From the executive conference where we built a pop-up field kitchen in a downtown parking lot to the 200-person corporate tailgate with craft food stations, Handheld Catering brings full-service catering to any Bay Area venue — including locations with no existing kitchen infrastructure.
As featured in The New York Times for our approach to Silicon Valley catering, we’ve been serving the Bay Area’s corporate community since 2012. Our team operates from two locations in Santa Clara and San Jose, with pop-up kitchen capability that lets us cook on-site anywhere in Silicon Valley.
Whether you're feeding 20 people at a working lunch or hosting 300 at a company milestone, we have a service level that fits. Every corporate event is led by a dedicated event planner and backed by our mobile kitchen capability.
| Service | What's Included | Per Guest |
|---|---|---|
| Corporate Breakfast | Morning meetings, all-hands, and working breakfasts. Hot buffet, grab-and-go, or plated options. | $20–$55 |
| Corporate Lunch | Boxed lunches ($18–$35), buffet, or family-style service for team lunches and working sessions. | $18–$75 |
| Happy Hour & Cocktail Receptions | After-work socials, networking events, and cocktail receptions with passed appetizers and drink service. | $35–$150+ |
| Full-Service Dining | Buffet ($90–$150+), family-style ($180–$300+), or plated dinner ($200–$300+) for seated events and galas. | $90–$300+ |
| Team Building & Social | March Madness watch parties, summer BBQs, tailgate-style pop-ups, and team outings with interactive food stations. | $60–$150 |
| Holiday Parties & Milestones | Holiday celebrations, grand openings, ribbon cuttings, company anniversaries, and launch parties. | $85–$250+ |
| Executive Events & C-Suite Dinners | Board meetings, investor dinners, C-suite events. White-glove service with custom menus and dedicated event team. | $150–$350+ |
We don't just cater corporate events — we've built pop-up kitchens in downtown parking lots, turned corporate campuses into full-scale tailgate venues, and transformed a headquarters grand opening into a brand showcase. Here are three recent events that show how we operate.
Event
Multi-day executive conference for 50–60 C-level VIPs
Location
Downtown San Jose, CA
Challenge
Full-service executive catering with zero on-site infrastructure
When a client needed to host C-level executives at a multi-day industry conference in a downtown San Jose parking lot, Handheld Catering built a fully functional pop-up field kitchen from scratch on-site.
Our Event Planner, Anna P., and Production Manager, Lisa B., coordinated logistics through 2:00 AM email updates and 5:00 AM coffee brews. The team navigated downtown street closures during load-in, pivoted when temperatures climbed unexpectedly, and maintained five-star service throughout.
The menu featured Mille-Feuille Potato with Caviar, Tri-Tip Sliders with caramelized onions, Blue Dungeness Crab Cakes, and our signature Orange Cardamom S’mores — all prepared and plated in a pop-up kitchen with no permanent utilities.
Event
Corporate March Madness watch party for 200 employees
Location
Silicon Valley corporate campus
Challenge
Transform a corporate campus into a game-day tailgate with chef-driven food
For a Silicon Valley tech company’s annual March Madness celebration, Handheld Catering deployed a pop-up field kitchen and built a full tailgate experience for 200 employees on the company’s campus.
Event Planner An B. coordinated the transformation: craft food stations with smoked tri-tip sliders, Nashville hot chicken sandwiches, loaded mac and cheese, and build-your-own nacho bars. The team set up outdoor cooking stations, branded signage, and a game-day atmosphere that turned a parking area into a corporate tailgate venue.
The event showcased Handheld’s ability to deliver large-scale, high-energy corporate social events — the kind of team-building experience that goes far beyond standard office catering.
Event
Ribbon cutting ceremony and grand opening celebration
Location
Santa Clara, CA
Guest Count
40 guests
Challenge
Translate the client's new brand identity into a cohesive culinary experience
There is no greater compliment in the catering world than a client relationship that spans a decade. When this longtime Silicon Valley client — a company Handheld has supported since 2016 — completed the largest real estate transaction in their company’s history, they asked us to create a grand opening celebration that introduced their new brand identity and marked the debut of their new headquarters.
Coordinator Anna P. and Production Manager Lisa B. worked in close collaboration with the client to ensure every catering element served as a visual touchpoint for the new brand. A curated palette of cloud white, sage, clay pink, and burnt orange carried through the buffet design, paired with wood, marble, and gold accents matching the room’s aesthetic. Highboy and buffet florals featured 360° designs in wood and muted gold vases.
The menu was a curated collection of premium passed hors d’oeuvres designed for easy mingling. The hero bite: our signature Mille-Feuille Potato with Caviar — thinly sliced layers of buttery, crispy potato topped with crème fraîche and caviar. Coastal refinement came from the Seafood Tartar Stack with salmon, tuna, avocado, lemon cream, and toasted rice. Plant-based guests enjoyed Stuffed Plums with vegan herb Boursin, pistachio crumble, and agave nectar. The dessert display paired custom French Macarons curated to the client’s brand colors with Handheld Signature Mini Fruit Skewers and a selection of mini dessert cups.
This event demonstrates Handheld’s ability to deliver intimate, brand-aligned corporate celebrations — scaling from our 200-person tailgates down to elegant 40-guest receptions with the same precision, artistry, and attention to detail.
Five reasons Bay Area companies keep choosing us for their most important corporate events.
We bring a fully functional kitchen to any venue, even locations with zero on-site infrastructure. We've built kitchens in downtown parking lots, on corporate campuses, and at outdoor venues with no water or electricity. Your venue doesn't need a kitchen — we bring ours.
As featured in The New York Times for our approach to Silicon Valley IPO celebration catering. The same culinary standards and attention to detail go into every corporate event, from a 20-person board dinner to a 200-person tailgate.
Santa Clara County Health Permit #PT0488026, Food Safety HACCP Certification, Hartford Business Insurance ($1M/$2M general liability, $4M umbrella, liquor liability), and California Green Business Certification — the first caterer in Silicon Valley to earn this designation.
Every event is led by a named planner and production manager. Dan Figone (Owner/Executive Chef) oversees menu development, Anna P. (Event Planner) manages logistics, Lisa B. (Production Manager) runs on-site operations, and Chef Ismael (Head Chef) leads the kitchen team.
We're not a national chain — we're a local Bay Area caterer with two locations (Santa Clara and San Jose), a member of the Silicon Valley Central Chamber of Commerce, and deep relationships with corporate clients across the region.
Answers to the questions we hear most often from Silicon Valley corporate clients.
It depends on the service level and guest count. Corporate breakfast starts from $20–$55 per guest. Corporate lunch ranges from $18–$75 per guest (boxed lunches start at $18). Full-service dining runs $90–$300+ per guest for buffet, family-style, or plated service. Executive events and C-suite dinners start from $150–$350+ per guest for white-glove service with custom menus. Contact us for a custom quote.
Yes — this is one of our core capabilities. We specialize in building fully functional pop-up field kitchens on-site. We've set up complete kitchens in downtown San Jose parking lots (for a 50–60 person executive conference with no water, electricity, or infrastructure), on corporate campuses, and at outdoor venues across Silicon Valley. Your venue doesn't need a kitchen — we bring ours.
We cater the full range: executive conferences, board meetings, C-suite dinners, corporate lunches, team building events (like our 200-person March Madness tailgate), holiday parties, happy hours, cocktail receptions, grand openings, ribbon cuttings, and company milestones. We've scaled from intimate 40-guest headquarters celebrations to 230-guest seated galas.
For large events (100+ guests or full-service dining), we recommend booking 4–6 weeks in advance. For corporate lunches and smaller events, 1–2 weeks is usually sufficient. Holiday party season (November–December) books up quickly — reach out early for those dates. Contact us anytime to check availability.
Every menu is fully customizable. Our recent corporate events have featured vegan and gluten-free options including Eggplant Rollatini (Vegan/GF), Edamame Hummus with rice crackers, Stuffed Plums with vegan herb Boursin, and Raw Vegan-GF Tiramisu Cups. We also offer plant-based sliders, allergen-free menus, and custom dietary accommodations — just let us know when you request a quote.
Yes. Handheld Catering holds Santa Clara County Health Permit #PT0488026, Food Safety HACCP Certification (Lead certified: Jose Ismael DeGante), Hartford Business Insurance (including $1M/$2M general liability, $1M auto, $4M umbrella, $1M workers comp, and $1M/$2M liquor liability), and California Green Business Certification — the first caterer in Silicon Valley to earn this designation (2018). We are also a member of the Silicon Valley Central Chamber of Commerce. View our full credentials.
Two Silicon Valley locations. Full-service corporate catering across the Bay Area.
EMAIL: info@handheldcatering.com
