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Industry Innovators 2025: Elayne Sawaya

The owner and CEO of Culinary Concierge refers to herself as a "food matchmaker," emphasizing that one size never fits all when it comes to event catering.

'I ask a lot of questions as a way to determine what my client wants to achieve at this event,' explains Sawaya. 'Who are the guests? What is the occasion? What does the location offer or lack? What is the purpose of this event?'
"I ask a lot of questions as a way to determine what my client wants to achieve at this event," explains Sawaya. "Who are the guests? What is the occasion? What does the location offer or lack? What is the purpose of this event?"
Photo: Courtesy of Catering Concierge

'Think of me as a culinary agency, personal guide, and food matchmaker,' she says."Think of me as a culinary agency, personal guide, and food matchmaker," she says.Photo: Courtesy of Elayne SawayaElayne Sawaya is the owner and CEO of Catering Concierge, a Los Angeles-based culinary agency that works on events in both Southern and Northern California and New York City. 

How she got her start: "I was a TV producer for many years, and one of the caterers who did catering on an interior design show I produced asked me to build her catering business. Once that TV show wrapped, I accepted the offer and created the restaurant's catering division. That job lasted for nine and a half years. As that relationship was ending, I was approached rather synchronistically by two caterers who asked if I would be interested in building their catering business. I had been asked this question before, but I had turned down offers because my now-former employer didn't want me working for other people. However, this time the moment coincided with the end of that job and I was free to move forward. Thus Catering Concierge was born.

I soon started hearing from past clients expressing how excited they were to have a resource that could recommend different event caterers because, even though they enjoyed the catering from my former employer, they were keen and curious to try other caterers. It was then that a light bulb went off and I realized that, similar to trying on clothes labeled 'one size fits all,' the truth is one size never fits all.

A high-concept definition of Catering Concierge? Think of me as a culinary agency, personal guide, and food matchmaker."

What sets her company apart: "In several words: me, a well-educated palate, and my passion for the art of entertaining. I personally curate and vet my catering roster and am constantly expanding that list. I attend almost every event for which I make a food match.

'Creating an experience for guests encompasses designing a total environment where food, beverage, table settings, color choices, and comfort harmonize and coexist,' Sawaya notes."Creating an experience for guests encompasses designing a total environment where food, beverage, table settings, color choices, and comfort harmonize and coexist," Sawaya notes.Photo: Courtesy of Catering ConciergeI also love doing deep-dive research in order to discover my clients' true expectations. I ask a lot of questions as a way to determine what my client wants to achieve at this event: Who are the guests? What is the occasion? What does the location offer or lack? What is the purpose of this event?

Because I grew up in a foodie family, food was always one of the main topics of conversation. My ethnic background is Lebanese, and that cuisine is labor intensive with an emphasis on plating and presentation. My grandmother and mom were excellent cooks and bakers. For example, yogurt, baklava, and pita bread were homemade; they were never store bought. My mom taught me how to both eat and enjoy raw oysters on the half shell when I was 4 years old. During my 20s, I decided to live abroad for three years. After that, I traveled and worked around the world for months at a time for my job in television, and was always being exposed to different food sensibilities—from Bedouin feasts in the Sahara to Sri Lankan multicourse dinners and classic French bistro lunches."

'We also pivoted during the pandemic and created and designed boxes of food and drinks to be sent across the U.S.,' she adds."We also pivoted during the pandemic and created and designed boxes of food and drinks to be sent across the U.S.," she adds.Photo: Courtesy of Catering ConciergeHow she stays innovative: "I have always enjoyed traveling to places off the beaten path. Eating different foods is my definition of adventure. I love trying new restaurants and cuisines and make it a point to search out great holes-in-the-wall in every city/town I travel to. I am game to try anything that other people are eating—I may not end up liking it, but I make that decision based on experience and not what I imagine something might taste like. Insects are a perfect example. I tried them and they aren't for me.

I read cookbooks and I am always emailing or sending some of the caterers I work with ideas about how to present even the most ordinary dish differently. I follow a lot of different chefs and caterers on social media and I get inspiration from what they've done. I love when a client challenges me to wow them and theme the menu and the look of the event to reflect their brand."

Memorable moment: "I was asked to do a three-day event by a tech company that I think excels in gorgeously designed and engineered products. I knew that the food presentation would be of utmost importance to them. Budget was incredibly and truly not an issue. They interviewed a couple of the caterers that I represented and they chose one. They warned us that they would be very particular about minute visual details, and I and the caterer couldn't have been happier for that challenge.

It was one of the highlights of my career to have been given the opportunity to create a three-day event for a company that cares so intensely about every detail—from packaging, presentation, texture, and taste variations to plating. It is this intersection of food and design where I find so much gratification."

Her all-time favorite food: "Is that a trick question? There are so many that my mind just boggled itself out. But if I have to narrow this down, I would say a well-made loaf of sourdough bread with churned cultured butter could sustain me for many days."

Her biggest hope for the F&B industry: "My hope is that more clients recognize how food and drink can make or break any event—that it should never be an afterthought. That more clients recognize and appreciate the art of beautiful food and well-conceived beverages, and realize how much work goes into making the F&B portion of an event stand out.

When planning an event, I would love clients to have knowledge of food and labor costs in real time. I want them to understand that creating an experience for their guests encompasses designing a total environment where food, beverage, table settings, color choices, and comfort harmonize and coexist. Let us create the total sensory experience for you and watch it materialize before your eyes in real life."

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