ONE MONTH, NO MONEY, NO INVESTORS— HOW WE BUILT A CATERING COMPANY FROM SCRATCH
IN THIS ECONOMY?!?!
It all started with frustration.
After years in hospitality, we were fed up. Too many companies seemed focused on all the wrong things—cutting corners, phoning it in, chasing trends instead of substance. We knew it didn’t have to be that way. So instead of complaining over another post-shift drink, we decided: let’s do this ourselves.
From Pop-Ups to Full-Blown Catering
The plan? A few small pop-up events. Nothing major. Just good food, made properly. But momentum hit fast. One pop-up turned into full-service catering, catering turned into opening a Peruvian sandwich restaurant, and then came a growing line of fresh, artisanal sauces. Within a month, we had accidentally built an entire company.
Why We Did It
At the core, it came down to two things: good food and good service.
Every dish we create has to be thoughtful, layered, and rooted in real craft—no shortcuts. That’s the chef side of things. On the flip side, there’s service. And this is where I, Malia, enter like a caffeinated octopus. Website designer? That’s me. Social media manager? Also me. Events manager? Yup. Server? Of course. Person answering the phones? Always. It was dramatic. Hilarious. Exhausting. But most importantly—it was worth it.
And let’s not forget our Executive Chef, Sebastian Delgado. With years of fine dining experience and training at a Paul Bocuse-affiliated university in Peru, plus time in Michelin-starred kitchens, you’d think he’d just focus on creating dishes. Instead? He’s also the dishwasher. The sous chef. The line cook. The delivery driver. One minute he’s plating canapés with tweezers, the next he’s racing across town with a trunk full of chafers. Basically, we’re both wearing all the hats, some more glamorous than others.
Starting with Pennies and Nickels
We didn’t have investors. We didn’t have a safety net. What we had were savings, sheer determination, and the stubborn belief that if we focused on the right things, people would notice. And they have.
We built Delgado & Co. to flip the script on the typical hospitality experience. No shortcuts. No soulless service. Just custom, heartfelt, memorable catering and private dining experiences in Vancouver.
What began as a one-month scramble is now a full-fledged catering company, a restaurant, and a growing sauce line. And we’re just getting started.
Because when you put your heart (and maybe a little chaos) into it, you can build something real.
Owners Sebastian Delgado and Malia McMullen