Employers spend quite a bit of time and resources recruiting top quality candidates to help them succeed in business.  Keeping a low turn-over rate is the key to success.  Your employees want more than a salary, they want to be appreciated.  March 6th is Employee Appreciation Day.  It’s a great time to evaluated where the company is in the first quarter of the year and recognize your best staff.  Here are a few ideas to help get the ball rolling:

• Bring in a catered lunch for the team
• A certificate to recognize those who exceeded expectations
• Close the office early on Friday to give everyone a head start on the weekend
• Off-Site event to encourage esprit de corps like helping at a local shelter
• A financial bonus or an extra paid vacation day for your top employee
• A hand written letter to each of your employees to recognize the contribution to the company

While it’s important to have at least one day out of the year where employees can be recognized, offering regular catered lunch is one way to really show your staff that you appreciate them.  Lunchtime is necessary but often people find themselves stressed out with limited time to leave the office and secure a healthy meal and return in time.  Even 1 catered meal a week, gives employees something to look forward to and Dine With 9 Catering makes it affordable for employers.  Call our sales team at 818.769.1883 to discuss options for your company.

One of the most popular google searches that people use to find a caterer is “Catering Services Near Me.”  While it makes sense to hire a caterer in your area, it’s better to find a caterer who will provide the type of quality service you need TO your area. Try searching for the type of caterer you need, such as “production catering or wedding caterer or funeral catering or kid party caterer.”  Companies who advertise with search engines like Google, Bing and others, will indicate their service area when they setup their ads with search engines.  The internet is a huge web and you can get lost easily.  Make your search for caterers in Los Angeles narrow by indicating the type of catering service you need first, because most caterers have a market they service best!  Some caterers are large enough to service several market, like at Dine With 9 Catering we have departments that service 3 unique groups:  weddings and private parties, corporate lunches and TV/Film production catering.  Our experience since 2003 has allowed us to find best practices in these 3 industries, so we service our clients with high quality services.  

So continue surfing the World Wide Web, but keep your search for a list of caterers in LA narrow by simply typing Dine With 9 Catering or search either “Film production catering,” “In-house Corporate Lunch Catering,” or “Holiday Party Catering.”  You’re going to love our delicious, healthy cuisine.

The earth is changing and so are our sources of food.  More people are discovering they have allergies from gluten to nuts to soy to chocolate and more.  If you have a food allergy, how can you expect to eat from the craft services table without going into full anaphylactic shock?  Hire a crafty from Dine With 9 Catering and we’ll take care of your crew.  Our crafties are trained to label, separate and handle food items which have known allergens to avoid cross contamination.  

Some producers make special requests to ban certain products like nuts on the entire set if there is a crew member who is highly allergic.  This sucks for people who enjoy having nuts as a quick protein snack to get them through the day.  In most case, it’s better to simply label and separate these foods to allow a variety of healthy snacks for the entire crew.

Our crafties can prepare snacks throughout the day that are gluten-free, vegan, soy-free and nut-free.  Below are 10 healthy snacks that the entire crew can enjoy.

• Hummus w/Sliced Fuji Apples
• Vegan Beyond-Meat Meatball Skewers w/Zesty Tomato Sauce
• Variety of Olives 
• Chia Seed Parfait w/Berries
• Gourmet Crudités Platter w/Vegan Dips
• Sweet Potato Latkes w/Spicy Applesauce
• Lentil Chips w/Butternut Squash Hummus
• Guacamole w/Root Vegetable Chips
• Crispy Cauliflower Buffalo Wings w/Vegan Ranch Dip
• Hearts of Palm Spring Rolls 

When preparing crafty food supplies and considering your crew members with allergies, be sure to increase your budget and allow more time for shopping.  Healthy snacks geared toward people with allergies may not be available in bulk at warehouse stores like Costco and Smart & Final.  You may have to order them online or venture out to multiple grocery stores to fulfill your shopping list.

If you’re hungry and find yourself at the craft service table, get to know your crafty and let them know about your allergies.  They should know the products on display and guide you to which items are safe for you to consume.  

It’s that time of year again!  On Sunday, May 19^th.  LA Travel Magazine will host Taste of the World.  From 2pm to 5pm, food and wine connoisseurs will converge on Rolling Hills Country Club in Palos Verdes to partake in a uniquely immersive experience featuring an orchestrated day fueled with excitement that transports guests around the world through food and beverage, accompanied by masterfully curated entertainment experience, ultra-premium beverage offerings from Specialty Spirits to Local Brews and a competitive Chef showdown where you decide who wins.  Sample the culinary creations of top Southern California chefs, while sipping on fine wines and bubbly or indulge in specialty cocktails made by Flair Bartenders.  Guests can also enter to win a cruise to the Mediterranean.  Space is limited for this exclusive event so purchase your ticket today.

Location:  Rolling Hills Country Club, 1 Chandler Ranch Road, Rolling Hill Estate, CA 90274

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If you have a decent budget for your craft service supplies, why not wow the crew with a few quick and easy appetizers.  They expect the basics like cookies, chips, nuts and jerky, but when you show up with something interesting like a platter of freshly grilled chicken quesadillas or  Blueberry-Banana-Almond Milk smoothies, they’re going to be pumped!  You can choose to tray pass these to the above-the-line crew or platter them on the buffet for the below-the-line crew. 

1. Shrimp Cocktail:  Add a bit of cocktail sauce to a dipping bowl and surround it with fully-cooked tail-on shrimp.
2. Hummus Variety:  Add a 2 to 3 varieties of hummus to separate serving bowls, then surround them with options like pita bread, raw veggies and sliced Fuji apples for dipping.
3. Teriyaki Meatball Skewers:  Sautee a bag of pre-cooked meatballs in a skillet and skewer with  toothpicks before serving.
4. Club Sandwiches: Toast a few slices of bread and layer with sliced tomatoes, lettuce and pre-cooked bacon or used the left-over bacon from breakfast.  Cut sandwiches into quarters, skewer and serve. 
5. PBJs w/sliced bananas: Spread almond butter on one slice of bread and blueberry preserves on the other.  Add a few slices of banana between the two and presto!  You’ve got a Banana PBJ sandwich.
6. Mini Chicken or Veggie Eggrolls: Sautee pre-cooked eggrolls in a hot-skillet and serve w/dipping sauce on the side.
7. Hot Ready-Made Soup:  If you a soup terrine or small chaffer, heat up a container of pre-made soup and let the crew serve themselves.  Don’t forget to set small bowls and spoons nearby.
8. Gourmet Cheese & Charcuterrie Platter:  Layout a selection of pre-cut cheeses, a variety of cured meats, a few crackers, some olives and sliced fruit like apples or figs.  Serve this for all to enjoy!
9. Hot Turkey Sliders:  Heat a few slices of turkey lunch meat in a skillet and layer it between dinner rolls topped w/a slice of provolone cheese.  Serve with mustard on the side.  A hot sandwich is a great way to wrap out a 12 hour day.
10. Grilled Cheese w/Sliced Tomatoes:  Skip the cheddar, layer a variety of cheeses like a smoky gouda and tangy Swiss along with a slice of tomato between two hearty slices of bread.  Grill them to perfection.  Slice and serve it up hot!  They’re going to love it!