McCalls - Catering & Events

What McCalls - Catering & Events does

McCalls Catering & Events is a privately held, full-service catering and event management company headquartered at 1798 Bryant St. in San Francisco, founded in 1979 and operating for over 45 years. The company provides on-site catering for corporate events, social galas, civic functions, weddings, and large-scale marquee events across the San Francisco Bay Area, serving a client roster that includes technology firms (Google, Salesforce, Facebook, Instagram, Oracle), financial institutions (Bank of America, Wells Fargo, VISA), cultural institutions (San Francisco Symphony, Opera, Ballet, SFMoMA, de Young, Legion of Honor), healthcare and education clients, and government entities.

The business operates as a multi-format food service company beyond catering alone. McCalls runs four museum café locations inside major San Francisco cultural institutions (de Young Café, Legion of Honor Café, Cafe 5 at SFMOMA, and Steps Coffee at SFMOMA), two sister café concepts in Union Square (Union Square Coffee and Alma Café), and MCmarket, a delivery service launched in 2023 that extends the McCalls culinary experience to homes and offices. The core technology stack and pricing model are not publicly disclosed; pricing is custom-quoted based on guest count, menu, and event complexity.

Revenue mechanics are diversified across three streams: project-based event catering (the historical core), recurring museum café concessions (stable, high-traffic), and newer retail delivery via MCmarket. The company is led by President Lucas Schoemaker, with a named functional team spanning executive chef, floral and beverage directors, senior event managers, and account managers. The firm is privately held with no disclosed funding rounds, no parent company, and no subsidiaries beyond its sister café and delivery brands.

Name

McCalls - Catering & Events

Legal name

McCalls Catering & Events Company

Website

https://mccallssf.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

McCalls Catering & Events is a San Francisco-based premium catering company founded in 1979, serving corporate clients, cultural institutions, and weddings across the Bay Area for over 45 years, with four museum cafés, two sister Union Square cafés, and a delivery service.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Event Catering Services

NAICS

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

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Wedding & Social Event Catering (THAHAKAE), Beverage Services (Bar Catering, Mixology, Beverage Programs) (THAHAKAJ), Event Culinary Staffing & Back-of-House Services (Chefs, Servers, Bartenders) (THAHAKAN)

Keywords

• Event catering services
• Wedding catering
• Corporate event catering
• Museum cafe operations
• Event management

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

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, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

McCalls is a Bay Area catering and event management company that provides full-service event catering for weddings, corporate events, and social/civic galas, complemented by four museum café operations (de Young, Legion of Honor, SFMOMA) and a delivery service called MCmarket. Service execution spans menu design, on-site culinary production, event staffing, floral and beverage programs, logistics, and venue coordination across the San Francisco Bay Area.

Product overview

McCalls Catering & Events is a Bay Area catering company offering a unified portfolio of on-site catering services and café operations. The core offerings include wedding catering, corporate event catering, and social event catering services, supplemented by four museum café operations (de Young Café, Legion of Honor Café, Cafe 5 – SFMOMA, and Steps Coffee – SFMOMA). The company also operates MCmarket for delivery services, Union Square Coffee, and Alma Café for dine-in experiences. All offerings are managed through the main catering division, with venues throughout the San Francisco Bay Area including museums, waterfronts, civic centers, and unique event spaces.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MCmarket: Delivery service offering McCalls dining experience for customers at home, office, or social gatherings.
• Union Square Coffee
• Alma Café

Products and services

• Wedding Catering Luxury wedding catering services for Bay Area couples, including menu design, on-site culinary production, bar/beverage service, event staffing, and day-of execution across receptions, rehearsal dinners, and ceremonies. Targeted at engaged couples and wedding planners seeking high-end, full-service event execution.
• Corporate Event Catering Catering and event management services for corporate clients, including galas, executive meetings, product launches, conferences, and corporate functions. Targeted at Bay Area businesses such as Google, Salesforce, Facebook, Oracle, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo.
• Social and Civic Event Catering Catering services for social occasions and civic events, including galas, nonprofit fundraisers, museum events, and community celebrations. Targeted at cultural institutions (San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Opera, SFMoMA, Asian Art Museum, etc.) and civic organizations such as the City of San Francisco.
• de Young Café On-site museum café at the de Young Museum, operated by McCalls, serving contemporary food and beverage offerings to museum visitors.
• Legion of Honor Café On-site museum café at the Legion of Honor Museum, operated by McCalls, serving contemporary food and beverage offerings to museum visitors.
• Cafe 5 – SFMOMA On-site museum café at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), operated by McCalls, featuring award-winning chefs.
• Steps Coffee – SFMOMA Coffee service operated by McCalls at SFMOMA, featuring a special blend of fair trade coffee and light bites for museum visitors.
• MCmarket Delivery Service Delivery service offering a range of McCalls culinary offerings for at-home, office, and small-group consumption. Targeted at Bay Area consumers and offices seeking McCalls-quality food delivered.
• Union Square Coffee Walk-in café in historic Union Square, downtown San Francisco, offering light bites and a special blend of fair trade coffee.
• Alma Café Walk-in café in historic Union Square, downtown San Francisco, featuring contemporary Californian cuisine.

Quantifiable outcome

• Hosted high-profile events including Superbowl 2016, World Series Celebrations (2010, 2012, 2014), America's Cup, Dreamforce, and Golden Gate Bridge 100th Anniversary

Named customers28 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• MCmarketminorOthersSister delivery service operated by McCalls, offering wide range of delivery offerings so customers can enjoy the McCalls experience at home, with friends, or in the office.
• Union Square CoffeeminorOthersSister café in historic Union Square downtown San Francisco offering light bites and special blend fair trade coffee.
• Alma CaféminorOthersSister café in historic Union Square downtown San Francisco featuring contemporary Californian cuisine.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Aramark: Major US food services and uniform services provider operating sports, entertainment, and corporate event catering. Comparable to McCalls' Super Bowl, World Series, and museum event work.
• Sodexo: Global food services and facilities management company with a corporate event catering and concessions arm. Competes for institutional and large corporate contracts in the Bay Area.
• Compass Group: Global contract foodservice company with premium event and venue catering subsidiaries. Operates at scale across sports, cultural, and corporate event verticals similar to McCalls' marquee work.
• Bon Appétit Management Company: Specialty food service and catering company operating cafés and event catering at museums, corporations, and cultural venues; comparable to McCalls' museum café and corporate event segments.

Direct peers

• Melon's Catering: San Francisco-based full-service caterer serving weddings, corporate events, and private parties. Comparable scale, geography, and service mix to McCalls.
• Paula LeDuc Fine Catering: Bay Area luxury caterer headquartered in Berkeley, offering weddings, corporate, and social event catering. Closest direct competitor to McCalls in the SF premium catering segment.
• Best Catering: San Francisco caterer offering event catering and venue partnerships across the Bay Area, competing directly for weddings, corporate, and museum events.
• Bite Catering Couture: Bay Area full-service caterer focused on weddings, corporate events, and social gatherings with comparable cuisine-and-service positioning to McCalls.

Emerging players

• Off the Grid Catering: Bay Area event food and catering operator known for large outdoor gatherings, food-truck activations, and corporate event programs. Overlaps with McCalls on corporate event work but skews more casual/festival.

Others

• CaterTrax: Catering management software vendor serving catering and event companies. Adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor; relevant as enabling technology peer for catering operators.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mccallscatering
• Facebookfacebook.com/mccallscatering

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 McCalls - Catering & Events