Copper Kettle Catering $($CKC$)$ is a full$-$service catering company that provides services ranging from box lunches for picnics or luncheon meetings to large wedding, dinner, or office parties. Established as a lunch delivery service for offices in $1972$ by Wayne and Janet Williams, CKC has grown to be one of the largest catering businesses in North Carolina. The company divides customer demand into two categories: deliver only and deliver and serve.

The deliver$-$only side of the business delivers boxed meals consisting of a sandwich, salad, dessert, and fruit. The menu for this service is limited to six sandwich selections, three salads or potato chips, and a brownie or fruit bar. Grapes and an orange slice are included with every meal, and iced tea can be ordered to accompany the meals. The overall level of demand for this service throughout the year is fairly constant, although the mix of menu items delivered varies. The planning horizon for this segment of the business is short: Customers usually call no more than a day ahead of time. CKC requires customers to call deliver$-$only orders in by $10$am to guarantee delivery the same day.