April 10, 2017

Meet Robert Jacobi of Main Course California in Ventura

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Robert Jacobi.

Robert, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Main Course California prides itself on making all our events a success. It is our belief never to promise more than we can handle, but rather to deliver more than we promised. It is on this maxim that a legendary reputation has been built and on which we have earned the trust of our community and clientele.

I founded my company Main Course California back in 2008. We built our kitchen and many of the storage accommodations from scratch. Back then there was not a lot of inventory around so it just seemed easier to do it ourselves. In the early years, we still used some of the rental space as a fast turnover bistro. This was great marketing. Along with weekly appearances at Farmers Markets and long standing private chef relations with some prominent client’s word quickly got out.

Over the years, Main Course California has been the preferred caterer for a variety of customers in helping make their event dreams a reality. We have catered celebrity weddings, most recently a wedding by Bonnie Walker Events for Kevin Hart and his bride Eniko Parrish (now Hart) this summer. It was amazing!!

In 2011, MCC received our first big break into the corporate event world with daily services provided to the staff of lynda.com. Owners Lynda and Bruce requested gluten-free, no white starch, low sodium, locally sourced ingredients, no refined sugar, and low-fat meals to serve their then 250-300 employees 5 days a week, for 2 years. Working around flavor and food profiles that require a certain amount of creative and out of the box cooking is what we do not shy away from. The fact that we were actually able to have many clients not even notice that their major comfort food ingredients (sugar, white starch, fat etc.) were “missing” was a challenge we took to heart. Proudly, our kitchen crew pulled it off without a hitch. This in my mind is the way to build long-term partner-based relationships. We walk the extra mile. We care.

Another example of how Main Course California is committed to creating a personal food experience is in the following example: We have had the opportunity to serve Mercedes Benz International for several of their Southern California events. I think it is safe to say that one of the main reasons they went with Main Course CA was the fact that I personally translated their catering menus into German. Most of their employees are from Germany so our ability to provide the exceptional food and service for which we are known while also providing menus written in their first language helped in creating that long-term partnership. It was my personal pleasure to describe the various ingredients to the Mercedes staff while they were going through the buffet line. Many of the ingredients we use here in California are not very common in Germany. It was a mixture between California fresh and German comfort food. The Mercedes staff were happy. Happy mechanics=happy cars.

Main Course has been chosen to cater the Outstanding in the Field farm to table dinners for 6 years in a row. This also something we are very proud of. In essence the OITF group travels the world and only works with true professionals in their field.

Main Course California’s strength lies in being able to adjust, improvise and accommodate our clients’ needs. Our talented staff, years of experience and range of capabilities make us the ideal partner for any person, business or social group looking for a great caterer that they’d like to continue working with for years to come.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Any business owner who tells you that they did not encounter severe challenges during their time is not telling the truth. The economy has been a big factor in costing me a lot of worry and anguish. The years 2009 through 2011 were especially difficult. We had to try many different things in order to find our niche while staying competitive. The whole executive team was working 80 hour weeks in order to get it all done.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
As already described earlier, Main Course California provides that extra personalized service and quality of food. I am most proud of the team and how it evolved through the years. Some important changes have occurred and attention to detail and over all work atmosphere has improved steadily. What sets us apart from others is our work ethic, international experience and talent.

What were you like growing up?
I grew up in an Austrian ski resort. I am the product of a German mother and American father. My mother ran a bed and breakfast and later she managed a 150-room hotel in the town of Hinterthal am Hochkoenig. I helped her with all chores pertaining to the business and later started working as chef apprentice in the restaurant kitchen. I was always very much into classical and flamenco guitar growing up. Skiing was another one of my passions.

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