Toben Food By Design

What Toben Food By Design does

Toben Food By Design Inc. is a Toronto-based, privately held full-service catering and hospitality company founded in 2005 by siblings Toben and Elana Kochman, subsequently joined by CFO Ryan Feldman in 2016. The company designs, produces, and executes food, beverage, staffing, and rentals for corporate events, private celebrations (weddings, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, religious affairs), and large-scale charity galas across the Greater Toronto Area and the Muskoka region, with event capacity ranging from 20 guests to 1,400+ guests. Its go-to-market is centered on a direct enterprise-field-sales model in which dedicated Event Managers act as single points of contact through proposal, deposit (25% / 50% / 75% schedule), and execution, supplemented by referral flow from preferred-caterer partnerships at 40+ GTA venues including Ripley's Aquarium, REBEL, Globe and Mail Centre, and Evergreen Brickworks.

Under the TOBEN Hospitality Group umbrella, the company operates ancillary revenue streams: an owned 2,400 sq. ft. event venue (GRACE Venue) with exclusive in-house catering requirements, a seasonal destination food market and restaurant in Bala, Muskoka (The Pearl Muskoka), a mobile food truck used for corporate activations, and direct-to-consumer and corporate meal delivery services (TOBEN At Home and TOBEN At Work). Named enterprise clients include TD Bank, RBC, Meta, CBC, Bell Media, Universal Music, L'Oréal, Pinterest, the University of Toronto, and the UHN Foundation, alongside flagship nonprofit partnerships (SickKids Foundation, POGO, Nankind, Canadian Tire Jumpstart) that collectively raised over $2.5M in documented years. Pricing is custom and quote-based, with no proprietary technology platform disclosed and no public capital raises or revenue disclosure on file.

Name

Toben Food By Design

Legal name

TOBEN Food by Design Inc.

Website

https://tobenfoodbydesign.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Toben Food By Design is a privately held Toronto-based full-service catering and hospitality company, founded in 2005, that designs and executes corporate events, weddings, and charity galas for enterprises, families, and nonprofits across the Greater Toronto Area and Muskoka.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Event Catering Services

NAICS

Caterers (722320), Food Service Contractors (722310), Caterers (72232)

SIC

Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Event Catering (Weddings, Social, Private Parties) (THAFAIAB), Specialty & Dietary Catering (Halal, Kosher, Vegan, Allergen-Free, Medical) (THAHAKAK)

Keywords

• Event catering services
• Corporate event catering
• Wedding catering
• Private event catering
• Charity gala catering

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Event Catering Services: Full-service catering for corporate and private events including food, beverage, staffing, and rentals. Revenue generated through event contracts with deposit requirements (25% upon booking, 50% at 45 days prior, 75% for events within 45 days). Service charges applied to food and beverage.
2. Drop Off Catering: Delivery-only catering service for events with simplified logistics. Subject to delivery fee only, without full service charges.
3. Venue Operations (GRACE Venue): TOBEN Hospitality Group owns and operates GRACE Venue, a 2,400 sq. ft. event space accommodating 120 seated and 150 cocktail-style guests. Venue rental revenue supplemented by exclusive in-house catering.
4. Restaurant Operations (The Pearl Muskoka): Seasonal destination food market and restaurant in Bala, Muskoka offering full-service dining, market fare, craft cocktails, artisan coffee, and catering. Revenue from dine-in, take-out, and retail pantry sales.
5. Food Truck Services: Mobile catering unit providing street-style cuisine for private and corporate events. Can be customized with branded wraps for corporate clients or used as standalone offering.
6. Home Delivery (TOBEN At Home): Direct-to-consumer delivery of seasonal, locally sourced cuisine with next-day delivery availability. Click-and-collect ordering model through website.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Toben Food By Design is a Toronto-based full-service catering company that designs, prepares, and serves custom menus for corporate events, private celebrations (weddings, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, religious affairs), and charity galas across the Greater Toronto Area and Muskoka. Offerings include food, beverage, dedicated Event Managers, staffing, rentals coordination, and supplementary services such as a mobile food truck, owned GRACE Venue, The Pearl Muskoka restaurant, and direct delivery through TOBEN At Home and TOBEN At Work.

Product overview

TOBEN Food by Design is a full-service catering and hospitality company operating since 2005. The company offers a portfolio of related services organized around event catering: Corporate Catering (product launches, holiday parties, in-office catering, special events) and Private Catering (weddings, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, celebrations, religious affairs) form the core catering offerings. Supporting services include TOBEN At Home (next-day meal delivery) and TOBEN At Work (workplace catering). The company operates a Food Truck for mobile catering and owns GRACE Venue (a 2,400 sq. ft. historic Toronto event space) and The Pearl Muskoka (a seasonal restaurant in Bala, Muskoka). TOBEN also maintains a Preferred Venues partnership network of GTA event spaces where they serve as exclusive or preferred caterer. Full-service offerings include staffing, rentals coordination, and beverage services with catering endorsement license.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Corporate Catering Full-service corporate catering for product launches, holiday parties, in-office catering, and special events across the Greater Toronto Area.
• Private Catering Full-service private event catering including weddings, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, celebrations, and religious affairs.
• Charity Galas Catering Catering for galas and fundraising events of all scales and grandeur, including partnerships with charitable organizations.
• TOBEN At Home Seasonal, locally sourced, and expertly crafted cuisine delivered next-day to customers' doorsteps for family, colleagues, or gifting.
• TOBEN At Work
• TOBEN Food Truck
• GRACE Venue
• Preferred Venues Partnership Network
• The Pearl Muskoka Seasonal destination food market and restaurant owned by TOBEN Hospitality Group, located in Bala, Muskoka, featuring a full-service restaurant, market fare, craft cocktails, artisan coffee bar, and curated pantry essentials.
• Drop Off Catering
• Modern Cafeteria Catering
• Wedding Catering
• Bar/Bat Mitzvah Catering

Quantifiable outcome

• SickKids Scrubs in the City raised $1.4 million in 2023 and 2024 for hospital equipment
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Canadian Tire JumpstartcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Catering partner for the Building the Future Fundraiser at Evergreen Brickworks. TOBEN provides themed food stations and hors d'oeuvres for charity events supporting youth sport and physical activity programs through Jumpstart Charities. Event serves 400 guests.
• Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario (POGO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Recurring catering partner for the annual POGO PJ Party. TOBEN creates custom themed menus matching event themes (e.g., jungle-themed). The 2024 event raised $370,000, contributing to over $2.1M total for childhood cancer care. Event serves 300 guests.
• NankindcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Catering partner for the Angels & Heroes Love You to the Moon Gala at Ontario Science Centre. TOBEN creates themed food stations (Galaxy Pasta, Space Food, etc.) for family-friendly event supporting families impacted by cancer. Event raised nearly $800,000 with 475 guests.
• SickKids FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Exclusive catering partner for the annual Scrubs in the City charity gala at Evergreen Brickworks. TOBEN designs custom themed menus and executes events for 1,300-1,400+ guests. The partnership has raised over $1.4 million per event for SickKids hospital equipment, including neurosurgery navigation systems and neurodiagnostic lab upgrades.
• Brooklands FarmminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMuskoka venue partnership for events in the Bala, Ontario area. Brooklands Farm partners with TOBEN for catering services at their rural event venue, extending TOBEN's reach in the Muskoka cottage country region.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Daniel et Daniel Event Design & Catering: Toronto-based full-service catering and event design firm serving corporate, private, and charity events across the GTA. Directly comparable in service mix, premium positioning, and venue-based catering model.
• Marigolds & Onions: Toronto full-service catering company offering corporate, wedding, and private event catering. Comparable in scale, target segments, and event-management service model.
• Presidential Gourmet: Established Toronto caterer specializing in corporate events, weddings, and large-scale galas. Comparable in service breadth, premium client base, and Greater Toronto Area focus.
• The Food Dudes: Toronto-based catering and event company serving corporate and private clients. Comparable in offering, target market, and event-driven GTM motion.
• Pumpernickel's Catering: Toronto-area full-service catering company providing corporate and private event catering. Directly comparable in service scope and regional focus.
• Encore Catering: Toronto premium caterer serving corporate galas, weddings, and private events. Comparable in clientele mix and event-execution focus.
• Eatertainment Events & Catering: Toronto premium caterer specializing in corporate events, weddings, and large-scale galas with strong venue partnerships. Comparable in target customers and event scale.

Broad incumbents

• McEwan Catering (Mark McEwan Group): Toronto hospitality group founded by celebrity chef Mark McEwan, operating restaurants plus catering services. Broader portfolio than TOBEN but directly competes for premium corporate and private event catering.
• Oliver & Bonacini Hospitality: Large Toronto-based hospitality group with restaurants, event venues, and catering. Operates owned venues and competes in the same premium event-catering segment as TOBEN.

Regional players

• Bytown Catering: Ottawa-based full-service caterer serving corporate, government, and private events. Comparable in service model but operates in a different Canadian region than TOBEN.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cheftoben
• Facebookfacebook.com/TobenFoodByDesign
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/toben-food-by-design
• Instagraminstagram.com/tobenfoodbydesign

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Toben Food By Design