The impending return of in-person events is a frequent topic of conversation for our team. Of the many aspects we miss (friends and venues, new and old!), food is up there on the list. Wondering what to expect on that front, we spoke with two leaders in the space - Jordana Blitz, founder of NY-based Little Gem, and Melissa Darpino, Director of Sales and Marketing of LA’s Schaffer - for a bicoastal perspective on event catering in the new normal.
We’d been holding out hope for events to make a careful comeback this September, but it sounds like things are staying small for now. “We have a handful of very special events planned for the early fall, but this upcoming season is nothing like years past,” says Darpino. “Much of our catering work is with corporate and non-profit clients who generally plan larger events – and those events simply cannot happen in person.”
Shindig by Schaffer Tuna Box, courtesy of Kathleen Schaffer
With large-scale happenings on hold, Blitz shares her expectations for the season, saying, “I'm anticipating a higher number of private client parties and a smaller number of fashion and luxury events, [and] a lot more work in the surrounding areas of Manhattan as opposed to our normal city-focused fall. Personally, I don’t envision a return to normalcy in the catering world until 2021, so for Little Gem, it’s about staying afloat and being open when our clients feel safe celebrating again.”
The guest list might be shorter, but the list of safety considerations has certainly grown. These well-established companies were already adhering to strict food safety guidelines, but a new concern has emerged: the health and wellbeing of staff and guests alike.
“Guidelines are easy to keep in a controlled environment, like a kitchen. But, once out at an event, it is much more challenging,” shares Darpino. “Clients and caterers need to be on the same page from the beginning stages of planning – from guest and staff PPE expectations, through distances between staff and guests for serving purposes. Additional time is needed as we factor in temperature checks and cleaning protocols.”
Little Gem
So what can you expect to see when you do get to attend an event? “Our staff will be wearing our Little Gem masks and gloves, and all staff will be taking a Covid questionnaire prior to all shifts (thanks to Nowtsa, our staffing platform, who just added this feature),” says Blitz. “For photoshoot drops everything is individually packaged and wrapped. Now the challenge is how to stay sustainable and conscious of the environment while adding all of these extra packaging layers! But something’s gotta give.”
Said individual portions are no new trend, but it’s one we expected to strengthen during and post-pandemic. In actuality, dining experiences are more dependent on what clients feel most comfortable and safe doing. “You would be surprised how many clients are still having buffet dinners,” says Blitz. “The groups are small, and once guests have their masks off around a table, does it really matter if their steak came from the same platter?”
Little Gem
In the meantime, both companies launched new segments of their businesses to keep afloat. Blitz’s Little Gem launched delivery in New York City and the Hamptons, serving up their classics and some new seasonal dishes on a rotating weekly menu.
Schaffer LA took this as an opportunity to launch the off-shoot brand they’d always wanted. “We’ve developed an entire division of our business to address catering during a pandemic,” says Darpino. “Shindig by Schaffer focuses on beautiful boxes created for an individual or a small group that has been distancing together. Once our culinary team creates the box, it’s sealed with a ribbon and sticker, so it’s safe and ready to enjoy. Shindig boxes are delivered and enjoyed with or without staff, depending on the client’s preference.”
Shindig by Schaffer charcuterie cheese and dessert, courtesy of Kathleen Schaffer
Perhaps one of the biggest lessons learned from this time - a concept The PR Net team feels strongly about - is the importance of relationships. Darpino’s team found a silver lining in the super personal aspect of micro-events. “Keeping the guest count small has allowed us and our clients to focus more on the actual experience – rather than the logistics required to produce very large events,” she says. “This, I believe, is the upside of the pandemic. As a client pares down their guest list to the most essential, special people, the focus becomes how to best share the time together. Menu selection, beverage selection, style of service, and a beautiful tabletop are taking the center stage – which we love.”
While Blitz’s team misses that big event energy, she looks forward to seeing her relationships flourish again IRL. “Our sweet spot is the 100-200 person cocktail party, so once we can safely gather in larger groups, I'd love to work on some larger fashion parties.” she says. “We did some incredible events in the Fall of 2019 with clients that were new to Little Gem - Tiffany, Khaite, The Row, Hermes - so I'm hoping they remember us when the world starts to come together again. It would be awesome to work on some campaign events for the Biden / Harris ticket! We have done a few fundraising events for Kamala Harris in the past, so if they can find a way to gather small groups again to help raise money and get the vote out, I'm there.”
Adaptation is the mantra for all aspects of events these days, and the one thing we do know for certain is that things will continue to evolve. Keep an eye on these two cult-fav caterers for the latest industry developments.
