Personal Touch Dining

What Personal Touch Dining does

Personal Touch Dining is a privately-held, founder-owned full-service catering and event management company founded in 1988 and headquartered in San Diego, California. The company provides catering, bar service, equipment rental, and day-of event coordination across five primary customer segments: weddings, corporate events, holiday parties, private celebrations, and K-12 school events. Its core offering is built around customizable per-event pricing based on date, guest count, venue, and menu, bundled into single contracts that cover food, professional staffing, bar service, rentals, setup, and breakdown.

The company's structural advantage rests on a portfolio of four wholly-owned distinctive event venues — Mt. Woodson Castle, Leo Carrillo Ranch, The Old Rancho, and Harbor View Loft — complemented by working relationships with 38+ San Diego venues that generate referrals and preferred-vendor status. Adjacent wholly-owned businesses include a commercial kitchen rental operation and a dedicated school-event catering brand. The company has no proprietary technology platform; its offering is rooted in culinary expertise, event logistics, and hospitality execution, with the company's website functioning as marketing and lead capture rather than a transactional product.

The go-to-market motion is consultative and direct: phone and email inquiries, event-planning consultations, venue partnerships, and word-of-mouth referrals supported by sustained recognition including The Knot Hall of Fame and multiple consecutive Best of Weddings and WeddingWire Couples' Choice awards (2016-2024). Revenue is generated per event across catering, bar, and rental services, with no publicly disclosed pricing, no disclosed financial figures, and no external funding. The 11-50 employee operation is led by founder and CEO Tracy Zemke alongside a formalized executive team covering operations, sales, people, and culinary leadership.

Name

Personal Touch Dining

Legal name

Personal Touch Dining

Website

https://personaltouchdining.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Personal Touch Dining is a founder-owned San Diego catering and event management company founded in 1988, serving weddings, corporate, private, and school events with full-service catering, bar, rentals, and venue management across four owned venues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Event Catering Services

NAICS

Caterers (722320)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Full-Service Catering (Off-Premise) (HSACAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private Chef & In-Home Dining Services (HSACAGAE), Wedding & Social Event Catering (THAHAKAE)

Keywords

• Full-service catering
• Wedding catering
• Corporate event catering
• Event venue management
• Bar and rental services

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Catering Services: Full-service catering for weddings, corporate events, private parties, school events, and holiday celebrations. Revenue is generated per event based on guest count, menu selections, service style (buffet, plated, family-style, stations), and package level. The company offers customizable menus with pricing built from date, headcount, venue, and menu direction.
2. Bar Services: Professional bartending services with hosted bar packages (Moderate, Premium, Deluxe tiers based on liquor brands), client-provided alcohol service, and specialty cocktail options. Bar packages start at $1,500 sales minimum with additional bartender fees.
3. Event Rentals: Equipment and rental coordination including tables, chairs, linens, dinnerware, glassware, flatware, tents, and décor. Offered as part of full-service packages or as standalone rental coordination.
4. Venue Management: Comprehensive venue management services for four owned/operated venues (Mt. Woodson Castle, Leo Carrillo Ranch, The Old Rancho, Harbor View Loft) including marketing, client showings, contracting, insurance, vendor management, catering, bar services, and day-of coordination.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Personal Touch Dining provides full-service catering for weddings, corporate events, holiday parties, school events, and private celebrations, with customizable menus, multiple service styles (buffet, plated, family-style, stations, passed appetizers), and professional staffing. The company complements catering with bar services, equipment and décor rentals, and venue management for four wholly-owned San Diego event venues. Service is delivered as an all-inclusive single-contract package covering food, staff, bar, rentals, setup, and day-of coordination.

Product overview

Personal Touch Dining is a full-service catering and event management company founded in 1988, offering a unified portfolio of catering services for weddings, corporate events, holiday parties, school events, and private celebrations. The core offering consists of customizable catering menus (wedding, corporate, holiday, prom) that can be enhanced with add-on services including event rentals, professional bar services, and venue management. The company operates managed venues (Mt. Woodson Castle, Leo Carrillo Ranch, Harbor View Loft, The Old Rancho) and partners with preferred venue locations across San Diego County. Services are bundled into comprehensive packages that include menu planning, professional staffing, equipment rentals, bar service, and day-of coordination.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wedding Catering Full-service wedding catering including plated dinners, buffets, family-style service, passed hors d'oeuvres, bar services, rentals, and day-of coordination for ceremonies, receptions, rehearsal dinners, and post-wedding events. Built for couples planning weddings in San Diego County.
• Corporate Catering Business event catering including breakfast meetings, team luncheons, executive dinners, boxed lunches, holiday parties, product launches, and networking events with customizable menus and full-service coordination. Targeted at San Diego companies via a dedicated corporate sales team.
• Holiday Party Catering Seasonal catering for corporate galas, New Year's Eve parties, Hanukkah, Thanksgiving, Halloween, and Christmas events with themed menus, bar service, and event coordination. Built for both corporate and private holiday celebrations.
• Special Event Catering Catering for private celebrations including anniversaries, bar/bat mitzvahs, birthday parties, bridal/baby showers, church events, dinner parties, housewarmings, memorials, poker nights, and family reunions. Designed for individual hosts and families.
• High School Catering School event catering for proms, graduations, sports banquets, homecoming, rallies, and class reunions with student-friendly menus and flexible service options. Built for San Diego K-12 schools and student organizations.
• Event Rentals Equipment and décor rental services including tables, chairs, linens, dinnerware, glassware, flatware, tenting, and specialty furniture for events. Available as a standalone rental coordination service or bundled with full-service catering.
• Bar Services Professional bartending and bar catering including beer and wine packages, full liquor service, signature cocktails, champagne toasts, and specialty drink stations with certified bartenders. Bar packages start at a $1,500 sales minimum with additional bartender fees.
• Venue Management Full-service venue property management including marketing, client showings, contracting, insurance, vendor management, catering, bar services, rentals, and day-of coordination for venue owners. Internally used to manage Mt. Woodson Castle, Leo Carrillo Ranch, The Old Rancho, and Harbor View Loft.
• Boxed Lunch Catering Pre-packaged lunch catering delivered to hotels, businesses, and event venues with fully customizable meal options. Suited to corporate meetings, conferences, and offsite working sessions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4.9-star rating from 100+ clients
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• 38+ San Diego VenuescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPersonal Touch Dining maintains working relationships with 38+ San Diego venues for event hosting. They offer preferred vendor status at many venues and provide venue referral services to clients. The company coordinates with venues on load-in logistics, kitchen rules, power access, and timeline management.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Knox Catering: Phoenix/Scottsdale-based full-service event catering company offering wedding, corporate, and social event catering with bundled services (food, staff, rentals, bar). Comparable scale and operating model to PTD with a similar Western US regional focus.
• Lancer Catering: Los Angeles-based full-service catering company serving weddings, corporate events, and private parties with custom menus and bar services. Comparable California-market peer with similar service portfolio and full-service bundling.
• The Catered Affair: Boston-area full-service wedding and event caterer offering customized menus, bar service, and event coordination. Comparable full-service wedding catering model with similar bundled offerings and mid-size regional scale.
• Command Performance Catering: Mid-Atlantic full-service catering company specializing in corporate events, weddings, and social gatherings with comprehensive service packages. Comparable event catering model with similar scale and customer mix.
• Paramount Events: Chicago-area full-service event catering company offering customized menus, staffing, and event coordination for weddings, corporate events, and private functions. Comparable mid-size regional event caterer with similar full-service model.
• Occasions Caterers: Washington DC-area full-service caterer providing custom menus and event services for weddings, corporate functions, and social events. Comparable mid-size regional event caterer with similar full-service offering.

Regional players

• The French Gourmet: Long-established San Diego-based catering company and bakery offering catering services for weddings, corporate events, and private parties. Direct regional competitor operating in PTD's home market with overlapping wedding and corporate client base.

Broad incumbents

• Centerplate: National event hospitality company (now part of Sodexo) providing catering, concessions, and event services at major sports venues, convention centers, and entertainment facilities. Broad incumbent serving large public venues rather than bespoke weddings.
• Aramark: Global food service, facilities, and uniform services provider with significant catering and event services operations across corporate, sports, healthcare, and entertainment clients. Diversified incumbent with a broad portfolio, not specialized in PTD's wedding/social-event niche.
• Sodexo: Global food services and facilities management company with catering operations across corporate, education, healthcare, and event segments. Diversified multinational incumbent with much broader scope than PTD's regional wedding and event-catering focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Personaltouchdining
• Instagraminstagram.com/personaltouchdining
• Pinterestpinterest.ph/personaltouchd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Personal Touch Dining