September 26, 2017 – After a nine-month bidding process, chef Dory Ford’s Aqua Terra Culinary last week signed a three-year contract to become the primary caterer for the soon-to-open Monterey Conference Center.
“It’s very, very exciting. Everyone who works for us is ready for the new challenges that lie ahead and we’re going to swing for the fences on this one,” says Ford, who estimates the new venue will double sales for his already vibrant local catering company.
The conference center, which is set to reopen this fall following a two-year, $60 million renovation, is run by the City of Monterey and Ford made several presentations to city officials to win the contract. The final pitch was about two weeks ago for the liquor license and he says years of experience handling large-scale events helped him sail through.
“We have 45 certified bartenders on call and 200 pre-mixed cocktails our clients can choose from and just did the Jazz Festival with 30,000 people, so we know what we’re doing,” he says.
The Monterey Marriott hotel has also signed a contract that allows them to hold events at the Conference Center, but as the primary resident caterer Aqua Terra will hold the liquor license and use storage space at the center.
“The main reason we got the contract,” Ford says, “is our flexibility and our ability to meet the requests and needs of the clients. We do receptions, we do sit down dinners and we do concessions. We use quality ingredients and we care!”
In addition to catering prestige events like the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Aqua Terra operates Point Pinos Grill in Pacific Grove and A Taste of Monterey’s culinary offerings on Cannery Row. It handles catering for La Playa Hotel in Carmel and for Middlebury Institute of International Studies, and runs a wholesome school lunch program for several local private schools. In May, Ford closed the restaurant he was operating in downtown Denver. Before starting Aqua Terra, Ford was the executive chef at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and at Ventana Inn in Big Sur.
“The fact that we’re an independent operator sort of levels the playing field. I think it’s really important that the conference center be for everybody and not just the hotels that are adjacent,” says Ford, adding that he is really looking forward to playing a larger role in the tourism sector.
“The more successful we are, the more successful Monterey tourism can be. I’ve always believed that quality speaks for itself. If you provide quality and value, people will come back to you over and over and recommend you to their friends,” he says.
The Monterey Conference Center contract will require Ford to add several new employees to the Aqua Terra staff, which currently numbers about 50. He is planning to host a hiring fair soon and estimates he will need ten new full-time employees and 20-30 more on-call staff.
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At Edible Monterey Bay, our mission is to celebrate the local food culture of Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey Counties, season by season. We believe in sustainability, and we believe everyone has a right to healthful, clean and affordable food. We think knowing where our food comes from is powerful, and we hope our magazine, website and newsletters inspire readers to get to know and support our local growers, fishers, chefs, vintners and food artisans.
