It's Not Just the Food: What Real Catering Service Looks Like

People have lost it, and I'm afraid they're going to lose their food too.

Here's why. Service.

Food is human service at the most basic level of human existence. Whether it's at French Laundry, your kitchen, or Starbucks — and especially with catering.

It's. Not. Just. The Food.

Last month a client's corporate event headcount in San Mateo jumped from 250 to 300. At 9am. The event was at noon.

The office manager who had planned everything was already rehearsing her apology to her VP. I could hear it in her voice. It was her worst fear — knowing that, contractually, I could just be the caterer who said "we'll see what we can do" and then didn't.

These are the moments that can cost a manager a promotion, and that a Slack channel will remember for years.

Here's what I did. We had 50 extra portions made from our kitchen and in the van by 11:40.

Not because we're magicians.

But because after 30 years, I build the buffer into every order — extra portions travel with the driver on every delivery over 30 people, whether you asked or not.

Nobody puts that on a menu. But it's the whole job.

Food. Service.

The order is the easy part. The 9am phone call is the job you're actually paying for.