Today we’d like to introduce you to Jonathan Darr
Hi Jonathan, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started working in catering back in 1997 at AMMO, a Hollywood farm to table catering company. After a few years there I started my own eponymous boutique catering company but quickly maxed out what I could on my own. In 2007 I co-founded Love Catering with two friends who also had their own fledgling catering companies. The idea was to combine forces and find a bigger commercial kitchen so that we could take on more work and streamline our operations. Little did we know the challenges we would face! 17 years later we’d been through a lot of changes to our company, and seen a lot of upheaval in the economy and events industry here in Los Angeles these last few years.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The 2008 financial crisis was our first inkling of what can happen despite your best laid plans. We were still a pretty new company and didn’t have a ton of overhead so we were able to scrimp by. Of course nothing pales in comparison to the COVID pandemic shutdowns. That really forged us into the company we are today. Despite our business (and the world) seemingly crumbling around us we realized we had an important role to play just by feeding people. We spent a lot of time donating meals to hospitals and health care workers. We saw that as a kind of mission. Even in times of crisis, people need to eat, right? We could help make the world a better place by feeding people.
We had started a partnership with the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank back in 2019 where we would donate a meal to the food bank for every guest that we serve at our events. However in 2020 it was much harder to make those donations since we were struggling to survive ourselves. I just decided that it was more important than ever that we double down on what we believe and find a way to make it work. So we’ve gone through it and have managed to come out the other side of a very bleak time for our industry. It made me really appreciate our team, our wonderful clients, and the struggles we all faced to keep on going despite the obstacles and uncertainty.
In 2022 my business partner, Hermes Clausz, suddenly passed away and it was tough. Though he hadn’t worked in the company since 2015 his influence on our company, and my life, was significant. He was a passionate and talented force of nature, and his commitment to our craft was unparalleled. I really learned so much from him and he always pushed me to be a better person, and a better leader. I’m still grieving the loss and miss him dearly. His death really drove me to make sure we are making a difference and contributing to our community. It inspired me to do more for others and show the world what we can do, and how we can help.
Since then we’ve made charitable giving and non-profit donations a priority in our company. It’s a way for us to shine a little light and help spread some joy to people who could really use some love.
Last year we catered the holiday party for the kids, families, and healthcare workers for the Cedars Sinai Pediatric Oncology Unit. It was not the biggest, or most glamorous event that we catered last year, but it was nearest and dearest to my heart. It was pure joy to be able to provide some hospitality to some kids who had been very sick. It was really heartwarming to see them light up with excitement as they got to experience a holiday party just for them with a hot chocolate station, full buffet, and decorated cookies. It made me proud of our team for giving and showing up.
We’ve also partnered with Hope In a Suitcase, a non profit that helps kids transitioning into foster care in LA County and provides them with a suitcase full of clothing and essentials that they choose in order to ease their transition into the foster care system. These are kids who no one is really serving, so Hope In A Suitcase is giving hope to kids in pretty harrowing situations. I really admire what they are doing.
Earlier this year we started supporting Home Again Los Angeles who helps families with children, and individuals, stay housed, or find housing and job assistance. Their goal is to end homelessness, one family at a time. They work to empower families grappling with homelessness, ushering them towards a life of independence through the transition into permanent housing and stable employment. Truly they are making a big difference in our community and we are so happy to support their mission.
I’ve always found that by helping others we can really put our own struggles into perspective and realize that we all have challenges to overcome. It just feels so much better to get involved and do something to try and make the world a better place. Everyone needs love, and we can help with that!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Love Catering is a full service catering company serving greater Los Angeles. We curate exceptional culinary experiences and specialize in modern, sustainable cuisine crafted with the finest seasonal ingredients. With over 17 years of experience, we bring passion and meticulous attention to detail to every event, from intimate soirees to grand galas. Love Catering isn’t just about great food and service, it’s about creating unforgettable experiences and fostering connections.
“Everyone Needs Love” is more than a tagline here at Love; it’s our guiding principle. We are a certified green company, minimizing our environmental footprint and actively supporting the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank with our unique 1:1 donation model. Since 2019, we’ve donated over 245,000 meals to those in need through the Food Bank. When you hire Love Catering you support our mission to feed our community and make the world a better place.
We specialize in seasonal menus crafted for social, corporate, and experiential events, as well as providing production catering for print and media. What sets us apart from others caterers is our consultation based business model. We don’t just offer set menus for you to choose from, we take the time to get to know our clients and find out exactly what they need. That allows us to understand our clients better and craft custom menus and experiences based on our years of knowledge and expertise.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
When I was growing up we moved a lot. Every few years I would have to make all new friends so I became pretty independent. This was the 80’s so kids were kinda wild and pretty much left to our own devices. My brother, who was 2 years older than me, and I were really in to heavy metal music so we started playing in band. We spent years driving our neighbors crazy with our loud music and band practicing several nights a week. I really hated high school and I was pretty determined and strong willed, so much so that I dropped out of school when I was 16 years old. I became a vegetarian and started cooking for the first time just so I would have something to eat. My mom really loved to cook too and it was the start of a lifelong love of food and cooking. To this day I still Iove my heavy metal music and have been taking my son to shows with me starting when he was 4 years old. He’s 11 now and has been to about 40 concerts, and he’s a very good cook too!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lovecateringinc.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/lovecateringinc
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/lovecateringinc
Image Credits
The picture of me speaking in the microphone was taken by Images By Nick. The food bank photos and Cedars Christmas Buffet are courtesy of Tara Maxey, the ribbon cutting picture is courtesy of Bryan Jackson, and the rest are courtesy of Stan Lee of Secret Stan/Fried Chicken Studios.
