ST. PAUL, MINN. – October 27, 2010 – Green Mill Restaurants Inc <http://www.greenmill.com/> . is on track to double its catering revenues in 2011, one year after the casual restaurant chain centralized catering operations <http://www.greenmill.com/index.php/Catering/Catering.html> . In addition to its new centralized approach, Green Mill credits its growth to offering one-stop shopping with one point of contact; providing menu choices that can be customized for each individual client or event, and adding a mobile catering truck that allows the company the flexibility to cater events almost anywhere.
“We’ve always offered catering through our various restaurants, but we didn’t have a centralized system to coordinate outreach efforts and provide store-level support,” explained Green Mill CEO Paul Dzubnar. “We knew that we excelled at offsite catering even without a focused effort, so it made sense to better leverage this capability.”
Wedding receptions and groom’s dinners make up half of Green Mill’s catering business; the other half is corporate events. During the past year Green Mill averaged three to four weddings per month and already has twice that number on the calendar for 2011. The company also has catered corporate functions for many of Minnesota’s Fortune 500 companies. Green Mill, which operates 28 full-service restaurants <http://www.greenmill.com/index.php/Locations/Locations.html> Â in four
states, added its first corporate director of sales last fall to extend its store-level catering and give clients one point of contact for their events.
The change boosted company revenues just as the recession began affecting many casual restaurant operations. “The past year was about delivering on the promises we made to help clients understand that Green Mill is more than just the neighborhood pizza restaurant,” said Dzubnar. “We are getting larger contracts because our
clients are pleased with the quality of our food and service, our one-stop shopping approach and the value that they get when using Green Mill to cater their event.”
He added, “Our catering menu is different than our restaurant menu. In fact, our chef can even create a menu specifically for the client. We’ve added a mobile catering truck so we can cater events nearly anywhere and provide all necessary services, giving the event planner peace of mind.” According to Dzubnar, customers are initially attracted to Green Mill catering because the company offers made-from-scratch dishes at reasonable prices. Having 28 restaurant locations enables the franchise organization to
leverage its buying power and pass savings onto catering clients.
Additionally, clients are impressed with catering services that go beyond the company’s famous history of serving award-winning pizza.
Green Mill’s one-stop catering services offer clients:
* Â Â Â Choice of three service styles: buffet line, plated or family style
* Â Â Â Standard catering menu or personally created menu
* Â Â Â Table settings at no additional charge (flatware, tableware,
stemware)
* Â Â Â Experienced serving staff
* Â Â Â Liquor license, bar services and bartenders
* Â Â Â Mobile van that allows the company to cater events almost anywhere
The catering menu offers several pasta and Italian dishes, along with higher-end items such as Rosemary Prime Rib and Baked Salmon with Dill Sauce. Not to abandon the company’s award-winning roots, several wedding clients have ordered Green Mill pizza as a late-night snack for guests. Catering prices range from $7.99 to $24.99 per person. Contact Green Mill’s catering department at 612-718-0529 or nikkis@greenmill.com.
About Green Mill
Green Mill got its start in the 1930s with the oldest licensed pub in St. Paul, Minn., the Green Mill Inn, located at the corner of Hamline and Grand Avenues. Today, Green Mill Restaurants Inc. owns, manages and franchises 28 neighborhood restaurants and bars in four states. Green Mill is widely known for having “Minnesota’s Most Awarded Pizza” and has garnered numerous awards from food critics. More information is available at www.greenmill.com.
