When Michele Leff launched 12th Street Catering in 1982 in the historic Reading Terminal Market, her initial passion was to offer hand-crafted Mexican cuisine and to import ingredients unavailable at that time to serve this type of fare. Since then, the company has moved to a 35,000 square-foot facility with a culinary team, an in-house bakery, and a full décor division while also expanding the menu to include a fresh and seasonal repertoire that are offered for both delivery and for fully-staffed events.
12th Street Catering is a full-service catering company with a passion for beautiful events, delicious food and exceptional service. The firm also has a robust delivered catering division along with an off-premises events division.
“We are passionate about growing a company that cares about the environment and creating a culture that nurtures its employees,” said Leff. “I am proud that I have created such a culture over the past 40 years, and in an industry known for rapid turnover, to have been supported by such a passionate team is profoundly rewarding.”
Under Leff’s leadership, 12th Street Catering has been awarded exclusive catering contracts at several prestigious new venues such as the Edelman Fossil Park Museum and the Founders Hall at Girard College. Leff has also partnered with Trees for the Future and plants one tree for every customer who wishes to cater a sustainable meal with the company.
“We have an innovative carbon-neutral menu that is gaining tremendous traction and setting us apart from the competition,” said Leff. “We are committed to recycling, composting, and adhering to our sustainable goals with our own beehives and rooftop gardens.”
When the industry was shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic, closing was not an option, said Leff. “I used this moment to assess what I should do as a leader to keep people working,” she said. “I contacted every organization I could think of that needed food service support and we began serving food to the homeless, ultimately serving 10,000 meals each week.”
According to Leff, it takes a team to build a great company. “I have been supported by the most talented team in my industry, and because of that, have been rewarded with developing a company I can be proud of,” she said. “Take the time to build your team and do the hard work to make sure it is a real working team; taking the time to build real relationships, not transactional ones, brings rewards.”
