The International Caterers Association (ICA) recently hosted an exclusive workshop at Brancato’s Catering in Kansas City, offering attendees a rare behind-the-scenes tour of one of the Midwest's premier catering companies. The event, held at Brancato’s sprawling commissary and exclusive venues Union Station and The Hobbs, provided insights into their operations and strategies for success.
Welcome tour & dinner
The day began at Brancato's Catering Commissary on Kansas Avenue. After a warm welcome and registration, attendees were treated to an in-depth look at Brancato’s operations. The tour included a stop at Marquee Event Rentals, formerly part of Brancato's portfolio, and Liri Tent USA, a sister company specializing in Clearspan Tent Manufacturing.
The opening night dinner at The Hobbs. Photo courtesy International Caterers Association
As a third-generation family-owned business, Brancato’s occupies an impressive 50,000-square-foot space, which includes a state-of-the-art kitchen, showroom, and a warehouse filled with rentals. With a fleet of 25+ vehicles and one of the largest inventories of catering equipment for independent caterers in the region, it’s no surprise that Brancato’s is a leader in event services.
A fun fact shared during the tour: during the pandemic, Andrew Brancato (Owner/President) and Mario Brancato (Owner/CEO) moved their desks to the warehouse to stay close to the heart of the operation and be in the thick of it all with their employees.
Diversifying their business
One of the key presentations, led by Brian Ingalls (VP of Sales & Business Development) and Andrea Burkhart (Executive Director of Marketing & Business), focused on how Brancato’s has successfully diversified its business. With four key brands—Brancato’s, Harvey’s, Brass Onion, and The Hobbs—diversification has become a cornerstone of their strategy. Brancato's Catering is segmented into several key areas: Corporate, Weddings, Conventions, Social, Concessions, Galas/Fundraisers, Tailgate, and Other, which includes the medical sector and rental services.
How does Brancato’s manage all these brands and business lines? Their strategy is to avoid segmenting sales by type of business. Instead, their sales team works across all segments, ensuring that no individual team member’s book of business exceeds 40% in any one category.
A crucial takeaway from this session: diversifying business and sales portfolios is essential for long-term survival and minimizing slow seasons.
Large-scale event production: the NFL Draft
A highlight of the day was a presentation on Brancato’s role in executing the NFL Draft in Kansas City. Jennifer Fuentes, VP of Development, walked attendees through the logistics and scale of the operation, from contract negotiations (they had less than five months from the time the RFP came out) to execution. Afterward, Fuentes and Andrew Brancato led a walking tour to demonstrate how the company handled various aspects of the NFL Draft’s catering need
This session emphasized the importance of partnerships, effective staffing, and precise execution—particularly when working with high-profile clients on tight deadlines. Attendees gained insight into the complexity of managing large-scale events and learned how Brancato’s navigated logistical challenges to pull off the NFL Draft’s catering operations with precision.
Train to retain: staffing challenges in catering
Another valuable session was led by Ryan Corvaia, Founder & Owner of Dish Food & Events. Corvaia discussed how to effectively hire, train, and retain a strong catering team. One of the highlights was the practical tips he shared on using the "Buddy System" to onboard new hires. With this system, new staff members are paired with an experienced "buddy" who guides them through their first events. Buddies are connected via email, then paired for hands-on training during an event, where no question is considered too small.
This creates a safe and comfortable environment where new hires feel confident asking questions. After each event, feedback is provided to help further develop the new team member’s skills.
Corvaia emphasized that with so much work happening on-site, hands-on learning is vital to ensuring the quality of service. Starting new hires in less demanding roles allows them to observe and learn before being fully immersed in the fast-paced world of catering. The Buddy System serves as a practical solution to staff retention, creating a supportive environment where employees are set up for success from day one.
Cross-generational sales strategies: think like the auto industry
The workshop concluded with a session on sales, led by Margaret Brower, CEO of Rainmaker Sales & Marketing Group. Brower explored the importance of mastering cross-generational sales techniques to achieve catering success. She emphasized that regardless of the generation of the salesperson, catering sales professionals need to learn to meet clients where they feel most comfortable communicating.
Drawing parallels to the auto industry, Brower highlighted how different generations approach purchasing cars in vastly different ways, which is mirrored in their catering expectations. Boomers, for example, may prefer a traditional approach—visiting a dealership, speaking with a salesperson face-to-face, and reading printed materials about the vehicle’s features. Millennials, on the other hand, are more likely to start the process online, taking virtual tours and texting with sales representatives.
Caterers need to adopt similar strategies. For boomers, an in-person meeting and tangible brochures about menu options and service packages may be the best way to communicate. For younger generations, offering interactive, digital experiences like virtual event walk-throughs, text-based consultations, and quick social media engagement could be key to sealing the deal. The key takeaway: connect with your buyers using their preferred communication methods and tailor your sales approach to resonate with their unique values and expectations.
This workshop at Brancato’s was a showcase of innovation, growth, and resilience, offering invaluable lessons to caterers from across the country. Whether diversifying business segments, navigating large-scale events like the NFL Draft, or learning to adapt sales strategies for different generations, attendees walked away with a wealth of knowledge and new ideas to implement in their own operations.
For a full list of upcoming workshops for 2024-2025, please visit InternationalCaterers.org
