How to Earn Money as a Chef and Caterer in Rijeka

Where customers for catering and chefs work come from in Rijeka

In a city the size of Rijeka, paying customers for catering work come from several sources. Word of mouth is strong - one successful job at a private event, company lunch or family gathering often leads to another. People talk to friends and colleagues about who they hired, and referrals can keep you busy if you do good work.

Online search is now how most people find local services. When someone in Rijeka needs a caterer for a wedding, office event or party, they search the internet for chefs and caterers nearby. A profile with photos, services, prices and online booking means they can find you that way and contact you without you having to chase them.

Companies, schools and institutions in Rijeka need catering for events, staff lunches and functions. These are steady customers if you can reach them - sometimes through direct contact, sometimes through online platforms where they post their needs.

Local event organisers, wedding planners and venue owners in Rijeka sometimes recommend caterers to their clients, especially if you have worked together before or have a visible online presence they can point people to.

Setting your first prices for catering work

Your prices depend on what you cook, how much work goes into each job, how many people you serve, and what the market in Rijeka will bear. Start by thinking about the time it takes - your shopping, prep, cooking, travel to the job, serving and cleanup - and what you need to earn per hour to make it worthwhile. Then look at what other caterers in Rijeka charge for similar work, if you can find that information.

You set your own prices on a Websta profile, and you can change them as you gain experience. Your first customers may come at introductory prices while you build a reputation and portfolio. As you take on more work and can see what sells, you can adjust.

Talk about money clearly from the start - tell customers the price per person, per dish, per hour, or per event, depending on how you work. Misunderstandings about cost cause problems later. Put your prices on your profile so people know what they are paying before they contact you.

Legal and tax steps to take as a self-employed caterer in Croatia

In Croatia, if you earn money for work, you need to register with the tax authorities. As a self-employed person (samostalna djelatnost), you will need a tax number (OIB) and must register your work. The exact rules and deadlines depend on how much you earn and whether this is your only income or a side job. Check with the Croatian tax authority (Porezna uprava) or a local accountant for the specific steps for your situation.

You are responsible for reporting your income and paying any taxes owed. Keep records of what you earn from each job. If you work through a platform like Websta, payments go directly to your bank account through Stripe, and you will have clear records of what came in.

If you work with food, check local health and safety rules in Rijeka. Some types of catering may require specific licenses or kitchen facilities. Your local health authority can tell you what applies to the work you want to do.

What your first ten customers often look like

Your first customers are often people you already know or who hear about you through friends - family events, small office parties, birthday celebrations. These jobs may be smaller than you aim for eventually, but they give you experience and references.

Once you have a profile on Websta with photos and clear pricing, you will start to get inquiries from people searching online who have never met you. These are customers who need a caterer and do not have a personal recommendation.

Early customers usually appreciate that you are starting out and may give you more room for questions than later clients will. Treat each job as a chance to deliver good work, solve small problems smoothly, and ask for feedback or a reference when you are done.

Do not expect to be fully booked at once. Building a customer base takes time and consistent work. Some months will have more bookings than others. This is normal.

Common problems in your first months

Underestimating time is a common stumble - your first jobs take longer than you think because you have not done them before at scale, because you have to travel further than expected, or because the kitchen setup is different from what you planned. Keep notes after each job so you can give better estimates next time.

Unclear agreements lead to arguments. Before you take a job, confirm in writing what you are providing, how many people, what time you arrive, what happens if numbers change, and the total price. A simple message or form does this - a Websta profile with online booking and a contact form helps capture these details.

Forgetting the small costs adds up. Petrol, containers, napkins, ice, parking - write these down and factor them into what you charge. If you do not count them, your real earnings shrink.

Taking payment in cash and not keeping records makes it hard to prove what you have earned, makes taxes complicated, and leaves you unprotected if there is a dispute. Bank transfers or card payments through Websta give you a clear record.

How a Websta profile helps you get paid work

A profile on Websta gives you a page that looks like a small website. You can list your services, your prices, photos of your food and past events, and a description of what you do. People in Rijeka searching for a chef or caterer can find you through the marketplace.

Online booking and a contact form let customers book you or ask questions without you having to answer phone calls at work or in the middle of cooking. You can set your schedule and respond when you have time.

When a customer pays through Websta, the money goes directly to your own bank account through Stripe. You set your own prices, and you keep the money. You have a record of every payment for your tax records.

A Websta profile is a page you can send to anyone - a venue owner, an event organiser, a friend who asks for a referral. It shows your work, your prices and how to book you. This saves you time explaining the same things over and over.

Getting started: realistic steps

Start with work you know you can deliver well - a handful of dishes you have cooked many times, not a long menu. Add more as you take on jobs and learn what works.

Take photos of your best work. Use these on your Websta profile. Good photos are the main reason people book caterers they have not used before.

Set up a Websta profile with your services, prices, and booking details. This becomes your main way of presenting your work to people searching online.

Take your first jobs even if they seem small. Each one teaches you something, builds your reputation, and adds to your portfolio. Earning money from catering work takes work and time - there is no shortcut - but a clear system for finding customers, pricing fairly, and getting paid makes it possible to build a real income in Rijeka.