Catering, Foodservice & Events

03/07/2025

Catering Excellence - Five takeaways from ECEP symposiums to help you grow your business

At the annual symposium for Elite Catering + Event Professionals (ECEP), top catering business owners come together with thought leaders to exchange ideas and best practices. From HR and operations to culinary, kitchen, sales and finance, the event is a dynamic gathering of collective hospitality wisdom. Attendees leave with actionable insights designed to elevate their business and further the relationships started that week.

While the curriculum is put together by the ECEP board months in advance, the facilitator on the ground is Jennifer Perna, a driving force behind the exchange of ideas. As the overall moderator, she synthesizes key takeaways from each session and presents them back to the collective audience, ensuring that everyone—whether in the session or not—walks away with all the practical strategies presented that week to strengthen and grow their operations.

As ECEP prepares for its 2025 Symposium in Napa Valley, California, we asked Perna to choose five of the most impactful sessions from the three ECEP symposiums that have taken place (Nashville, Tennessee; Palm Springs, California; and Charleston, South Carolina). “It wasn’t easy, but these five topics are essential to all successful companies,” she says.

Read the article on our website for actionable strategies from those sessions that can help any catering business grow and prosper.

www.cfe-news.com/collective-wisdom-for-catering-excellence

By Liese Gardner
Liese Gardner
Featuring
ecepglobal

03/05/2025

Small Plates, Big Impact!

How two ECEP members—Ridgewells Catering and Behind the Scenes Catering & Events—create food stations that elevate events and surpass guest expectations

A senior event designer at Ridgewells Catering in the Washington, D.C., area, Mary Margaret Hart follows a general rule of thumb when creating a food station or buffet. “You never put anything directly on the table,” she says. “It’s got to be lifted up and not just sitting on a table, because that looks like what we do in our own homes.”

That same guiding principle could apply to what successful caterers do every day—elevate how food looks, tastes and engages the imagination, so the dining experience transcends the quotidian. Food stations, with their thoughtfully composed small plates and inspired themes, are often the perfect vehicles for caterers to show off both culinary and design expertise.

Both members of Elite Catering + Event Professionals (ECEP), Ridgewells and Behind the Scenes are known for their innovative cuisine and flawless presentation. Hart and Crisafulli described for CFE how they designed and executed a few of their popular station concepts.

Read the featured article on our website:
www.cfe-news.com/small-plates-big-impact

By Sara Perez Webber
Featuring
Ridgewells Catering
Behind the Scenes Catering & Events
ecepglobal

02/27/2025

Bill Hansen shares one of his wildest wedding stories in an excerpt from his new book, Plating Up Profits: Miami’s Catering Icon Dishes Up Lessons for Business Success

As the founder of Bill Hansen Catering and CEO of Hansen Group, 55-year catering veteran Bill Hansen has seen it all when it comes to catered events. He shares his most memorable stories—and the business lessons learned from them—in Plating Up Profits: Miami’s Catering Icon Dishes Up Lessons for Business Success, co-written with CFE Editor-in-Chief Sara Perez Webber.

Read an excerpt from Plating Up Profits on our website:
www.cfe-news.com/expect-the-unexpected

ORDER THE BOOK TODAY ON AMAZON!
https://a.co/d/78yo9It

By Sara Perez Webber
Featuring
Bill Hansen Catering & Event Production

Plating Up Profits: Miami's Catering Icon Dishes Up Lessons For Business Success

02/25/2025

The Enduring Allure of Mexican

Restaurants and caterers who specialize in this popular cuisine find success with traditional recipes and quality ingredients.

Whether they’re craving quesadillas, longing for elote or pining for pozole, consumers’ appetite for Mexican cuisine shows no signs of abating.

According to market research firm CivicScience, a third of U.S. adults name Mexican food as their favorite cuisine—and it’s the top choice for those under age 55. Meeting the demand are more than 80,000 Mexican restaurants across the country, which foodservice research firm Datassential says represents nearly 10% of U.S. Restaurants.

Given the flexibility and popularity of Mexican cuisine—and the growing number of foodservice businesses serving it—how are caterers and restaurants distinguishing their offerings from the competition? To find out, we asked proprietors in three states that boast a high percentage of Mexican restaurants: California, New Mexico and Texas.

Read the full article on our website:
www.cfe-news.com/the-enduring-allure-of-mexican

By Sara Perez Webber
FEATURING

02/22/2025

Multisensory, memorable meals are satisfying the increased appetite for experiential dining and culinary tourism

The “experience economy” refers to consumers prioritizing experiences over material possessions. For some, this preference aligns with their minimalist lifestyle, while others may be spurred on by social media and “FOMO” (fear of missing out). Regardless of motivation, consumers are increasingly craving dining experiences that go beyond simply eating and enjoying a meal.

Platforms like TikTok and Instagram help fuel the experience economy. Social media enthusiasts want followers to know they did something interesting, and their posts sway friends and family to seek out the same experiences. Influencers post about hidden gems and new foods that their viewers then want to try. In both cases, foodservice businesses will be rewarded for offering a multisensory experience that immerses patrons and creates photo-worthy moments.

Read the full article on our website:
www.cfe-news.com/tapping-into-the-experience-economy

By Joy Pouros, Culinary Software Services

02/18/2025

Complying with Foodservice Standards

Tech tools help businesses stay compliant with ever-complex regulations

Compliance in the foodservice and catering industry has grown increasingly complex as regulations become more stringent. With over 12 federal regulatory agencies and more than 30 laws linked to monitoring food safety, allergen labeling, hygiene and traceability, companies must grapple with an array of legal issues. These standards, which are higher than ever, require catering businesses to automate and streamline their compliance approach to meet federal and local regulations successfully.

Why compliance matters now more than ever? Read the article on our website to learn more:
www.cfe-news.com/complying-with-foodservice-standards

By Fred Whipp, vice president of business development at mpro5

02/13/2025

Progress in Cold Chain Logistics

Smart technologies are helping foodservice businesses ensure food quality and safety

When the risk of food spoilage and foodborne illness is mitigated, your customers are satisfied, and your business grows.

Cold chain logistics—the storing, handling and transporting of temperature-sensitive items—play an essential role in ensuring food safety and quality. The essence of cold chain logistics is the management of perishable food and beverages under tightly controlled conditions to prevent spoilage.

Without a functioning cold chain, food quality can deteriorate quickly. This poses health risks, threatens your brand reputation and can cause financial losses. It’s vital to understand the key aspects of cold chain management—and the key challenges to ensuring food quality and safety.

How does this system work to facilitate freshness? Read the article on our website for the breakdown:
www.cfe-news.com/progress-in-cold-chain-logistics

By Nick Fryer, Sheer Logistics
sheerlogistics.com
FB: Sheer Logistics
IG: sheer_think_logistically

02/06/2025

A prominent political, corporate and social event caterer in the Washington, D.C., metro area for more than 35 years, Design Cuisine unveiled at the event a dynamic and modernized visual brand refresh that reimagined its colorways, fonts and overall design. This transformation brings a fresh, contemporary aesthetic while paying homage to the tradition and legacy that form the heart of the brand. As part of this refresh, Design Cuisine completely revamped its website, introducing a visually striking and seamless user experience.

The event’s menu showcased “the dishes that have stood the test of time, with many still in production today, embodying both the innovation and tradition that have made Design Cuisine a leader in the culinary world for over four decades,” said John Haywood, executive chef.

“Each dish on the menu is a testament to the company’s evolution, paying homage to the iconic moments in its trajectory, including meals served to U.S. presidents at inaugural luncheons, international heads of state and Hollywood stars,” added Andro Franetovic, executive sous chef.

For more information, visit designcuisine.com
Design Cuisine

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https://cfe-news.com/digital-issue-newsletter-sign-up

02/04/2025

CALLING THE RESTAURANT AND FOODSERVICE INDUSTRY
Join us in NYC, March 23-25th 2025. 💜

Your fascination with food. Your creativity. Your love of people. Your talent for nourishing their bodies and their souls. Imagine 3 days in the heart of New York — the world’s most exciting city — where you can focus on all the magic and mystery that attracted you to food in the first place. Give yourself the gift of learning! Spark your creative appetite and turn your passion for the industry into a sustainable business.

Watch live culinary demonstrations, awards ceremonies, and our food & beverage competitions. Energize your business at one of our education sessions in Education Alley! Emerging trends abound on the show floor with hundreds of exhibitors and activations on the show floor.

Interested in bringing a group? Groups bringing 6 or more attendees can participate in our TEAM BUNDLE registration package, which offers SIGNIFICANT savings.

Learn more and register today!
www.newyorkrestaurantshow.com
The New York Restaurant Show

The New York Restaurant Show is your opportunity to join thousands of your peers in experiencing the hottest menu trends, the best in business education, hundreds of leading vendors, and more!

01/30/2025

At the Florida Restaurant Show in Orlando, Chef Maneet Chauhan shared this advice to attendees who gathered to watch her prepare Tandoori Shrimp & Grits: “Be as authentic as possible.”

It’s a maxim Chauhan has clearly followed herself as she’s charted a meteoric rise in the culinary world since arriving in the U.S. in 1999 to study at the famed Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, New York. The native of Punjab found herself “the only Indian on campus,” she recalls. Now on the CIA’s board of trustees, Chauhan is one of the country’s most recognized American-Indian chefs and a popular Food Network personality, notably as a longtime judge on Chopped and the first-ever two-time champion of Guy Fieri’s Tournament of Champions.

She helms three restaurants as co-founder of Morph Hospitality Group—Chauhan Ale & Masala House and The Mockingbird in Nashville, Tennessee; and eet by Maneet Chauhan, which opened in December 2023 at the Walt Disney World Resort’s Disney Springs near Orlando (“eet” is a play on her first name). Chauhan’s critically acclaimed cookbooks include Chaat: Recipes from the Kitchens, Markets, and Railways of India.

After Chauhan chatted and took photos with the many attendees who lined up to meet her, she sat down with CFE to talk about her career, her newest restaurant and her advice to caterers.

Read the interview on our website:
www.cfe-news.com/meet-maneet

By Sara Perez Webber
Featuring Maneet Chauhan

01/28/2025

Bill Hansen shares one of his wildest wedding stories in an excerpt from his new book, Plating Up Profits: Miami’s Catering Icon Dishes Up Lessons for Business Success

As the founder of Bill Hansen Catering and CEO of Hansen Group, 55-year catering veteran Bill Hansen has seen it all when it comes to catered events. He shares his most memorable stories—and the business lessons learned from them—in Plating Up Profits: Miami’s Catering Icon Dishes Up Lessons for Business Success, co-written with CFE Editor-in-Chief Sara Perez Webber.

Read an excerpt from Plating Up Profits in our current issue. You can get a FREE subscription when you subscribe:
www.cfe-news.com/digital-issue-newsletter-sign-up

The book will be published on Feb. 20, 2025. To pre-order the e-book version, visit amazon.com

By Sara Perez Webber
Featuring
Bill Hansen Catering & Event Production

01/20/2025

Occasions Caterers Named North America’s Best Catering Company at World Culinary Awards

Washington, D.C.-based Occasions Caterers was named North America’s Best Catering Company 2024 at the prestigious World Culinary Awards. This accolade celebrates the company’s continued commitment to culinary excellence, creativity and unparalleled service.

“We are honored to be recognized for this award,” says Dean Martinus, president of Occasions Caterers. “At Occasions, it’s about delivering a seamless, personalized experience that brings people together in celebration. Winning this award is a reflection of our commitment to delivering service and celebrating life’s most important moments with care, consideration and precision.”

The World Culinary Awards, a sister event to the renowned World Travel Awards, was established to recognize and reward the top performers on the global culinary scene.

Occasions Caterers has built a reputation for creating bespoke culinary experiences for over 38 years, from intimate gatherings to large-scale events, consistently delivering exceptional food and service.

For more information, visit occasionscaterers.com
Occasions Caterers

Asaad Farag (right), vice president of operations at Occasions Caterers, with Graham Cooke, founder and president of World Travel Awards

01/16/2025

In 2025, catering will continue to transcend the traditional concept of just feeding guests—it’s becoming an art form, an immersive experience designed to engage every sense. At the forefront of this evolution is Constellation Culinary Group, a catering company bringing restaurant-quality cuisine with elevated presentations across a wide range of venues, from cultural landmarks like Carnegie Hall and the Philadelphia Museum of Art to intimate weddings and high-profile events.

This year’s catering trends emphasize globally inspired flavors, refined interpretations of quiet luxury and more. Discover what’s on the horizon for 2025 with insights from Constellation’s culinary director, Meg Grasso.

Read the full article in the current issue:
www.cfe-news.com/the-five-biggest-catering-trends-of-2025

For more information, visit constellationculinary.com
Constellation

01/14/2025

Take your weddings to the next level with these 15 trends!

When it comes to their weddings, couples these days don’t follow the herd. Eschewing cookie-cutter affairs, brides and grooms are letting their personalities shine through in every aspect of their big celebrations, from the cuisine to the décor to the entertainment.

Despite each wedding’s individuality, there are trends that experts are seeing take hold at many events. “These trends all emphasize a more personalized and guest-centered approach to receptions,” says Craig Peterman, owner of Craig Peterman Photography & Videography in Phoenix. “Yes, the wedding is about the couple, but there is more awareness about making it fun for your guests, too. Gone are the days when people disliked going to weddings, as now they are a fun, unique experience unlike anything else.”

CFE has rounded up 15 wedding trends that event professionals are seeing gain traction from coast to coast.

Read the full article on our website:
www.cfe-news.com/whats-in-for-going-all-out

By Sara Perez Webber
FEATURING:

AGA Hospitality Group
agahospitalitygroup.com


Amrit Ocean Resort
amritocean.com
Amrit Ocean Resort

Bite Catering Couture
bitecatering.net
Bite Catering Couture

Bold Catering & Design
bold-events.com
Bold Catering & Design

C&D Events
canddevents.com

Craig Peterman Photography �& Videography
petermanphotovideo.com
Peterman Photography & Video

D’Amico Catering
damicocatering.com
D'Amico Catering

Elegant Affairs
elegantaffairscaterers.com
Elegant Affairs Off Premise Catering

The Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort
sandestin.com
Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort

Spuntino Catering
spuntinocatering.com
Spuntino Catering

Windows Catering
catering.com
Windows Catering Company

01/10/2025

The co-located Florida Restaurant Show and Pizza Tomorrow Summit are growing, expanding to three days in 2025

Pineapple on pizza—yea or nay? If you were one of the nearly 4,500 industry professionals who attended the co-located Pizza Tomorrow Summit and Florida Restaurant Show in Orlando on Nov. 6-7, which kicked off the day after the presidential election, you could vote on this burning question. (Just for the record, the “nays” had it.)

After having their say in this playful contest at the show’s entrance in the Orange County Convention Center, attendees could visit the booths of 325 exhibiting companies on the sold-out show floor; hear from a packed lineup of educational speakers; watch competitions in fruit and vegetable carving, cake decorating and rapid-fire cooking; root on competitors in the third annual Galbani Professionale Pizza Cup Competition; and interact with top chefs—including the Food Network’s Maneet Chauhan—as they performed live culinary demonstrations.

Read the full article for free in the current issue:
www.cfe-news.com/double-the-opportunity

The next Florida Restaurant Show and Pizza Tomorrow Summit take place Nov. 11-13, 2025, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando.

For more information, visit:
flrestaurantandlodgingshow.com
pizzatomorrow.com

By Sara Perez Webber

Featuring
Florida Restaurant Show
The Pizza Tomorrow Summit

01/07/2025

Sensational Sweets and Sips! Experts reveal the latest wedding dessert and drink trends.

Wedding receptions are a time to indulge. To help you plan your big events accordingly, we’ve rounded up some of the latest trends in scrumptious desserts and celebratory cocktails. Let’s get this party started!

Read the full article on our website:
www.cfe-news.com/sensational-sweets-and-sips

By Sara Perez Webber
Featuring:

AGA Hospitality Group
agahospitalitygroup.com


Arlo Williamsburg
arlohotels.com/williamsburg
Arlo Hotels

Bite Catering Couture
bitecatering.net
Bite Catering Couture

Constellation Culinary Group
constellationculinary.com
Constellation

Craig Peterman Photography & Videography
petermanphotovideo.com
Peterman Photography & Video

D’Amico Catering
damicocatering.com
D'Amico Catering

Design Cuisine
designcuisine.com
Design Cuisine

Elegant Affairs
elegantaffairscaterers.com
Elegant Affairs Off Premise Catering

Hotel Effie
hoteleffie.com
Hotel Effie Sandestin, Autograph Collection

Pensacola Beach Resort
thepensacolabeachresort.com
Pensacola Beach Resort

The Ritz-Carlton, Chicago
ritzcarlton.com
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago

Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort
sandestin.com
Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort

Spuntino Catering
spuntinocatering.com
Spuntino Catering

Windows Catering
catering.com
Windows Catering Company

Your Jubilee Weddings
yourjubilee.com

12/30/2024

Design Cuisine Celebrates Brand Refresh

A prominent political, corporate and social event caterer in the Washington, D.C., metro area for more than 35 years, Design Cuisine unveiled at the event a dynamic and modernized visual brand refresh that reimagined its colorways, fonts and overall design. This transformation brings a fresh, contemporary aesthetic while paying homage to the tradition and legacy that form the heart of the brand. As part of this refresh, Design Cuisine completely revamped its website, introducing a visually striking and seamless user experience.

The event’s menu showcased “the dishes that have stood the test of time, with many still in production today, embodying both the innovation and tradition that have made Design Cuisine a leader in the culinary world for over four decades,” said John Haywood, executive chef.

“Each dish on the menu is a testament to the company’s evolution, paying homage to the iconic moments in its trajectory, including meals served to U.S. presidents at inaugural luncheons, international heads of state and Hollywood stars,” added Andro Franetovic, executive sous chef.

For more information, visit designcuisine.com
Design Cuisine

Subscribe to read the full article in our current issue:
www.cfe-news.com/digital-issue-newsletter-sign-up

12/23/2024

Holiday Sips! Enjoy the season with these cocktail and mocktail recipes.

FEATURING

White Chocolate Peppermint Martini
From Creations in Cuisine Catering
Creations In Cuisine Catering

Smoked Cranberry Old-Fashioned
From Windows Catering
Windows Catering Company

Espresso Old-Fashioned and Pom Fizz Mocktail
From Abigail Kirsch, A Culinary Collective
Abigail Kirsch

Get the recipes below, cheers!
www.cfe-news.com/holiday-sips

You can also get a FREE subscription to CFE magazine on our website. Happy holidays!
www.cfe-news.com/digital-issue-newsletter-sign-up