John Zinno shares how restaurants can turn catering from an operational expense into a profitable growth channel. As co-founder of DeliverThat, he explains why some brands generate up to 30% of their revenue from catering, why quality matters more than speed for large orders, and how operators can manage delivery more strategically. Zinno also shares practical advice on building first-party ordering, finding new catering opportunities beyond corporate offices, and creating delivery experiences that keep customers coming back.

• Catering Is a Profit Center, Not Just a Service – Many restaurants treat catering delivery as a pass-through expense, but John Zinno believes it should be a revenue driver. By managing deliveries strategically and optimizing for quality, cost, or speed, restaurants can increase margins while creating a better customer experience.
• The Biggest Catering Opportunities Aren't Always Corporate – While office catering remains a major market, Zinno encourages operators to think bigger. Schools, colleges, hospitals, sports teams, and community organizations all represent recurring catering opportunities that can generate significant long-term revenue when restaurants actively pursue them.
• Great Catering Builds Repeat Business – Reliable delivery, quality execution, and strong first-party ordering help restaurants turn one catering order into many. Zinno believes operators who consistently deliver great experiences are the ones that earn long-term customer loyalty.

Episode Links

• John Zinno LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-zinno/
• Aaron Hoffman LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronhoffman02/
• DeliverThat Online: https://www.ideliverthat.com/
• DeliverThat Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deliverthatco/
• DeliverThat YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DeliverThat

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