HTG Commencement 2024 Manager Guide

Delicious Take-Home Entrées, Party Trays and Desserts for Commencement Celebrations and Summer Parties

Make Commencement Celebrations and Summer Parties Easy and Boost Incremental Sales

It’s time for commencement and summer parties, filled with family celebrations and great food. The immensely popular Holidays to Go program offers take-home appetizers, party trays, meals and desserts, inspiring families to spend time making memories, rather than being busy in the kitchen. You can offer any of these popular party foods and trays to suit your guests’ tastes and your unit’s capabilities and staffing levels. Since pizza is always popular for family gatherings, you can also offer Pizza Meals to Go at the same time.

The program runs through Labor Day.

Appetizer and Wing Trays Global and Italian Entrées

No better way to celebrate a special occasion than with popular party trays, including veggies and dips, fresh fruit, hummus and naan, deli meats and cheeses, antipasto and wings of every flavor.

Mini Sandwich Trays

Composed Salads

What’s a party without a variety of salads to enjoy, from classic Caesar and country-style potato salad to incredible grain and bean salads.

Pizza Meal to Go

So much deliciousness in these cold mini sandwiches, sliders and wraps! These trays also feature bagged chips and apples. D

Seniors love party trays but may prefer smaller quantities that serve 6, rather than 12. See the Commencement for Seniors section of the Recipe List for quantities.

Whenever guests gather, pizza is always popular. Pizza bundles (hot pizza, salad, dessert and soda) offer guests a quick, take-home meal every day!

Hearty entrées raise the bar for graduation parties, with a variety of global and Italian dishes. Choose from enchiladas, pad thai, stir-fry and Italian ziti, alfredo and lasagna.

Ready-to-Serve Desserts

We’ve paired with vendor partners Otis Spunkmeyer® and The Cheesecake Factory® to offer delicious a la carte desserts to sweeten up the gathering.

Menu Range

The menu items featured in Holidays to Go are traditional dishes beloved by families at their celebrations. These recipes were carefully reviewed and selected based on their ease of production and packaging for your team members.

TRAYS, ENTRÉES AND DESSERTS

APPETIZER TRAYS

Serves 12

• Farmer’s Market Vegetables and Dijon Ranch Dip

• Fresh Fruit

• Naan and Hummus

• Pepperoni and Cubed Cheese

• Vegetable Antipasto

BONELESS BUFFALO WINGS

36 wings

Includes celery and carrot sticks and ranch dressing.

• BBQ Boneless Chicken Wings

• Crispy Boneless Buffalo Wings

• Fried Boneless Chicken Wings

• Honey Mustard Boneless Wings

• Parmesan Herb Boneless Wings

SALADS

Serves 12

• Classic Caesar Salad with Dressing

• Country-Style Potato Salad

• Garden Salad with Dressing

• Lemony Chickpea Salad

• Quinoa Cucumber Salad

• Toasted Lentil Salad

GLOBAL ENTREES

Serves 12

• Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas Verde

• Chicken Pad Thai

• General Tso’s Tofu Stir-Fry

ITALIAN ENTREES

Serves 12

Includes 12 dinner rolls and Smart Balance Buttery Spread.

• Baked Ziti

• Chicken Alfredo

• Meat Lasagna

BREAD

Includes 12 with each order and Smart Balance Buttery Spread.

• Garlic Breadsticks

• Parker House White Dinner Rolls

MINI SANDWICH TRAYS

Serves 12

Includes potato chips or Red Delicious apples.

• Assorted Mini Sandwiches (12 total with 4 turkey, cheddar and chipotle mayo sliders; 3 grilled chicken Caesar half-wraps; 3 rustic antipasto mini sandwiches and 2 vegetable tarragon sliders)

• Grilled Chicken Caesar

Half-Wraps (12)

• Rustic Antipasto Mini Sandwiches (12)

• Turkey, Cheddar and Chipotle Mayo Sliders (12)

• Vegetable Tarragon Sliders (12)

DESSERTS

• Chocolate Lovers Tray (24 assorted cookies and 12 assorted brownies)

• Cookie Lovers Tray (assortment of 32)

• Glazed Cinnamon Rolls (18)

• Luscious Lemon Bars (12)

• Mini Butter Croissants (18)

• Molten Chocolate Bundt Cakes (9)

• Sweet Tooth Tray (assortment of 24 brownies and bars)

How the Program Works

Holidays to Go is easy to implement at your location. We provide all the tools you’ll need to run a successful promotion. The dates for this program are flexible. You can begin promotions in April and continue through Labor Day.

RECIPES

• Use the Recipe List to find DRIVE MSP and FMS recipe numbers for all Holidays to Go items.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

• Preplanned mix-and-match menus and selected vendor products are consistently available through our supply chain and ensure profitability.

• Editable marketing assets and order forms allow you to select the most appealing menu items for your guests.

PROMOTION

• Editable counter cards announce the program.

• Digital screens and emails promote program details and dates.

ORDERS

• Guests use Holidays to Go Order Form to place orders.

• Team members answer questions and assist guests placing orders.

PAYMENT

• Customer payment can be collected using any means currently available at your site. Contactless payment is highly recommended where available.

FULFILLMENT

• Your team prepares the guests’ orders.

• At designated area and time, guests pick up orders.

Launch Tool Kit

MARKETING THE PROGRAM

This program includes a comprehensive set of marketing materials to help you effectively advertise and build interest in this product offer.

ELECTRONIC RESOURCES

Visit Holidays to Go on Retail Ranger at us-retailranger.sodexo.com to find digital marketing assets.

OFFER IMPULSE DESSERTS

Prepare a variety of desserts each day and place at checkout registers to encourage impulse purchases.

DIGITAL ORDERING PLATFORM

To advertise the menu on your CaterTrax site, download the Holidays to Go Order Form from Retail Ranger and customize it with the menu items you’re offering, adding run time, payment and pickup instructions. Submit a support ticket to CaterTrax, add the title “Advertise Commencement Holidays to Go” and attach your order form to the ticket. Request that the menu be advertised on your homepage. CaterTrax has an advertising graphic for the Commencement Holidays to Go menu and will link your order form to the graphic.

PRICING

The Holidays to Go program is available in the Holidays to Go Pricing Tool on Retail Ranger. Guests will appreciate the talents and time of your café staff in preparing takeaway meals and desserts, allowing you to place a higher value and price on Holidays to Go menu items than on regular café selections. The Pricing Tool will help you identify the most appropriate pricing for the Holidays to Go program at your

PACKAGING AND LABELING

The Packaging and Labeling Guide for Holidays to Go details how to package and label each menu item. Keep it handy for team members who are fulfilling orders.

Packaging

Please use the specific packaging and labeling for each meal component so orders can be transported safely and with ease.

Labeling

For labeling cold and hot menu items, please use the templates found on Retail Ranger at us-retailranger. sodexo.com. Use Printables for dessert labels.

AT-HOME REHEATING INSTRUCTIONS

With all orders, the At-Home Reheating Instructions should be provided to the guest and attached to the order.

FOOD SAFETY GUIDANCE

Food safety is of utmost importance and HACCP food safety guidelines and procedures must be followed for Holidays to Go products offered for sale to guests for take-home through all stages of preparation, cooking, cooling, holding, packaging, display and storing.

Take-home products must be labeled with this information:

• Product name, ingredients and potential allergens

• Storage instructions

• Reheating instructions (as applicable)

Check local and state Health Department regulations for additional labeling requirements. Refer to Sodexo’s 1.2.6 Packaged Foods for Retail Sale Guidelines for additional information.

Guest’s name and contact information

Pickup day and time noted

Choices selected in each menu category

Holidays to Go Checklist

01

Review Holidays to Go materials on Retail Ranger.

Share the recipes with your chef. Be sure to review the Distribution Matrix under Holidays to Go on Retail Ranger.

Meet with your client and explain the program.

02

Set your pricing using the Holidays to Go Pricing Tool on Retail Ranger.

Add Holidays to Go to POS system, if not using Infor.

Determine run dates for the program at your location.

Download digital assets and market the program to guests. Display print assets in your café.

Determine staffing needs and decide how quickly you can fulfill orders.

Identify adequate safe storage, following safe food handling policies.

Designate a team member to receive orders and one area for order pickup.

03

Accept orders from guests.

Order ingredients and vendor partner products.

Order packaging and labels.

Prepare meals for takeaway orders.

Package orders during select date and time windows, providing At-Home Reheating Instructions with each order.

TURNKEY RESOURCES: Click on the Download arrow to access the forms you’ll need to run Holidays to Go.

OPERATIONAL

Distribution Matrix: Consolidated list of ingredients by distribution centers with manufacturer information.

Order Form: Preloaded with item names for convenience and editable to reflect the menu you’re offering.

Packaging and Labeling Guide: Illustrated guide showing how to package and label menu items.

Packaging Guide: List of manufacturer names, product numbers, pack sizes and links.

Pricing Tool: Set, review and adjust pricing at your account twice per year with this price optimization tool.

MARKETING

Counter Cards: Designed ads to print for signage.

Digital Assets: Dozens of designed assets to download for digital displays, social media and more.

Editable Brochure: Customizable marketing pamphlet to advertise your program.

Printable Assets: Editable assets to print for brochures, counter cards, napkin ads and Word templates for additional marketing.

Take these steps to implement the Holidays to Go program for your guests. FOR

Vice President, Guest and Operator Experience

Erica.Milios@Sodexo.com