If you’ve gone to big events in Marin, more likely than not you’ve tasted fare provided by Stacy Scott Catering. Her eponymous catering business has been around for close to 40 years, touching everything from nonprofit fundraising galas to weddings, funerals, private parties — and everything in between. For Stacy, food is not the star of the event, it’s about the people and the show put on for guests. As it turns out, this has been the secret sauce to her success, which has led to her being sought out as the caterer of choice for not only locals but also some of the biggest names in show business.
How did it all begin?
Unlike many people who get into the catering business because they are deeply food-focused, my motivation has always been about the “event experience.” Yes, the food is important, but the overall vibe of an event is what people remember the most.
My love for creative experiences started when I was a theater kid in high school. I was also quite academic, graduating early from high school and starting college at 16. At the same time, I was facing some severe emotional struggles, so those college and post-college years were extremely challenging for me.
Following college, I signed up for a corporate job in investor relations because I thought that was what I was supposed to do. In a very short time — four days to be exact — I was utterly miserable. On day five, I went out for a midday coffee break and never returned.
Unsure of what to do next, I reflected on what I loved: theater, people and parties. So, mainly on a whim, I decided to follow those passions and start my own party business, even though I wasn’t sure what it would be about. But off I went. I printed a set of business cards announcing my new venture and told everyone who would listen about my fledgling venture.
Eventually, I got my first opportunity to cater an event from the owner of a construction company who hired me to run his 400-person company picnic. Despite it being a total disaster, I had fun, learned a ton from the experience and was hooked. That was 38 years ago.
So, were you off and running after that?
Not exactly. Even though I kept learning with each opportunity, I came to the realization that I had no real experience in catering and would need a different approach if I was really going to get better at this business. To gain hands-on knowledge, I applied for a job at a top catering company in the Bay Area, telling them I’d do anything just to learn. They happened to have an opening for a grunt worker — washing dishes, running errands — and I took the job, eager to absorb everything I could.
I worked for that catering company for two years, starting part-time and gradually taking on more responsibility. They eventually offered me the chance to run high-profile events; one of my first big ones was a party at the home of the founder of Genentech. Impressed with my work and knowing my desire to run my own business, that catering company began offering me smaller jobs that were outside their typical scope. They referred clients with requests below their budget to me, allowing me to build my own business while maintaining their reputation. That opportunity was a huge step towards helping me establish my own catering business, and I’m forever grateful for it.
Any lessons you’ve learned along the way that you’d like to share?
Your reputation can be everything in this business.
One of my first big referrals was a party for a well-known billionaire family in Sea Cliff. I wanted to make an impression, so I branded the cocktail napkins, aprons and even the band with my logo. While the party itself was a success, the hostess later told me, “I really appreciate what you did, and we plan to hire you again. But next time, no logo items. This is our house and our party.” And then she added, “If you’re truly good, you won’t need a logo or advertising, all your work will come from referrals.”
At the time, the common belief was marketing was really key for small businesses. However, I took her advice and stopped marketing myself entirely. It felt risky, but this client and her network referred me to others. Soon, my business took off, growing purely through word of mouth. To this day, I don’t even have a website.
Another big lesson: caterers always need to be prepared to walk into any space and expect nothing to be there. In other words, bring every single thing you need to make the event a success.
What about some of your zaniest and most memorable experiences?
Before they created an in-house food service program, one of my big clients was the San Francisco Zoo. We used to do parties in the Lion House and in the Insect House. It was pure wildness.
There was that one event in Marin that turned out to be a swingers party. My children have only worked for me on very rare occasions, but it just so happened my college-age daughter was home and working that party. She called me around 11 p.m., and said a bit frantically, “Mom, please come down to this party now and see what’s going on.”
I have been really lucky to work with a lot of global musical artists. It can be a mixed bag. Recently, we did a big event for Kanye West. Let’s just say that stepping into the Kanye West universe was quite surreal. My staff and I kept looking around and saying to each other, “Is this really happening?”
Have any of those celebrities helped you change the way you approach your business?
Definitely. Years ago, I was fortunate enough to host a dinner for Martha Stewart and her San Francisco-based team. Of course, everyone knows that Martha is the grand doyenne of entertaining and is highly meticulous. She wanted a Wine Country-themed event for this particular dinner held at a rented house in Belvedere. The party was magnificent and beautiful. I met her, and she loved it.
Three weeks later I got a phone call from Martha’s personal assistant, who said, “You did an absolutely beautiful job. But Martha would like you to know that since the color scheme was persimmon (orange) and pomegranate (purple), it would’ve been lovely if the servers were wearing ties in one of those two colors to all tie it in.”
That’s Martha Stewart’s level of perfection and attention to detail. It was such an eye-opener. It made me realize that I needed to start looking at my events the way she does.
Then there are those stories that just warm my heart, including two recent experiences involving Bruce Springsteen and Robert Plant. Tours are a 24-hour experience for the artists and their entire crew, so you want to create this hospitality environment that is a respite from being on stage and involves great food.
Anyway, Springsteen is one of my all-time favorites, so handling his backstage catering was quite an honor. He gifted me and each one of my staff a concert sweatshirt. These were not the kind you can buy, but ones only available to his own crew.
Also, one of my joys last year was meeting Robert Plant when we catered backstage for him and his crew. We had a lovely, memorable conversation, and he was just such a nice man.
Anything else you’d like to share?
Yes. Some of my most gratifying experiences have centered on very personal and smaller events, such as family memorial services. We work with whatever budget that family has and make it lovely for them so that they can just be with their friends and family.
For almost 20 years, I worked for the Society of Community Workers (originally known as the Society of Christian Women.) It consisted of elderly people who were raising money for community scholarships. They would meet once a month on a Tuesday for lunch, and their budget, mentality, everything, was sort of locked in the 1950s. For me, it was a connection to history and getting to hear their stories, so I didn’t mind that they were only paying me around $6 per person for each meal.
As I mentioned before, people always want to talk to me about food, but I am not a foodie. It has always been about the experience. I always tell my staff, “You are not here as servers; you are here as actors, and we are all putting on a show, so everything you do is important and part of that.” That’s how I see it: as a show with a beginning, a middle and an end, with me as the director. The food is an important piece of that show, but it’s not everything.
Lastly, as someone who truly struggled as a young woman, I want to remind everyone out there that anything is possible, so believe in yourself and keep going. Also, when you find success, don’t forget to give back!
A freelance writer in Marin who writes about family, kids and parenting, Glass is the mother to one son, one dog and a hamster named Miss Geri. When she’s not writing, trekking up steep hills in Marin or driving her kid to sports practice, she and her family spend time in their tiny cabin in Lake Tahoe. She avidly supports the California Academy of Sciences, a world class science museum and research institution, and the Institute on Aging which provides much needed services to Bay Area seniors and disabled adults. Glass is obsessed with baking the perfect loaf of banana bread, something she makes so often she no longer needs to look at a recipe card.
