We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sarah & Javier Baltazar a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Sarah & Javier, appreciate you joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

Javier applied for a job with a catering company, and it turned out to be a job catering for the television show Leverage. He immediately loved the challenges and rewards of the business, and several years later we purchased our own mobile kitchen. It was terrifying at first! Javier had been the chef for the first season of Grimm that filmed in Portland, and we sent a quote for the second season, but we were very nervous until we found out we had won the job! There was and still is very little competition for our niche, as it is a very challenging and demanding business. The hours are long and all over the place, we are on our feet all day, and we have to keep our menus constantly changing so customers don’t get bored. Most caterers are tied down to standardized recipes, but we are lucky enough to be able to use our creativity on a daily basis, and this really sets us apart. Film production sets realize how important food is to keep casts and crews happy, and they really take care of us. We love the challenges, how great our customers are, and each day is different. With Javier’s contacts and experience and my business knowledge, the business grew quickly. We purchased more vehicles, equipment and a commercial property. We expanded to include weddings and other private events. Every event we do is very personal, and we are always looking for ways to make our customers happier.

Sarah & Javier, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

We got into catering quite by accident, actually. Javier and I had both been working for years in the food industry, but once Javier found film catering, he knew he was in love. We quickly realized that traditional catering companies just weren’t cutting it when it came to feeding hungry cast and crew members on set. As soon as we had the opportunity, we struck out on our own with one mobile kitchen and a support truck to provide tasty, nutritious meals that can be enjoyed on location or on set, no matter how unpredictable the shooting schedule may be. We catered for all five seasons of Grimm, and branched out to include commercials, movies, music videos and photo shoots.

But don’t worry, we don’t only cater to the film industry. We also provide catering for weddings and private events, and I must say, I do love a good wedding! Being able to provide reasonably priced catering that focuses on what the couple loves, without feeling tied down to traditional menus and timelines. One of our favorite weddings had a tacos and trivia theme! Totally our style, wish we had thought of it for our wedding!

As for what sets us apart from the competition, well, let’s just say that we’re not your average caterer. We pride ourselves on being able to whip up delicious, healthy meals on the fly, no matter the circumstances. We always get the food out on time, even if we have flat tires or broken ovens or have to run to replace propane last minute! We thrive on stress, and the feeling of accomplishment after a difficult day is definitely an addictive high.

The problems we solve for our clients are simple – hunger and lack of time. We provide creative meals that keep people energized and focused, no matter how long the shoot or event may be. And we very rarely say no, we just make it happen. That’s why we have so many repeat customers.

We are most proud of the fact that we’ve been able to turn our passion for food into a successful business. And we love nothing more than seeing the smiles on our clients’ faces when they take that first bite of a delicious meal.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

It was two o’clock in the morning, and our catering company had a big job ahead of us – to feed 250 people breakfast by 5am. We had all the ingredients and equipment we needed packed tightly into our trailer, and we were confident it was going to be just another normal day.

But just as we were making our way through North Plains, two of our trailer tires blew out! We were stranded on the side of the road, and Javier immediately jumped out to try to fix the tires enough to make it to our set location.

Within twenty minutes, the teamster captain happened to drive by and saw us in distress. He stopped his truck and immediately offered to help. Without hesitation, he started making calls to his crew to get help to fix our tires so that we could make it to our location.

While the teamster captain worked his magic, we quickly loaded our ingredients and equipment into our box truck and drove it to the set. We knew we had to work fast if we were going to be able to serve breakfast on time. We set up our sauté pans over propane burners, and got to work making breakfast burritos, sandwiches, scrambles, and omelets.

Before we knew it, it was time for lunch. Thankfully, the transportation department had come through for us and brought us our mobile kitchen. We were able to finish the day strong, and everyone was fed on time and happy.

But the best part of the day was yet to come. The transportation department surprised us by fully replacing our trailer tires without charging us a penny. We were so grateful for their kindness and generosity.

This experience taught us that no matter how challenging a situation may seem, there are always people willing to lend a helping hand, and we can find a solution for any problem. We don’t give up, we keep going. We love the people we work with and are proud to be a part of such a supportive community.

Have you ever had to pivot?

As owners of a catering business, the COVID-19 pandemic hit our industry hard. With events cancelled and postponed, our usual sources of income dried up practically overnight. We knew that if we didn’t pivot, our business wouldn’t survive.

So, we had to get creative. We started by researching all of the financial options at our disposal, and we were able to negotiate with our commercial mortgage lender (actually, an SBA loan) and our insurance agent, to bring down our fixed expenses. We were lucky that our mortgage was an SBA loan, and we didn’t have to pay our monthly payments for years, until things started settling down. We also received PPP loans, and an EIDL loan, and those really saved us. But that wasn’t enough. We had zoom meetings with the local film board, and received certifications and training so that our film production customers would know how seriously we were taking this. We switched to individually packaged meals, and sourced gloves, masks and sanitizing supplies from our loyal suppliers before the shortages hit. We never ran out, because we work with amazing suppliers that had our backs, and we anticipated what would happen. It wasn’t easy, and we had to make a lot of adjustments to our business model along the way. But by being adaptable, forward-thinking and willing to think outside the box, we were able to keep our business afloat during the pandemic.

Looking back on it, we are actually grateful for portions of the experience, although we don’t want to minimize any of the pain and heartache so many faced. It forced us to be more creative and resourceful, and it showed us just how resilient we could be when faced with a challenge. And now that things are on the path to normalcy, we feel even more confident in our ability to navigate whatever the future may hold.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mundocateringco.com/
• Instagram: Instagram.com/mundocatering
• Facebook: Facebook.com/mundocateringllc
• Twitter: @mundocatering

Image Credits
Sightglass Photography for all the food photos Mundo Catering owns the other photos