Full service catering · Brand activations · Southern California

Good food.
People taken care of.

We cater corporate events, brand activations, and galas across Southern California. From the menu to the last guest, we take care of the food, the service, and the details that matter.

Corporate events · Brand activations · Galas

Inquire about your event ↗ See our work ↓
Abundant Stems grazing table with cheese, charcuterie, seasonal fruit, and florals
Corporate catering spread with fresh seasonal dishesImmersive culinary installation with lush greeneryGuests participating in a Stems culinary workshop

Trusted by teams at

01 / Your hospitality partner

Good hospitality
starts with people.

Stems started with cheese boards and a simple idea: feeding people is a way to care for them. That still guides our work. Today, we help corporate teams and event producers host everything from executive dinners to events for thousands. The food should be beautiful, the service should be dependable, and your guests should feel welcome.

02 / What we do

What can we
help you host?

Branded graze presentation for Neutrogena

Brand Activations

Food that belongs at your event. We build menus, interactive stations, and presentations around your brand, your campaign, and the people you want to reach.

Chicken, pasta, salad, and bruschetta arranged for full-service catering

Corporate Catering

Breakfasts, lunches, executive meetings, conferences, launches, and company celebrations. We keep your team well fed and your event running smoothly.

Large-format grazing installation

Large Scale Experiences

Hosting a crowd takes planning. We coordinate production, staffing, and service for large guest counts and corporate gifting programs, with trusted partners when the job calls for them.

Complete Stems Halloween tablescape with grazing platters, candlelight, suspended greenery, and themed styling

Full Service Hospitality

Menus, drinks, staff, rentals, flowers, setup, and service. Tell us what you need help with, and we’ll put the right team and plan in place.

See full service catering ↓
Interactive culinary workshop

Gifting & Workshops

Gifts from local makers, cheese and charcuterie boxes, and cooking classes that bring people together. We handle the ingredients, materials, and teaching.

Stems team serving guests at an outdoor event with a floral-styled buffet and individual desserts

Galas & Fundraisers

Catering for fundraising dinners, awards nights, and galas. We plan the menu and service around your program so you can focus on your guests and the reason you’re gathering.

Rows of individually packed Stems lunch boxes with sandwiches, potato chips, and fresh fruit

Corporate catering / Lunch box options

Lunch boxes.
Ready for your day.

Individually packed sandwiches, chips, and fresh fruit for conferences, corporate programs, and large event days.

Inquire about lunch boxes ↗
Close view of a Neutrogena-branded cheese and charcuterie graze

Recent activation · Neutrogena

Breakfast with Neutrogena.

For Neutrogena, we brought together custom breakfast boxes, pastries, fresh produce, and a styled food display. We worked the products into the presentation and handled the menu, setup, and service.

FormatBrand activation ScopeConcept · Menu · Styling · Service
Full Neutrogena culinary activation staged in the event space

03 / Details matter

A look at
our work.

Styled croissants, vegetables, chips, and deviled eggs at the activation
Food & presentation
Guests engaging with the interactive Neutrogena food experience
Taking care of guests
Individual soup presentations arranged for service
Brand activation
Expansive indoor grazing installation filled with cheese, charcuterie, produce, and florals
Large format grazingA table worth gathering around
Long football-themed catering spread with sliders, pasta, salads, and individual bites
Sports + entertainmentCatering for a crowd
Easter-themed buffet with pastel linens, floral garnishes, yellow chicks, sandwiches, and seasonal platters
Immersive environmentsFood, styling + atmosphere
Halloween tablescape with candlelight, suspended greenery, and themed culinary details
Story driven activationsFrom concept through service

04 / Interactive experiences

Get your team
around the table.

Our cooking classes give people a chance to make something together. We plan the class, prepare the ingredient kits and materials, and teach your guests from start to finish. It’s a good fit for team gatherings, brand events, and community programs.

  • Custom cooking classes
  • Corporate team building
  • Branded culinary workshops
  • Ingredient kits + styling
Stems instructor leading guests through a hands-on cooking class Guests gathered around a table during an interactive culinary workshop Branded culinary workshop ingredient display and teaching materials

05 / Proven at scale

We’ve fed
a lot of people.

We know how much work goes into a large event. Our team handles the production plan, works with reliable partners, and draws on a network of local farmers, makers, and chefs. Here are a few examples of what that looks like.

2,000guest graze delivered for Netflix with a 72-hour turnaround
5,000+unit production capacity through strategic fulfillment partnerships
100+regional artisans, farmers, makers, and chefs in our sourcing network
25 to 3Kguests served through full service catering formats

06 / How we work

Here’s how
we work.

  1. 01

    Listen

    Tell us who’s coming, what you’re hosting, and what matters most to you.

  2. 02

    Plan

    We work through the menu, presentation, budget, and service plan with you.

  3. 03

    Produce

    We arrange the food, staff, rentals, setup, and timing so everyone knows the plan.

  4. 04

    Gather

    We take care of service and your guests. You get to be part of the event you’ve planned.

Vibrant California produce presentation styled with greenery

07 / Our story

Born from a cheese board.
Built to bring people together.

Kaiy Smith-Biesman founded Stems on March 3, 2020. Days later, the way we gathered changed. We found ways to keep feeding people and helping them stay connected, one cheese board and delivery at a time.

Kaiy grew up Black and Italian in South Pasadena. Food was how her family welcomed people and took care of them. Stems carries that same approach, with Southern and Italian influences, fresh California ingredients, and a commitment to the community we call home. We are a business founded by a woman, owned by a person of color and an active duty military spouse.

The business has grown to include two hospitality spaces and events for some of the world’s most recognized brands. What hasn’t changed is how we want people to feel when we feed them: welcome, comfortable, and taken care of.

Built for

Sports + entertainmentCorporate + executiveEducation + institutionsTourism + hospitalityNonprofit + communityGalas + fundraisers

For vendors, venues & agency partners

Planning for a client?
Let’s work together.

See what we can provide, how much we can produce, and the events we’ve supported.

Explore vendor capabilities ↗

Planning your event

Before we
get started.

What kinds of events can Stems support?

We focus on corporate events, brand activations, conferences, VIP hospitality, galas, and ongoing catering programs. We also cater private gatherings and celebrations of life. Tell us what you’re planning, and we’ll talk through whether we’re the right fit.

What should I include in my inquiry?

Share your date or date range, location, estimated guest count, event type, budget range, and any food, beverage, staffing, or styling needs. If a detail is still undecided, let us know.

Can you manage more than the food?

Yes. Along with the food, we can arrange drinks, staff, rentals, flowers, styling, setup, and service. We’ll agree on exactly what’s included in your proposal.

Only need a cheese board or a small pickup order?

Order directly from Neighbors & Friends Café. For a larger catered event, use the Stems event inquiry form.

Los Angeles · Southern California · Statewide

Tell us what
you’re planning.

Send us your date, location, guest count, and budget range. We’ll talk through the food, service, and support your event needs.

Typical catering & brand experience projects begin at $10,000.

Inquire about your event ↗

More ways to gather

Part of the
neighborhood.

Join us for dinner.

Southern comfort meets coastal Italian at Neighbors & Friends: The Kitchen in South Pasadena.

Visit The Kitchen ↗