Marin SBDC

Delicious! Catering

“The SBDC Advisors were trustworthy and extremely knowledgeable professionals who truly cared about the success of my business. This is a service every small business owner should take advantage of!”

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Delicious! Catering started in 1975, when two moms, Jan Goldberg and Teresa Hamond, realized they had the talent and artistic care to put on extraordinary events. Delicious! grew organically as they added new events, parties and fundraisers to their repertoire as well as different menu items catering to special dietary needs. The SBDC assisted Delicious! Catering in developing business strategies as the company grew.
Profile

The current business owners, Jan Goldberg, and Teresa Hammond carry the philosophy that “catering is much more than food.” Whether a client or an employee, these owners treat everyone like family, making sure all are happy along the way. Their care and attention to acknowledge staff and craft the perfect menu and experience has led to employees staying with the business for 15-30 years, which is rare in the food industry, and customers repeatedly choosing them for all their most cherished life events. Some of the long-term employees are family: Jan’s daughter Lara has been an event planner with Delicious! since 1999 and Teresa’s daughter Allison has worked for the company since 2000. Everyone loves what they do and it shows as even a few employees have hired Delicious! for their own weddings and events.

Challenge

Delicious! has had bumps and growing pains as all businesses do, but they utilized the SBDC services to help maneuver through some challenging situations. They originally came to the SBDC in 2012 to get general business strategy assistance but also to handle a few HR challenges that were preventing the growth of the business. Over the years, they also found they needed help in marketing and revamping their website and also used the SBDC services for this support. 

When they were in the process of moving to a new location, Delicious! realized they needed guidance on diversifying income streams and finding new contract potentials. Again, they turned to the SBDC for assistance on financial planning and strategy.

Game Plan

Initially, Delicious! was paired with SBDC Advisor Tina Eastman to help them with business strategy, personnel challenges, and reorganization of the business. Tina worked with them on determining long-term goals and reviewed their financials to get them to reprioritize actions for the business. Eventually, Delicious! had a new business plan with Tina’s assistance. 

I cannot image how much I would have paid for all the consulting services I received through the SBDC! Each advisor was attentive, accessible, and extremely valuable.”

Jan Goldberg and Teresa Hamond, owners, delicious! catering

After having the new plan, Delicious! needed to revamp their website and marketing materials, so was connected to SBDC Advisor Janet Wentworth.  Together, they revamped the content of the website so that it was organized to meet the needs of the four distinct visitor categories they serve: weddings, non-profit fundraisers, corporate events, and Jewish celebrations. The home page was redesigned to make it easy for the visitor to self-identify and move quickly to the information they seek.  As an added benefit, the content restructuring also improved the search visibility of these important pages. The website instantly connected them to new customers and leads. 

In 2015, Delicious! worked with SBDC Advisor Herb Liberman on alternative revenue streams to assist with paying off a loan to move into a new location. Herb reviewed their financials, projections, and diversification strategy and helped them analyze new contract potentials and profit margins.

He also helped them establish a working relationship with another SBDC client, Byte Foods, to provide the highest quality packaged foods for their computerized refrigerators which are placed in many businesses around the Bay Area.  

Results

  • Reorganized business structure and resolved HR personnel issues preventing growth
  • Completed new website which provided instant revenue increases
    • Within a day of the new site being live, out of the blue, Salesforce contacted them to cater a large event based on information they easily found on the new website
  • Hired in total 12 full time and 30 part time employees
  • Have had employees for 15-30 years with the business (low turnover rate)
  • Increased sales 14% fiscal year 15-16 compared to previous year
  • Obtained loan for construction of new location
  • Moved into a larger space with a meeting/tasting room for clients
  • Diversified clients and contracts by providing school lunches for 2 schools, packaged foods for Byte Foods and summer camp lunches
  • Voted Best Non-Kosher Caterer in North Bay by J. Magazine
  • Selected as one of the top 5 Wedding Caterers in the Bay Area
  • 5 Star reviews on Yelp

Learn More about Delicious! Catering