Arizona’s second-largest catering company, Atlasta Catering has rebranded with a new parent company, Steve Short Culinary Team (SSCT), to better represent the wide variety of industry-leading services it offers as it continues to thoughtfully grow and expand after 45 years.
Need more? Read more: Rainbow Ryders rides high over Southwest
Far reach and impressive roster
Founded in 1979 in Phoenix, and led by second-generation Chef/COO, Steve Short and his wife and CEO, Kristine Short, Atlasta now proudly hosts more than 600 events a year with nearly $9M in gross sales and clients ranging from Starbucks, SRP and Amazon to the President of the United States. But that’s just a soupçon of the Steve Short Culinary Team’s six divisions, from casual workplace catering to restaurant and bar operations and consulting, including innovative yet time-tested sustainability techniques as a zero-waste company for nearly a decade.
“After more than four decades operating with Atlasta as the public face of our company, we launched the Steve Short Culinary Team to differentiate for those who only know us as a full-service catering company,” says Kristine Short. “People might not realize we also own and operate restaurants, manage liquor licenses, offer casual delivered catering, consulting services and more.”
Adds Short, “The philosophy, values and standards are consistent across all brands.”
New ties to ASU
And while the SSCT name is new, Kristine says the expansion and diversification started almost immediately after they took over the company in 1998 as a $600K a year operation. “In 2002 we partnered with Arizona State University (ASU) to expand into campus venue management,” she says.
Now known as Campus Provisions Short explains, “It’s become our biggest growth segment, managing multiple restaurants, dining outlets and liquor contracts for venues, including the Tempe Center for the Arts and the Mesa Art Center.”
Sustainability priorities
Another fast-growing division is Casual Catering, delivering chef-crafted and ready-to-serve food in fully recyclable containers to boardrooms, ballrooms and anywhere people are craving an amazing meal. That said, the most innovative is undoubtedly Clear Stock Consulting, which grew out of Steve Short’s year-long efforts to reorganize all aspects of the company to create both zero-waste kitchens and events. Now a featured expert at national sustainability conferences, and former member of the ASU Wellness Committee and the Sustainable Food Task Force, Steve consults with culinary clients nationwide looking for time-tested technique to improve sustainability.
But even as the company grows, and seeks out new opportunities, the Steve Short Culinary Team has one very obvious limiting factor. “Our commitment is to always be hands-on,” Kristine Short says. “From only hiring full-time staff for every event so we can train them to meet our standards, to Steve liking to be onsite at every event possible, we’re committed to upholding the same standards that have made Atlasta Catering the top company in town for 45 years.”
Steve Short Culinary Team Divisions:
Atlasta Catering
Founded in 1979 and proudly family-owned and operated, Atlasta Catering offers genuine chef-driven (and always cooked-on-site) cuisine by an in-house team of chefs and hospitality specialists to create unforgettable food for you and your guests. Now the second-largest caterer in the state, Atlasta exclusively executes zero landfill events and operates zero landfill facilities, diverting more than three million pounds of what would be considered waste from the landfill.
Campus Provisions
Offering long-term, comprehensive, on-location hospitality management, Campus Provision’s portfolio includes university event center management, theater and performance art center management, lower education dining programs, and corporate in-house daily, multi-meal dining programs.
Casual Catering
Perfect for meetings and events that require amazing food but not a full-blown setup with culinary and hospitality teams on location, enjoy amazing food made easy with Casual Catering’s delivered, ready-to-serve food in fully recyclable containers.
Cellar 9 Beverage Catering
Elevating event-based bar service, Cellar 9’s bartenders and hospitality team are fully licensed and insured, never utilize temp staff, always use fresh juices, syrups, fruits, and herbs, to transform event bars into memorable experiences with uncommonly excellent hospitality.
Clear Stock Consulting
Serving both local and national clients, Clear Stock Consulting advises, educates, and guides hospitality industry clients in implementing replicable and measurable sustainable systems and frameworks.
Short Hospitality
From initial proforma development, design, and installation to daily operations, including system implementation, training, menu costing, cost control, and financial reporting, Short Hospitality provides a wealth of understanding to those needing complete restaurant management and oversight.