In late October 2010, on a sunny Monday morning, Cater2.me’s first order rolled across San Francisco’s Financial District. During the delivery, the catering cart hit a bump and part of the order spilled on the sidewalk. Thankfully, the restaurant’s owner and chef, who was delivering the meal personally, had left plenty of time and was able to go back to the restaurant, replace the dropped items, and make it to the client’s office on-time.
From Humble Beginnings
The seeds of Cater2.me were planted years before that first order as my co-founder, Zach, and I saw an opportunity to help companies build and manage best-in-class meal programs. We were passionate about working with local restaurants and caterers who would share our commitment to customer service and who would go above and beyond to deliver meals that would bring people together. With little idea of whether our idea would resonate, we took the plunge, left our jobs, and started out on this exceptional journey.
From humble beginnings working out of an apartment on California Street in San Francisco, we have expanded across the country, serving tens of millions of meals to thousands of industry leading companies from a diverse range of the country’s top-rated restaurants, food trucks, private chefs, and catering companies. Looking back on the progress we’ve made and the success we’ve had, I can’t help but express my gratitude to those who were instrumental in getting us to where we are today.
We Couldn’t Have Done It Alone
Thank you to our clients for trusting us to manage a critical piece of your company culture. In my opinion, there’s no better way to build culture than by sitting with teammates around a table, eating a great meal. It’s been an honor to be part of your success stories, helping feed your growth (both figurative and literal) in a small but important way.
Thank you to our vendor partners, who inspired us to start this journey and without whom we wouldn’t have been able to serve a single meal. Your passion and knowledge have been indispensable in helping us create unparalleled experiences for our clients. We’ve built and expanded our businesses together, we’ve created strong and lasting relationships, and we’ve proven that small businesses can work together to be the foundation of local communities.
Thank you to my colleagues, past and present. As a team, we have achieved more than I thought possible. You’ve bought into a top-notch customer experience mentality and have shown incredible grit and resourcefulness as you’ve creatively and passionately solved problems day in and day out. Working alongside you has made me stronger and continues to push me to be better every day.
Looking Ahead
That first order ten years ago is, in a lot of ways, a microcosm of the first decade for Cater2.me. In business, as in life, few things rarely go perfectly to plan, but with hard work, thorough preparation, and a collaborative and creative team, we’ve honed the art of transforming obstacles into opportunities.
And Covid-19 has been no exception.
With the support and trust of incredible clients, incomparable vendor partners, and a best-in-class team, we’ve successfully launched a suite of products that enable our culture-centric clients to remain connected despite the challenges of remote work. These new offerings also allow us to support companies and groups that we couldn’t have before, and we’re incredibly excited to be able to deliver on our mission to create and foster community on an even grander scale in the years to come.
Thanks to everyone who has been a part of our story over the past 10 years – you’ve helped us make Cater2.me into something even greater than we could ever have imagined.
