This study explores factors that influence a memorable holistic catering food experience aiming to enhance customer satisfaction. The study of Feinkost Käfer GmbH is used, which is one of the leading event caterers in the world. Interviews with experts and customers were conducted to enrich the developed conceptual framework. The results indicate that the quality of the food and ingredients, the quality of service in the preevent and live event phase, the presentation of food, and the fit between event design, atmosphere, and food are crucial factors for creating a memorable holistic food experience for customers. Especially unexpected elements in the experience create memorable experiences and therefore improve customer satisfaction. The interviews revealed that the sensory Event caterers dimension seems to be of greatest importance in this context. Practical implications are discussed at the end of the chapter.
. An epidemiological investigation was initiated to identify the source of the contamination and to explain the extent of the contamination over time. Thirty-one cohorts of individuals attended different funerals held between 14 and 19 January. All attendees were served a cold buffet made by the same caterer. Of these 31 cohorts, 16 (with a total of about 800 people) contained individuals who reported being ill after the funeral. Symptoms were mainly diarrhea (89 to 94% of individuals), vomiting (63 to 90%,) and fever (26 to 39%), with a median incubation period of 29 to 33 h and a median duration of symptoms of 24 to 33 h, suggesting a rhinovirus-like infection. Among the 16 cohorts, 3 were selected for cohort studies. Among those three cohorts, the mean illness rate was 68%. Associations were found between those who fell ill and those who had consumed pasta salad (relative risk [RR] = 2.4; P = 0.0022) and ham sandwiches (RR = 1.8; P = 0.0096). No food handlers reported being sick. No stool samples were provided by individuals who became ill. Environmental and food samples were all negative for causative agents. Although the causative agent was not clearly identified, this investigation raised many concerns about the importance of preventing foodborne transmission of viral gastroenteritis and generated some recommendations for management of similar outbreaks.