Catering to the Community: Betty Zlatchin’s Legacy of Service
By Maddie Scher
We recently spoke with Betty Zlatchin, who founded her own catering company over forty years ago and has shaped its approach to serving her community through the decades. Below Betty reflects on the genesis of her company, her son David’s transition into leadership, and the impact of COVID-19 on the catering industry. She also shared with us a staple recipe for rosemary roasted potatoes that is sure to please on any holiday table.
What’s the story behind Betty Zlatchin? What inspired you to open and how would you describe its role in the community?
I grew up in Atlanta and come from a family that loved food and gardening. We kept chickens, grew corn, tomatoes, and asparagus. We got oysters at Christmas, roquefort cheese and would spread out newspaper and put out wild Georgia shrimp in the shell and go to it with our fingers and little mallets for those tiny crabs. That’s how I learned to eat and to cook and to bring these lessons of seasonality to the business. From my family I learned that sharing these good things in life are always better when you are with others.
The beginnings of my company are very simple, a friend asked me to find a caterer to help him plan a business merger. I said that I would love to do it myself, and so my first “gig” was a 200 person party. From that party, little events and requests came in and ultimately I had to find a commercial kitchen or stop catering because the volume was just too big to do in my home. This first client is still our client and has grown his firm to great success.
Photos provided by Betty and David Zlatchin
How would you describe the foods and flavors of your catering business?
Our food and flavors reflect our many diverse cultures here in the Bay Area and also my travels to Europe, Asia and Africa. I have been particularly inspired by the foods of Provence and Italy. My secret crush however is Chinese food from all regions, but especially Szechuan. I seem unable to let go of my private passion for mapo tofu with pink Szechuan peppercorns.
Our son, David, is now the CEO of our company. He was eight or nine years old when he started to come with me to events. Early on, he began to absorb the visual processes of learning how to work and organize and display and interact with clients and staff. David cares so much about the product and the quality of what we do, as well as the health and life of our staff who work so hard. His own background in food, however, is more widespread. He was on the board of the Food Runners for years, he also worked with the Haight Ashbury Soup Kitchen on Waller Street to make contributions to the homeless. And when the earthquake of ‘89 struck San Francisco, he helped me run the Marina Middle School food supplement plan for those made homeless during that disaster.
Our company has been very fortunate in our core staffing. Tom Rippy, our Executive Chef of over 30 years is at the center of our work. His values and commitment to quality and care have been constant. He has become a mentor to so many of our kitchen family.
How has COVID-19 affected your business, and what inspired you to work with SF New Deal?
We grew, we even had to grow up and become professional. I have been in this business now for over 40 years and have seen it become a big business. We all thought it would continue but COVID came along and so we all did a hard pivot.
Catering has changed dramatically in 2020. COVID has put a big red stop sign on the world of big events, huge productions, and large gatherings. And yet, the human need for contact and empathy continues. Going forward, I am confident that even though these events outwardly may change, the yearning and the shared spaces to show care and love will continue. Caterers are inspired by challenges and learn to improvise. Our commitment to these food projects in the community not only help us to continue as a business but also, and most importantly, continue to nourish our inner selves and give us reason to hope that we will one day be able to make all the world just a bit better.
Betty Zlatchin’s team prepares meals for distribution through SF New Deal.
One of the recipients of our Great Plates Delivered program, Lulu, who coincidentally used to work at Betty Zlatchin, mentioned your rosemary roasted potatoes as especially delicious and memory provoking. Can you share your recipe so readers can recreate them for Thanksgiving this year?
[Lulu] was such fun to work with and so creative.I want to make a special mention to Lulu and the group of friends. Most of these early staff were musicians, theater people and writers. Their energy and creativity made catering each day a new adventure, a new production and so much fun. Thank you to them.
Tom’s Roast Creamer Potatoes with Olive Oil and Rosemary
Makes 2 servings:
4-6 baby creamer potatoes or other potatoes (cut into small halves). Drizzle with 1-2 teaspoons olive oil and some chopped up fresh rosemary leaves (no stems). Sprinkle with a bit of salt (sea salt or Maldon salt is best).
Place potatoes, cut flat side down, on ovenproof pan or shallow ovenproof dish.
Bake 15 - 18 minutes in very hot oven (400 or 425 degrees).
You may want to turn them over to check if the flat side is browned, because that’s the best part.
Optional: add 2-4 small garlic cloves if desired, they will become creamy and yummy.
Consider having your next event catered by Betty Zlatchin Catering