Zelda's Catering

What Zelda's Catering does

Zelda's Catering is a family-owned, off-premise kosher-certified catering company headquartered in Skokie, Illinois, founded in 2003 by Linda Neiman after a 17-year career hiatus. The company provides professional catering services for weddings, corporate events, conventions, and private gatherings throughout the Chicago metropolitan area, operating under cRc (Chicago Rabbinical Council) kosher certification. Its core service is the Event Planning Guide for parties of 50 or more guests, supported by Entertaining To-Go menus for smaller gatherings (10+), custom wedding cakes, and an online retail sub-brand, 'Zelda's At Your Table,' for holiday and ready-to-go orders.

The company generates revenue on a per-event, custom-quote basis, pricing against guest count, menu selection, and service requirements rather than via standardized price lists. Its go-to-market is enterprise field sales through a distribution network of 70+ hotel and unique venue partnerships across the Chicago metro—Palmer House Hilton, Hilton Chicago, The Ritz-Carlton, Sheraton Grand, Trump International, Field Museum, Museum of Science and Industry, Blackstone, 1871, and Architectural Artifacts among them. Marketing is conducted primarily through the corporate website, downloadable menu PDFs, and organic social on Facebook and Instagram, with email-based inquiry handling. The company is privately held, has no disclosed external investors or funding rounds, and holds Women's Business Enterprise (WBE) certification alongside its kosher credentials.

Operationally, Zelda's runs a 35+ full-time employee organization led by the Neiman family (Linda as Founder/President, Ben as COO, Elliott as CIO) and a leadership bench drawn from top-tier hospitality operators—Hilton, Ritz-Carlton, Kimpton, Bellagio, Danziger Kosher Catering. The company executes 1,000+ events and serves 250,000+ guests annually, with the technology footprint limited to standard website/CRM tooling, no proprietary software products, and no disclosed AI or data platform capabilities.

Name

Zelda's Catering

Legal name

Zelda's Catering

Website

https://zeldascatering.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Zelda's Catering is a family-owned, cRc-certified kosher off-premise caterer serving weddings, corporate events, and conventions across the Chicago metro area, executing 1,000+ events annually through 70+ hotel and venue partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Catering Services

NAICS

Caterers (722320), Caterers (72232), Food Service Contractors (722310), Special Food Services (7223)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Off-Premise / Mobile Event Catering (THAHAKAD), Corporate & Business Event Catering (THAHAKAA), Event Catering (Weddings, Social, Private Parties) (THAFAIAB), Wedding & Reception Catering (HSACAGAD)

Keywords

• Kosher catering services
• Off-premise catering
• Event catering
• Wedding catering
• Corporate event catering

Headquarters

HQ city

Skokie

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Off-premise catering services: One-time event-based catering services for weddings, corporate events, conventions, and private gatherings. Revenue generated per event based on guest count, menu selection, and service requirements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Zelda's Catering is a family-owned, kosher-certified off-premise caterer serving the Chicago metropolitan area. The company provides event planning and kosher food preparation for weddings, corporate events, conventions, and private gatherings of 10 or more guests, delivered directly to partner venues. Operating since 2003, it has grown to serve more than 1,000 events and 250,000 guests annually with over 35 full-time employees.

Product overview

Zelda's Catering operates as a single unified catering service under the 'Zelda's Kosher Gourmet' brand, offering off-premise kosher-certified catering throughout the Chicago metropolitan area. The company provides a cohesive portfolio of services including the core Event Planning Guide for large events (50+ guests), Entertaining To-Go menus for breakfast/brunch and lunch/dinner (10+ guests), wedding cakes, and the online At Your Table platform for holiday and ready-to-go orders. All offerings are unified under strict kosher certification from the cRc (Chicago Rabbinical Council).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Zelda's At Your Table: Online holiday and to-go menus platform (zeldastable.com)

Products and services

• Zelda's Kosher Gourmet Catering A kosher-certified off-premise catering service offering event planning and food preparation for weddings, corporate events, conventions, and private gatherings throughout the Chicago metropolitan area, delivered directly to partner venues.
• Event Planning Guide (Parties of 50 or More) Comprehensive kosher catering and event planning service designed for parties of 50 or more guests, providing detailed event coordination and menu planning for weddings, corporate events, and large private gatherings.
• Entertaining To-Go Breakfast and Brunch Ready-to-serve kosher breakfast and brunch catering menus designed for parties of 10 or more guests.
• Entertaining To-Go Lunch and Dinner Full-service kosher lunch and dinner catering menus for events and gatherings of 10 or more guests.
• Wedding Cakes Custom kosher wedding cake design and baking services offered as part of full-event catering packages.
• At Your Table (Online Holiday and To-Go Menus) Online platform under the Zelda's At Your Table sub-brand for ordering kosher holiday catering and ready-to-go menu items for pickup.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serving 250,000+ guests annually across 1,000+ events

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• JUF Uptown CafécoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partnership serving the local community's less fortunate through catering support to the JUF Uptown Café initiative, demonstrating community focus and social responsibility.
• 1871 (Tech Campus)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVenue partnership at 222 W Merchandise Mart Plz, Chicago - standing capacity 300, seated 150
• Architectural ArtifactsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVenue partnership at 4325 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago - outdoor space available, standing capacity 500, seated 300
• The Blackstone HotelminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVenue partnership at 636 S Michigan Ave, Chicago - standing capacity 345, seated 240
• DoubleTree by Hilton Magnificent MileminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVenue partnership at 300 E Ohio St, Chicago - standing capacity 900, seated 480
• Field MuseumminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVenue partnership at 1400 S Lake Shore Dr - standing capacity 4,500, seated 1,500
• Lincolnshire Marriott ResortminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVenue partnership at 10 Marriott Dr, Lincolnshire - standing capacity 1,200, seated 800
• Museum of Science and IndustryminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVenue partnership at 5700 S Lake Shore Dr - standing capacity 5,500, seated 1,200
• Palmer House HiltonminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVenue partnership at 17 E Monroe St, Chicago - standing capacity 1,653
• The Ritz-Carlton ChicagominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVenue partnership at 160 E Pearson St - standing capacity 850
• Sheraton Grand Chicago RiverwalkminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVenue partnership at 301 E North Water St - standing capacity 4,600, seated 3,270
• Trump International HotelminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVenue partnership at 401 N Wabash Ave - standing capacity 295, seated 220

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Danziger Kosher Catering: Chicago-based kosher off-premise caterer that is the most direct historical competitor to Zelda's in the same niche; multiple Zelda's leaders (Kathy Ramos-Kurland, Merry Jean Nano-Lee) came from Danziger's, and the two compete for the same kosher-certified event demand at Chicago venues.
• Jewell Events Catering: Chicago off-premise catering company that competes with Zelda's for corporate, social, and large-scale events at Chicago venues; Event Captain Kevin Stankewicz previously worked at Jewell Events, indicating cross-over talent and overlapping customer base.
• Blue Plate: Long-established Chicago off-premise caterer serving corporate, wedding, and social events across Chicago venues; competes head-to-head with Zelda's for non-kosher events and is referenced via shared alumni in the management team data.
• Food for Thought: Chicago off-premise caterer specializing in corporate and special events, directly comparable to Zelda's in service model, customer segments, and venue-based delivery; also connected to Zelda's via shared prior employment.

Broad incumbents

• Sodexo: Global food services and facilities management company that provides catering at corporate, convention, and institutional clients, including many of the same Chicago hotels and event venues where Zelda's operates; a potential partner or competitor depending on the venue.
• Aramark: Large-scale food service and catering provider for sports, convention, and corporate clients; competes for large convention and corporate event catering contracts in Chicago and could enter the kosher segment via its scale and venue relationships.
• Bon Appétit Management Company: National on-site restaurant and catering company serving corporate, university, and special event clients; comparable as a broad food service contractor competing for the same corporate and institutional event dollars in the Chicago market.
• Compass Group: World's largest contract food service company, with multiple catering and event services brands across corporate, sports, and leisure segments; relevant as a large-scale competitor for high-volume corporate and convention catering contracts.
• Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises: Major Chicago-based restaurant group with a catering and events arm (including the Elysian brand) operating across premier Chicago venues; competes for high-end corporate and social events in the same venues as Zelda's.

Regional players

• KMR Catering: Established kosher off-premise caterer in the New York tri-state area serving weddings, corporate, and social events; comparable in kosher-certified off-premise model and customer base, but operates in a different geography and does not directly compete with Zelda's in Chicago.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/zeldascatering
• Instagraminstagram.com/zeldascatering

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 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 Zelda's Catering