Catering is powering growth at several Top 500 chains

When Eric Stepp joined Bojangles a little over two years ago, a systemwide catering program was nonexistent at the Charlotte, North Carolina-based chicken chain.

“My background is in third-party delivery, specifically DoorDash, and I actually joined Bojangles to launch catering,” said Stepp, director of digital guest experience. One of his first orders of business: Partner with ezCater to tap into the catering platform’s workplace audience and customer engagement expertise.

Before Stepp’s arrival, some Bojangles franchisees were doing catering, but it was all handled in-store, with customers calling in orders and hoping that staff were available to complete the orders and collect payment. “It was really unknown how big the catering space was because it was all through the POS and you couldn’t track it separately,” said Stepp. “Now we have over 600 stores participating in the digital catering program and the AUVs are 10 times what we see for mealtime. We now get a chance to feed a dozen or more guests at once.”

Sales and unit growth

Bojangles, which is No. 44 on Technomic’s 2026 Top 500 Chains ranking, grew overall sales 3.7% year over year in 2025 with AUVs of $2.3 million. The limited-service chain is also opening new stores at a fast clip, increasing locations by 4.7% year over year and expanding into new markets.

Although Stepp wouldn’t reveal specific numbers, he said the catering revenue channel is robust and continues to ramp up. “Incremental growth and brand awareness is really what catering is about for us now, especially when you go into a new market and people try Bojangles for the first time at a workplace function, birthday party or tailgate,” he said.

According to new data from ezCater’s 2026 Catering Growth Forum, workplaces are increasing their investment in food, with 91% planning to spend the same or more in 2026, up from 82% in 2024. And one in five plan to increase that spending by more than 25% this year.

For Bojangles, workplace catering is currently making up a larger chunk of the business than social catering. “A lot of workplaces will order weekly Friday lunches or Monday morning breakfasts, so B2B catering is usually more frequent and higher AUVs because we’re feeding more people,” said Stepp.

One of the chain’s best categories is 12 packs of Breakfast Biscuits, whether it’s the signature Cajun chicken filets or bacon, egg and cheese. Some places order 100 to 200 individual box meals. Bojangles also offers chicken tender bundles with 50 or 100 tenders with sides easy to add on, and has launched a breakfast buffet with biscuits, gravy, eggs and all the fixings. “Every chance we get, we add new items to our catering menu,” said Stepp. Cost per person of a catered meal ranges from $5 to $8, he added.

Tech has helped Bojangles ramp up its catering program pretty quickly. Along with ezCater, the chain uses Olo to push catering orders into the POS system, and in some markets, it works with third-party delivery companies to handle overload. And dedicated catering managers can be present to expedite orders.

Other top chains

McAlister’s Deli (No. 61 in the Top 500), one of the fast-casual brands under Atlanta-based GoTo Foods, topped the $1 billion mark in sales a little over a year ago. And catering made a sizeable contribution to that growth.

With its selection of sandwich trays, salads, hot baked potato and mac ‘n cheese bars, desserts and box meals, McAlister’s has something for every taste. But in 2023, the chain added breakfast to the catering mix, expanding revenue without adding any new SKUs. On offer in the workplace are build-your-own avocado toast and French toast bars, fruit platters, breakfast sandwiches and individual breakfast boxes.

Cracker Barrel is currently in rebound mode after its logo debacle and other setbacks, but catering is a bright spot that’s helping to accelerate that rebound. Off-site orders now account for 20% of Cracker Barrel’s business, and despite softer traffic in the restaurants, the Lebanon, Tennessee-based family-dining chain is No. 38 in Technomic’s Top 500 Chains ranking, dropping only four spots in the last year.

Breakfast is popular with B2B customers, with options that mirror what guests can have in the Cracker Barrel restaurants. “Mama’s Pancake Breakfast is a top seller, which features our signature buttermilk pancakes and comes with little bottles of our own syrup,” said Jeremy Lett, senior director of innovation and product R&D at Cracker Barrel. “It also comes with breakfast sides, like our signature hashbrown casserole, as well as sausage and bacon.”

Scrambled eggs with biscuits and gravy, butter and jam are other crowd favorites. Workplace breakfasts can either be individually packaged or set up buffet style.

One of Cracker Barrel’s biggest catering hits at lunch and dinner are grilled and fried chicken tenders—a newer menu addition at the family-dining chain. They come with a choice of three signature sauces, two or three classic sides, like mac ‘n cheese and mashed potatoes, and biscuits or cornbread. The country ham buffet and hamburger steak are also favorites, and the chain’s seasonal strawberry peach tea and watermelon lemonade are available in half-gallon containers, as well as Arnold Palmers and other beverages.

“One of Cracker Barrel’s differentiators is that we have a wide selection of breakfast and lunch items for workplace catering and we’re always adding to the menu,” said Lett. “And our unique spin is that you can pair a retail product from our country store with catering. Customers can add on a pancake mix or candies, or even a peg game or checkers so you can recreate the Cracker Barrel experience in the office.”

Cracker Barrel partners with both Olo and ezCater to expedite its catering program. The chain has also hired additional staff at locations to handle orders. “We also have catering sales managers that are part of our corporate team, and they become partners in their local communities,” said Lett. For big social catering orders, customers can go on the website and connect directly with one of these managers, and they'll help put the order together and work through logistics, he added.

Those who order catering from Cracker Barrel may even get their food delivered to the workplace or party in a branded van.

Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.

Pat plans and executes menu, food and drink stories for Restaurant Business and hosts the weekly Menu Talk podcast. She provides in-depth coverage of chefs, trends and menu innovation.