He Found a Way to 10x His Company’s Revenue Stream — And Smart Business Owners Are Doing It, Too
Bojangles, Cracker Barrel and McAlister’s Deli have jumped on the catering bandwagon as companies plan to spend more on food in future.
When Eric Stepp joined Bojangles two years ago, the chicken chain had no systemwide catering program. Stepp, the director of digital guest experience, teamed up with ezCater to tap into corporate customers ordering weekly Friday lunches or Monday breakfast spreads.
Now over 600 stores participate, with average catering orders pulling 10 times the revenue of typical mealtime transactions, according to Restaurant Business.
Cracker Barrel is seeing similar enthusiasm for catering, with off-site orders now accounting for 20% of business. McAlister’s Deli crossed $1 billion in sales last year, with catering contributing significantly.
It seems companies can’t stop ordering in. According to ezCater’s 2026 Catering Growth Forum, 91% of workplaces plan to spend the same or more on food this year, up from 82% in 2024. One in five will increase spending by more than 25%. As companies continue navigating return-to-office policies and hybrid schedules, catered meals have become a retention and team-building tool.
When Eric Stepp joined Bojangles two years ago, the chicken chain had no systemwide catering program. Stepp, the director of digital guest experience, teamed up with ezCater to tap into corporate customers ordering weekly Friday lunches or Monday breakfast spreads.
Now over 600 stores participate, with average catering orders pulling 10 times the revenue of typical mealtime transactions, according to Restaurant Business.
Cracker Barrel is seeing similar enthusiasm for catering, with off-site orders now accounting for 20% of business. McAlister’s Deli crossed $1 billion in sales last year, with catering contributing significantly.
It seems companies can’t stop ordering in. According to ezCater’s 2026 Catering Growth Forum, 91% of workplaces plan to spend the same or more on food this year, up from 82% in 2024. One in five will increase spending by more than 25%. As companies continue navigating return-to-office policies and hybrid schedules, catered meals have become a retention and team-building tool.
