Leading Caterers of America Welcomes Miami’s Bill Hansen Catering & Event Production

South Florida’s luxury catering and events company, Bill Hansen Catering & Event Production (BHCEP), has been accepted into Leading Caterers of America (LCA), a select group of the most successful caterers in the U.S. and Canada.

Widely recognized as one of the largest catering brands in South Florida, Bill Hansen Catering & Event Production typically caters over 800 events a year, with 40 full-time and more than 200 on-call employees.

“Bill is a highly seasoned and experienced industry veteran who will bring immeasurable knowledge to our organization,“ said Carl Sacks, LCA Executive Director. “He has catered events for everyone from Pope John Paul II to the Bush family, the Reagan family, Michael Jordan, Usher, Kim Kardashian and many other high-profile clients.”

Through recent acquisitions of several catering brands, BHCEP has expanded across the board in South Florida. In October of 2021, Bill Hansen partnered with Chef Aaron Dreilinger, a South Florida based gourmet caterer who specializes in Kosher-style and Jewish events, to create a new division: Mitzvahs & More. Both Hansen and Dreilinger work together to provide high-quality service and luxury catering for the Jewish events market in South Florida.

“We are in the business of selling experiences, not just food and beverage,” explained Hansen.

Along with Dreilinger, Bill Hansen Catering & Event Production launched a new brand, Luxury Residential Services, which operates exclusive dining experiences for some of South Florida’s most luxurious residential buildings. Luxury Residential Services currently manages the members-only restaurant Alluva at its two locations in Park Grove Condominium of Coconut Grove in Miami, and the recently-opened L’Hermitage, a five-star condominium tower in Fort Lauderdale.

BHCEP merged with Eten Catering, a full-service catering and event company to expand the brand's presence to an even larger market, specifically on large scale yachts in South Florida. Bill Hansen Catering also acquired Alexander Event Catering and Different Look, two leading brands that have served South Florida’s wedding and special events market for more than 15 years. The two brands receive expertise, guidance, and support from Bill Hansen and his team. The partnership brings a new standard of luxury to South Florida events as a whole.

The company is the exclusive caterer for Villa Woodbine, a historic and award-winning, early 20th century Mediterranean Revival estate in Coconut Grove. BHCEP also caters to a collection of 100 unique venues from the Palm Beaches to the Florida Keys.

In addition to being an in-demand speaker at catering conferences, Bill has taught Catering Management at Florida International University since 1990. His textbook Off-Premise Catering Management remains a standard text in many hospitality classrooms.

Corporate executive Chef Dewey LoSasso brings over 30 years of culinary experience as he has served as Donatella Versace’s personal chef and has delighted patrons of several of Miami’s leading restaurants, including The Forge Restaurant, The Private Foundlings Club and Tuscan Steak, as well as The Hudson Hotel In NYC. He has made appearances on the Food Network’s Chopped, South Florida Today Show, “Chefs Challenge” TV Segment with CBS, which garnered a Florida Emmy Award.

Founded in 2007, Leading Caterers of America is an invitation only caterers’ consortium with members that are the leaders in their respective markets and the trendsetters in the industry. An affiliate of Catersource, the leading educational resource for the catering and events industry, LCA has risen to the top of their markets by consistently delivering superior results through creativity and best business practices.

To become a member of Leading Caterers of America, caterers must pass a rigorous evaluation and peer review of their quality standards, creativity, focus on service, and client feedback. The LCA currently has 65 members throughout the US and Canada and generates over half a billion dollars annually in catering revenue. Many of the largest independent caterers in North America are LCA members. Clients of the individual LCA members benefit from access to these top caterers.

By ML Staff. Images courtesy of Leading Caterers of America