and set up everything ahead of time. Eliminate steps and don't put yourself in a position where you are opening and closing things more than once to see what it is. I like to pre-label and number all the lids, for example.

Rideaux: Build a standard operating procedure for every catering order; a simple one-pager in app that covers exact arrival window, on-site contact and phone number, access instructions (loading dock, elevator, gate code), setup expectations, and how the food is packed (what's hot, what's cold, what can't be stacked). It sounds basic, but most delivery breakdowns come from information that existed somewhere but never made it to the person actually doing the drop-off. A five-minute prep step prevents almost every last-mile fire drill.

Q: What are you most excited to learn or share at the Restaurant Catering Workshop?

Aguilar: I cannot wait to hear from other experienced leaders in the catering industry! We will learn so much from each other. I am most excited to hear how others are leveraging 3PD relationships, and what they are doing to build their sales pipeline. Oh, and the tech stacks! Tech has exploded in the catering world, especially with the introduction of AI. I am eager to hear what people are using and the pros and cons of them all!

Baer:Looking forward to hearing how others are converting 3rd party orders to native or direct orders. I am interested in hearing how folks are incorporating AI without losing the personal touch. It is my opinion that leaning too hard into AI and/or tech will lose the personal touch and experience guests crave.

Rideaux:I'm excited to share how we think about the handoff between kitchen and delivery as its own discipline, not an afterthought — and to hear how other caterers and restaurants are solving for scale, especially around large multi-stop orders and peak-time reliability. I'm hoping to learn more about how other operators are handling real-time communication with clients during delivery, since that's an area where small process changes tend to have an outsized impact on the guest experience. Also, how restaurants capture and document concise and accurate drop-off instructions from the end customer.

Catering DeliveryCraveworthy Brands Houston TX Hot Chicken

Upcoming Events

Restaurant Catering Workshop

October 6-7, 2026 | Arlington, TX

Discover the strategies and tools you need to build a winning catering operation. Whether you're starting out or refining your catering business, this workshop is your key to success.

View Agenda Register Now

About Bradley Cooper

Bradley Cooper is an experienced editor for Connect Media. He has written across a wide range of beats, ranging from food to digital signage to banking, and is the current editor of ATM Marketplace and Food Truck Operator. His background is in information technology, advertising, and writing. When he’s not crafting a story, you can find him going for a run or spending time with his wife and three sons.

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