Catering Services Thrive on Social Media, but Are They Reliable?

It has been ten months since Edom Belay tied the knot. The couple didn't host a wedding due to the high costs involved. Instead, they spent the past few months turning their house into a home, buying essential items like furniture and a TV. However, skipping the wedding meant they had to introduce their families to each other, so they decided to host a family gathering two months ago.

Living in a condominium, they didn’t want to burden their family members with food preparation, so they opted to hire a catering service. Thanks to the ads and videos they frequently saw on social media, both Edom and her husband were aware of the many catering companies. Yet, the experience didn’t go as expected. 

“We wanted to invite 40 people and pay for the best food option we could afford,” says Edom.

What they found, however, was an industry that operated on rigid packages, little flexibility, and lots of conditions. Most catering services charged per plate but only offered set packages for 30, 50, and 60+ guests.

“No one had a package for 40 people. When I insisted, they increased the per-plate cost, which meant I was essentially paying for 50 guests even though I was only inviting 40,” Edom explained.

The challenges didn’t stop there. Each catering provider had its own set of conditions. Some included plates but not tables, while others provided neither, leaving the host to arrange these crucial elements. Surprisingly, some packages even required leftover food to be returned to the caterer, which made little sense to the couple.

“The most popular catering services on TikTok that are often endorsed by celebrities or are seen serving high-profile events are booked in advance and are expensive,” she told Shega.

Eventually, not taking risks, they settled on a well-known catering company, paying a hefty 75,000 birr for a package that included plates, tables, and waitstaff. The food she ordered was still for 60 people, so she had to invite more guests at the last minute. 

“Despite the hustle, the event went well and our guests and family were very happy,” she added. 

For a country like Ethiopia, such occasions form the bedrock of the nation’s communal fabric. Whether it's a celebration for newlyweds like Edom, a family gathering to welcome a newborn, or a ceremony marking the loss of a loved one, these events always bring friends and relatives together.

Traditionally, the preparations are just as much a part of the ceremony as the actual gathering. Relatives prepare meals late into the night, sharing updates on each other's lives. Communal associations like "Edir," a traditional savings arrangement that provides financial assistance during funerals, offer crucial support.

However, these preparations can also be a heavy burden for hosts, and at times, they can become overwhelming and nightmarish. The new generation, embracing a modern lifestyle, increasingly views the preparation process as more of a burden than a rite of passage. As a result, catering services, once considered a luxury, have become an essential part of event hosting. With evolving cultural trends, catering services have become one of the most preferred ways to host an event nowadays.

The digital realm is at the heart of this evolution as well. TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram feature a plethora of fresh faces offering a range of catering services from the comfort of their homes. 

Most catering service providers accommodate a wide range of events, from birthdays and baby showers to weddings and mourning ceremonies, with very few specializing in a particular cuisine such as Ageilgil, a large, assorted food platter designed for communal dining. 

Pricing is typically based on the number of guests and the type of food ordered. On average, non-fasting menus range from 800 to 1,300 birr per person, while options that include delicacies like doro wet can cost up to 1,700 birr. Prices are cheaper for fasting food buffet. Some of the biggest names in the catering service sector include Agape Catering, KT Catering, and Maya’s Catering. 

Most of these social media-savvy catering services fall under the category of ‘Ghost Kitchens’, which deliver home-cooked meals to customers despite their self-pronouncements. In addition,  many operate without any formal business.

One such service provider says the use of social media is a crucial part of their business. She pointed out how online interactions with social customers help avoid unnecessary meddling from the authorities.

“It is the beauty of it,” she told Shega. ”All I do is post my videos on TikTok and wait for customers.”

Yet, for customers, this lack of regulation has led to concerns. Many caterers require a 50% advance payment to secure an order, posing a financial risk for buyers. Some customers have reported instances where they paid upfront, only to receive subpar service or, in extreme cases, no service at all.

“One of the main reasons I chose the catering service I went with was because I was transferring the money to a merchant bank account displaying the name of the business. That at least gave me some assurance that they would deliver,” explained Edom.

She also highlights how odd the service terms were, requiring her to agree to let the catering team take photos of the event and imposing a penalty of 3,000 birr per hour if the hosts kept the team longer than the agreed-upon time. She refused both of these terms when making the payment.

However, not all customers have had negative experiences. For Birhan Girma, 38, a banker and mother of two, who recently experienced a life-altering tragedy with the loss of her husband, a catering service became a source of relief during an emotionally overwhelming period. 

She had moved into a new neighborhood along with her late husband, a few weeks before the passing of her spouse, leaving her with no one to reach out to in her time of need. She recalls barely having the composure to attend to her children, let alone organize a funeral for incoming mourners.

“I did not know where to start,” Birhan told Shega.

Relatives who knew of her circumstance rallied to find a caterer at the last minute to set up tents and cook up meals late into the night. Samuel Girmay, who runs a catering business out of Adama, Oromia Regional State, came to Birhan’s rescue after pleadings from her family. He says they had to bring all the necessary equipment and pay extra to his employees for the sudden imposition.

“The catering business requires patience,” Samuel told Shega.

He states that several newcomers who don’t qualify as caterers have entered the business over the past few years, fueling a sense of mistrust. Samuel also notes how the rise of social media advertisements has obscured differences between legitimate service providers and potential scammers.

“You won't get fair prices,” he added.

However, Birhan was not all convinced of his prices as she lamented against the 60,000 birr charged for no more than 120 attendees. While she is grateful for the timeliness in which the catering service attended to the needs of guests, the widow can't help but feel that prices were too biting.

“It is extremely expensive for a cost you never saw coming,” Birhan says.

Samuel explains that several packages exist with affordable rates depending on the number of attendees and the type of services. He says several elements go into the assessment of costs, ranging from the type of meals to hours of service and even the number of employees on assignment.

“I pay 1,000 birr per day for each of my three employees when they are at the job,” the caterer told Shega.

Due to reports of bad experiences and the irregularities in the sector, the demand for quality catering services is high. Thus, established hospitality businesses are beginning to step into the market, offering professional catering services for corporate and private events.

Yonael Tadiwos, Operations Director at Boston Partners— the company behind Kuriftu Resorts, says 60% of their catering services are availed to other businesses. The catering service industry is growing at a rapid pace with the rise of corporate events in the capital, according to the director.

“There is a growing demand for quality catering as companies recognize the value of hosting events,” he told Shega.

Yonael does not believe that the new wave of social media-based catering services qualifies as such. He recalled that international companies require compliance documents, reference letters, and complete forms demonstrating adherence to food safety protocols. This includes implementing HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) in kitchen operations, ensuring they have a dedicated catering van—sometimes refrigerated, depending on requirements—and maintaining a valid business license.

“We have always been pushing through social media, but our main sales strategy for catering is through key account management and door-to-door sales,” says Yonaeil.