Handheld Catering is Hiring!

Searching for Experienced Catering Drivers and Servers in San Jose, CA

Handheld Catering is searching for driven individuals with serving and/or delivery experience to assist with catering delivery, set-up and serving for San Jose area catering jobs.

About Us:

Handheld Catering is a San Jose based full-service catering and event planning company that offers fresh, high-quality, and (most importantly) delicious food to the entire San Francisco Bay Area.

The name Handheld Catering embodies our philosophy on food. We believe the food we eat should be plucked from the earth by the hands of farmers, hand-checked for quality by purveyors, and lovingly prepared into something unforgettable by the hands of the chef. That’s why at Handheld Catering we follow the Farm-to-Fork approach for our San Jose catering clients.

Location: San Jose, CA
Hours: Part-time
Salary: $16.00 to $25.00 /hour

Job Description:

Smile, greet and be courteous to customers, work with management and all other associates to provide a high level of customer service, be punctual, work your schedule, conduct yourself at all times in a professional business manner, assist in any way possible and as directed to provide for a clean and safe environment, perform other duties as assigned.

Make deliveries in a pleasant, timely manner according to Company standards. Ensure that the shift contributes to the financial best interests of the company.

Requirements:

The essential duties and responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to, the following: Delivering, setting up and breakdown of event catering buffet lines, refill drink and salads as needed. Setup drink stations.

General:

• Observe all rules and company policies.
• Maintain a neat, well-groomed personal appearance at all times and observe Company dress code.
• Observe shift operating hours at all times as scheduled or assigned by Manager.
• Adhere to all local, state, and federal health and civil code regulations.
• Follow all approved procedures for deliveries
• Drive in a safe manner and follow all the rules of the road.
• Coordinate orders with the catering clerk.
• Practice proper “on location” customer service and communication.
• Handle damaged and spoiled products according to Company Policy and assist in controlling the level of damaged goods.
• Comply fully with all Safety Policies and Procedures.
• Perform other duties and assignments as directed.
• Greet all customers and provide them with prompt and highly friendly, courteous service or assistance.

Physical Demands:

• Standing, walking, reaching, bending, twisting, ability to carry/lift 40 lbs, and push/pull 200 lbs
• Repetitive Action – Driving to and from customer event locations and the company headquarters in a timely manner, assist setting up when requested, keeping delivery van neat and clean, keep maintenance records (gas/service)
• Working Conditions – Inside, outside, cold
• Safety Risk Factors – Twisting, slippery floor surfaces, cluttered floor surfaces, toxic exposure, nuisance dust, fumes, sprays, hazardous cleaning solutions.
• Machines, Tools, Equipment – Catering delivery van

Education and/or Experience:

• High school education preferred but not required.
• Successful completion of a training program or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Apply on Indeed Today!

If you’re interested in joining our team, please click here to apply on Indeed, or email your resume to info@handheldcatering.com.

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Benefits of a Corporate Happy Hour

Why We’re Catering More Silicon Valley Corporate Happy Hour Events

The typical nine-to-five grind is quite demanding to the vast majority of employees. The office environment is not exactly conducive for the formation of social bonds either. Silicon Valley is full of corporations who value company culture, and with this, we’ve seen an increase in the popularity of happy hours.

Happy hours came about through the 20th century Navy. The sailors were allowed to take some time in the afternoons to let off steam by engaging in group activities like dancing, sports, or watching movies. This was a way of boosting their morale just as it does for employees of today.

Here are 4 ways your employees could benefit from regular happy hours at the office:

1. It strengthens company culture

A company with a strong culture is likely to perform better when it comes to acquiring talent and achieving the set goals. When colleagues engage each other without work-related pressures, they are more likely to have a positive view of their work-life balance. Such employees are inclined to give 100%, 100% of the time.

2. It fosters team bonding

Encouraging your employees to participate in team building activities that take them away from their desks and deadlines, helps to facilitate genuine bonding between them. Such bonds extend through the office and enable your employees to understand and appreciate their personality differences. It also enhances the ease of communication between them, which results in improved teamwork.

3. It is a way of celebrating accomplishments

If a particular department or an employee has achieved a certain milestone, a happy hour is a perfect time to celebrate. Involve a corporate event catering company to handle the menu and hors d’oeuvres, and show your employees that you value their contributions.

Appreciation and recognition go a long way in motivating employees, boosting their morale and building their confidence in the tasks they undertake. Job satisfaction plays a major role in turnover rates, so giving them a couple hours to enjoy a break with colleagues goes a long way.

4. It has a positive impact on your business

Think outside the box by planning a corporate happy hour where your employees engage, interact, and network with other industry peers. Your employees will be able to gain the skills that fellow peers are using to succeed and boosts their productivity, as well as increases your company’s return on investment.

Let Handheld Catering Handle Your Corporate Catering and Happy Hours

The whole point of happy hour is to stop any business activities and hold non-work conversations. This could be achieved right in the office with the help of a corporate catering company like Handheld Catering. Our San Jose event catering company can take care of all the details of your corporate event. Being a full-service catering company, we give you the chance to enjoy the event rather than worrying about it. Contact us online today or call (408) 692-4782 to get started.

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How to Plan a Breakfast Catering Menu That Makes Everyone a Morning Person

Fuel Guests and Employees with Corporate Breakfast Catering

Breakfast is arguably the most important meal of the day, however, a whopping 31 million Americans skip breakfast every day. This is because of time constraints, the expenses involved, and a lack of appetite in the morning. So, how do you come up with an appealing breakfast catering menu?

1. Have a breakfast station

This is an excellent way of displaying your breakfast menu. You can have a pancake, omelet, bacon, waffle, and fruits station. A breakfast station comes in handy in any corporate catering event especially with upper and mid-level attendees.

2. Include healthy options

With the increased awareness in health and wellness, most people are looking for caterers and hotels that have a ‘healthy’ menu. This is quite challenging especially if yours is a small startup. One effective way of making your breakfast menu healthier is by eliminating anything fried. Consider including low-fat spreads, whole grain breads, vegetables and fruits, and granola options.

3. Make it memorable

Most people prefer to skip breakfast when they’re not impressed with typical breakfast menus. This is your chance to get creative! Add a twist to your breakfast menu to make it more interesting by offering things like freshly made granola bars, breakfast pizzas, a fusion recipe, and so on.

4. Anticipate special dietary needs

Anticipate and plan for dietary preferences like food allergies, religious beliefs, and dietary restrictions. Handheld Catering offers many gluten free, vegetarian and vegan options, so talk to us about these dietary restrictions for an easy-breezy breakfast menu that everyone can enjoy.

5. Consider plated breakfasts

Plated breakfasts are ideal for business settings or formal events. Fortunately, with this kind of breakfast, you can provide anything from traditional to one-of-a-kind breakfast menus. Plated breakfasts allow you to create a beautiful presentation and adhere to special dietary restrictions for specific guests.

6. Remember the drinks

Although coffee is a must-have for most guests, it is critical that you offer such drinks as natural fruit juice, herbal tea, decaf coffee, milk, yogurt, and fruit-infused water.

Let Handheld Catering Handle all the Details for Your Corporate Breakfast Event

It can become quite tricky to cater to the breakfast needs of everyone without insights from the experts. Handheld Catering, our San Jose corporate catering company, will not only help you in planning your event’s menu but also help in its coordination. We can do everything from tablescapes, flowers and decor, to full-service breakfast menus that your guests or employees will be eager to attend. Get in touch with us today via our online contact form or by phone at (408) 692-4782.

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2019 Wedding Food Trends Everyone Will Love

Our San Jose Catering Team Talks Wedding Catering Trends for This Year

Planning to walk down the aisle soon? Wedding fare has changed a lot since last year, so check out some of the latest and greatest trends that are currently a hit at weddings, receptions, and venues widely.

Talk to your San Jose wedding catering team about 2019 wedding food trends and menu options for your big day:

It’s All About the Sweets
Create something magical for your desserts and sweets station. It is very 2019 to go all out with sweet treats using inventive ideas and contemporary presentation concepts. Consider opting for a custom s’mores bar!

Gussy Things Up a Bit
The tendency to go with a more casual event is waning as more couples are desiring a formal atmosphere and plated dinner service. This also gives the couple the opportunity to pull out all the stops with fine china, sparkling silver, and gorgeous table centerpieces, which contribute to the overall elegant style and décor of your grand affair.

Think Local
It is very trendy to highlight local fare and treats, depending on where you’re from, like Carolina Chess pie squares or Maine blueberry pie bites. Pay homage to where the couple comes from with something that is distinctively regional for the big day.

Something for Everyone and Every Diet
Cater to your guests by serving delectable items that adhere to numerous dietary restrictions. Ask us about creating menus suited for gluten-free, keto, low carb, or diabetic diets. This allows everyone at your event to indulge!

Skip the Open Bar
It is becoming more popular to skip the open bar and serve a signature drink or to stick with wine, beer, and champagne. First, this cuts down on costs for the newlyweds, and second, it curbs incidences of intoxication on your big day.

2019 is distinctly different in terms of wedding food trends than the past few years that gave way to a lot of self-serve stations and casual events. Talk to our San Jose event catering staff about all of our food, dessert and drink options for your wedding and reception!

Handheld Catering is THE San Jose Wedding Catering Team You Want for the Big Day

At Handheld Catering, we’re passionate about fresh, wholesome food. We believe every special event deserves fine foods served elegantly, especially weddings. Our San Jose full-service catering company can handle everything from the menu planning, to the flowers, and décor to plated service, serving-up farm-to-fork fare using the freshest high-quality ingredients for your guests. Get in touch with us at 408-692-4782 or contact us online 24/7.

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Why Catered Lunches are Great for Team Building

5 Benefits of San Jose Office Catering

Could your team benefit from some motivation and team building exercises? Start with something simple: a catered office lunch! Believe it or not, a catered lunch can be the perfect platform to forge relationships, build solidarity, and increase progress toward common goals in the workplace. Consider hiring a local and full-service event catering company, with experience in corporate event catering, that will handle everything from the planning of the menu, to decor and flowers, to serving the food and other event details–so you can focus on engaging your team.

Productivity

Feeding your team farm-to-fork food right in the office can greatly improve productivity. Studies show that creating an engaging and casual environment for your staff to interact can increase how productive they are on the job. Consider San Jose office catering as an investment in a strong bottom-line.

Retention

Did you know that catered lunches can also help with employee retention? Reports indicate that nearly half of prospective employees would be influenced to accept a position with a company that offers free and/or catered lunches.

Unity

Create a sense of solidarity and unity among your team with an in-office sit-down lunch. People that work side-by-side daily can have casual conversations with one another and build personal relationships. These bonds serve as further initiative to come in and work hard, and work better as a team.

Morale

Feeding your team is simply good for morale. Good food is appreciated and shows that you also acknowledge the efforts that your staff makes every day.

Networking

Hiring a local San Jose corporate caterer for your lunch event can also establish valuable connections with other businesses. Create a network by hiring an experienced catering company and inviting another businesses you’d like to partner with.

Contact Handheld Catering Today for San Jose Corporate Events and Catering

Your team works hard for you; show them that you appreciate their efforts with catered lunches from Handheld Catering, a San Jose event catering company. Food is a small price to pay for all the benefits that you can garner from catered lunches and meetings. Consider making an extended lunch a monthly or quarterly affair and treat your team to fine food in an uplifting atmosphere. Contact us online today or call (408) 692-4782.

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How to Get Attendees Engaged at a Corporate Event (Hint: It’s the Food)

What’s the most important part of an event?

Is it the venue?

The décor?

Actually, it’s the food – especially at a corporate event, where getting employees and guests engaged is no easy task.

Here are just a few catering food ideas to show you how food can keep your corporate events exciting for your attendees.

Hire a caterer

You don’t have to have a fancy party to hire a caterer.

For example, if you’re going to plan an employee appreciation day or an in-office Christmas party, chances are your employees will look forward to it if they know the food is catered.

An experienced corporate event caterer should give you a comprehensive menu that can be customized to suit your event needs. The best in the business provide in-house staff with their services.

This means your employees can sit back, relax, and enjoy the food and company.

Coffee for meetings and conferences

Keep discussions in meetings and conferences lively through coffee catering. Consider a mobile coffee cart carrying a variety of coffee beverages.

This way, you can keep employees and conference delegates from roaming outside a venue to look for a coffee shop, especially if you’ve scheduled the event in the morning.

Or, arrange roasting demonstrations between meetings and presentations where guests can learn how to make the perfect espresso and taste their own brew.

Loosen up the crowd with an open bar

Team-building activities are a great place for your employees to get to know one another. Having an open bar as part of your corporate event catering can help people let go of their inhibitions and loosen up, allowing colleagues to interact more freely.

Looking for an alternative to beer? Unwind with classic cocktails, antipasti, an array of small dishes, and piano music that sets the mood for memorable conversations and meaningful connections.

Custom food and drink to brand your event

Corporate events like trade shows and product launches are great platforms to showcase your brand. Stand out and capture the attention of attendees through custom food and drinks.

Create signature cocktail drinks that reflect your brand’s personality. Or, use edible marketing: feature your company logo as the design for custom-made cupcakes or serve cookies that double as business cards.

Food and beverage play a special role in social occasions and are one of the best ways to bring a diverse group of people together. Impressive catering entices attendees, and complements your corporate event, making them even more engaging.

A company in the Bay Area like Handheld Catering will listen to your corporate event planning needs. Whether you’re having an open bar for informal events, a mobile coffee cart for meetings, or a full course holiday dinner for the company, guests are happy and ready to make meaningful connections over good food.

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5 Great Purposes for Table Numbers in Event Planning

When it comes to corporate event planning in San Jose, CA, tabletop numbers can take the stress out of seating arrangements as well as help your caterer organize meals. Keep reading to learn more from the professionals at Handheld Catering.

Seating Arrangements

While table numbers have several purposes, primarily they’re used to help event planners make seating arrangements. Once you have a layout of your event room, you can assign numbers to each table and then assign seats to each guest. For corporate events, use table numbers and seating arrangements to encourage networking and teamwork. In the event of a cancellation, you can easily change your seating charts to accommodate vacancies at company events.

Dining and Catering

Most venues use table numbers to help their wait staff and chefs plan and execute meal services. Just like in a traditional restaurant, table numbers help the hosts organize their patrons and help the wait staff remember orders. Even if you don’t use a decorative tabletop number, the venue staff will probably ask for some kind of seating chart and meal planning system to ensure that your guests get the food they requested. Table numbers are also useful if dining is buffet-style. To start a buffet line, you can call out table numbers instead of having everyone get up at once. This helps you manage the buffet lines, so it doesn’t get too long and crowded.

Creative Centerpieces

There’s no shortage of ways to express your personal style with a decorative tabletop number. Some people incorporate them into their floral arrangements using 3-dimensional numbers. Give meaning to your table numbers by including a special note saying what each number means to you. For example, if your corporation has a list of goals for an event or for the year, write one goal on each placard and use it as a conversation starter. You can keep it simple by placing your number in a decorative photo frame illuminated by candles, or a miniature chalkboard with hand-drawn numbers.

Entertainment

Table numbers can also be used to organize games and special events at your gathering. At a business luncheon use table numbers to assign collaborative projects and let tables compete for the best new ideas. This allows for team building. For business meetings, corporate event planning companies in San Jose, CA, can help you with your seating arrangements. Contact the experts at Handheld Catering for more great ideas.

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