Simply Delicious Catering & Management

What Simply Delicious Catering & Management does

Simply Delicious Catering & Management Service is a privately held, founder-owned full-service catering and event management company headquartered in Worcester, Massachusetts, with operations in Auburn and a sub-brand retail café (Elms Café) on the Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine campus in North Grafton. Founded in 1989 by John Mauro and co-led with Denise Kapulka-Cariglia since 1998, the company delivers customized catering for weddings, corporate functions, family celebrations, and nonprofit fundraising galas across Central Massachusetts, supplemented by TIPS-certified bar services and end-to-end event planning (venue selection, vendor coordination, décor, rentals). Pricing is quote-based, typically $30–$100 per person depending on event type and service level, with complimentary tastings and bundled event management offered as add-ons.

The business operates without proprietary technology, relying instead on industry-standard SaaS tools: TripleSeat for inbound event booking and quote requests via the company website, ezCater for marketplace distribution, and Square for Elms Café retail ordering and newsletter signups. Go-to-market is primarily direct-to-consumer through website quote forms, phone/email inquiries, and word-of-mouth, with community engagement and brand advocacy (including National Ataxia Foundation board service by John Mauro) reinforcing local reputation. The company has executed two acquisitions — Elms Café in 2018 and Loaves & Fishes catering — to extend into campus retail dining and standalone event management, respectively.

Revenue is derived from per-event catering fees (professional services), bar service add-ons, event management fees, and Elms Café retail sales. The company is self-funded with no institutional investors, operates with 11–50 employees, and reports cumulative metrics of 3,151 events completed and 623 clients served over its 35+ year history, indicating a stable, regionally focused small business rather than a venture-scale enterprise.

Name

Simply Delicious Catering & Management

Legal name

Simply Delicious Catering & Management Service

Website

https://simplydcatering.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Simply Delicious Catering & Management is a privately held, full-service catering and event management company serving weddings, corporate events, family celebrations, and fundraisers across Central Massachusetts, with a sub-brand campus café at Tufts University. Founded in 1989.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Event Catering & Management Services

NAICS

Caterers (722320), Caterers (72232)

SIC

Retail-Eating Places (5812), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Wedding & Social Event Catering (THAHAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Event Catering (Weddings, Social, Private Parties) (THAFAIAB), Full-Service Catering (Off-Premise) (HSACAGAA)

Keywords

• Event catering services
• Wedding catering
• Corporate event catering
• Event management
• Bar services

Headquarters

HQ city

Auburn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Event Catering Services: Full-service catering for weddings, corporate events, family celebrations, and fundraisers. Revenue generated through per-person pricing with custom menus tailored to each event. Pricing ranges from $30-$100 per person depending on event type and service level.
2. Café Operations: Elms Café at Tufts University campus location serving faculty, students, and staff. Point-of-sale retail food service offering coffee, sandwiches, wraps, salads, and breakfast items. Open Monday-Friday, 7 AM - 3 PM.
3. Bar Services: Professional bartending and beverage service for events, including TIPS-certified bartenders, signature cocktails, beer and wine selections, glassware rentals, and mixers. Offered as add-on service to catering packages.
4. Event Management: Comprehensive event planning services including venue selection, vendor coordination, décor and design, rental coordination, and day-of execution. Can be bundled with catering or provided as standalone service.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Simply Delicious Catering & Management Service is a full-service catering and event management company that prepares customized menus, provides professional wait staff, bar service, and end-to-end event coordination for weddings, corporate events, family celebrations, and nonprofit fundraisers across Central Massachusetts. The company also operates Elms Café, a sub-brand retail café on the Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine campus serving faculty, students, and staff. Services span concept consultation, custom planning, complimentary tasting sessions, on-site execution, and post-event follow-up.

Product overview

Simply Delicious Catering & Management operates as a full-service catering and event management company with a portfolio of integrated service modules. The core offering is Simply Delicious Catering, supplemented by specialized catering verticals for weddings, corporate events, family celebrations, and fundraising galas. Adjacent services include Bar Services with TIPS-certified bartenders and Event Management for full-service planning. The company also operates Elms Café (acquired in 2018), a sub-brand campus café at Tufts University. Together, these offerings provide end-to-end catering and event execution from menu planning through setup, service, and cleanup.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Elms Café: Campus café located at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, serving fresh food, coffee, sandwiches, wraps, salads, and breakfast items.

Products and services

• Simply Delicious Catering (Full-Service Catering) Full-service catering providing customized menus, food preparation, professional wait staff, setup, and cleanup for weddings, corporate events, and special occasions across Central Massachusetts.
• Wedding Catering Specialized wedding catering including plated and buffet options, cocktail hour catering, custom menus for dietary needs, and full-service support from planning through execution.
• Corporate Catering Professional catering for business events including boardroom lunches, work picnics, business mixers, fundraisers, and conferences with setup, service, cleanup, and flexible menu scheduling.
• Family Events & Special Occasion Catering Catering for private celebrations including Sweet 16s, quinceañeras, graduation parties, baby/bridal showers, bar/bat mitzvahs, holiday gatherings, and in-home events.
• Fundraising Event & Gala Catering Specialized catering for nonprofit galas, charity events, silent auctions, fundraising luncheons, and black-tie functions featuring elegant buffet/carving stations, hors d'oeuvres, plated dinners, signature cocktails, and full-service event staffing.
• Bar Services Professional bartending with TIPS-certified bartenders offering personalized beverage selections, signature cocktails, beer and wine, glassware rentals, and mixers, available as add-on to catering packages or standalone service.
• Event Management Full-service event planning including venue selection, vendor coordination, décor and design, rental coordination, and day-of execution, offered bundled with catering or as a standalone service.
• Elms Café Sub-brand retail café located at Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine (Agnes Varis Campus Center), serving fresh food, coffee, sandwiches, wraps, salads, and breakfast items to faculty, students, and staff. Open Monday-Friday, 7 AM - 3 PM, with walk-in and online ordering via Square.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,151 events completed
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Elms CafécoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Acquired in 2018, Elms Café is a campus dining location operated by Simply Delicious at Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. It expands the company's service offerings with a retail café operation and serves as a consistent revenue stream alongside event catering.
• ezCaterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party marketplace platform listing for catering discovery and ordering. Allows Simply Delicious to reach customers searching for catering services online. Simply Delicious is featured on ezCater's platform.
• TripleSeatcoreTechnology or IntegrationEvent booking and management platform used for quote requests and party inquiries. Integrated into the company website as the primary booking inquiry mechanism for event requests.
• Madison Kinnard Media & DesignminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWebsite development and design partner credited for the company website. Ongoing web design services.
• Loaves & FishesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCatering company acquired by Simply Delicious, bringing additional event management expertise and team members including Jean Sagerian who transitioned to consultant role.
• National Ataxia FoundationminorOthersJohn Mauro serves as Board Member and Executive Board Member for 10 years. Company supports awareness projects, legislative advocacy, and community fundraising for Ataxia research and awareness.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• ezCater: Largest US corporate catering marketplace where Simply Delicious is listed. Acts as a distribution and demand-generation channel rather than a direct competitor; its ecosystem dynamics shape the corporate catering pricing and discovery environment in which Simply Delicious operates.
• CaterTrax: Catering-specific online ordering and management platform serving catering operators. While not a direct competitor, its technology stack represents the kind of proprietary tooling Simply Delicious lacks and that could enable competitors to scale more efficiently.

Direct peers

• Capers Catering: New England-based full-service catering and event planning company for weddings, corporate functions, and private events — overlapping geography (Greater Boston / New England) and the same integrated catering + event-management offering.
• Tasty Catering: Chicago-based full-service catering and event management company offering corporate catering, weddings, and social events with comparable per-person pricing models and on-site service capabilities.
• Abigail Kirsch: NYC-based full-service catering and event management company operating at premium venues. Comparable high-end wedding, corporate, and social-event business with bundled catering, bar, and event-planning services.
• Struck Catering: Worcester, MA-based full-service catering and event company serving weddings, corporate events, and private parties. Direct competitor in the same Central Massachusetts market; a former Struck event planner (Cindy Card) now works at Simply Delicious, evidencing direct talent overlap.
• The Catered Affair: Boston-area full-service catering and event design company serving weddings, corporate events, and social occasions across New England — same regional footprint and end-to-end catering-plus-event-management value proposition.
• Loaves & Fishes Catering: Massachusetts-based full-service catering company that was itself acquired by Simply Delicious, with prior event-management team members (Jean Sagerian) integrated into Simply Delicious. Operates in the same weddings/corporate/private-events space.
• Blue Plate: Long-established Chicago catering and event company providing full-service catering, bar service, and event production for corporate, wedding, and social clients — directly comparable full-service offerings and venue relationships.

Broad incumbents

• Restaurant Associates: Large national food service contractor (a Compass Group company) providing corporate dining, hospitality, and event catering. Overlaps with Simply Delicious on corporate event catering but operates at a much larger scale across multiple food-service verticals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/simplydeventcatering
• Xx.com/simply1catering
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/simply-delicious-catering-management

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Simply Delicious Catering & Management