Continental Catering dishes out client satisfaction for three decades

When individuals and companies in East County need to throw a good party, who do they call? Continental Catering, located in La Mesa, has been the go-to place for memorable events. Established 32 years ago, the catering company how has 20 full time and 80 part time employees. President and owner Denise Jermyn, who also calls herself a peanut butter connoisseur, is the brain behind the company.

When individuals and companies in East County need to throw a good party, who do they call? Continental Catering, located in La Mesa, has been the go-to place for memorable events. Established 32 years ago, the catering company how has 20 full time and 80 part time employees. President and owner Denise Jermyn, who also calls herself a peanut butter connoisseur, is the brain behind the company.

But Jermyn gives credit to her staff for Continentals continued success. She lists a number of reasons. “Their creative eye for design with food and décor, ability to stay with current food trends and to customize any menu, and flexibility with clients with respect to their needs,” she said.

With the introduction of shows such as Top Chef and Chopped as well as the rapid growth of social media and sites such as Pinterest, people not only know about food but consider themselves “foodies” and are seeking out what’s interesting and new. Some of today’s most pressing needs of clients have to do with health issues. For example, gluten free food items are essential to most catering needs, which Continental gladly accommodates.

“Flavor profiles of the average consumer have changed also, due to the introduction of several ethnic cuisines,” Jermyn said.

One such change Continental Catering has seen in its menu options is the inclusion of several Middle Eastern flavor profiles. This is partly due to the returning military forces that serve in the Middle East, Jermyn explained.

Continental has expanded its business in the last five years by hiring on another full-time sales associate. The company has taken on more large-scale corporate events. Weddings and birthday parties of any size and style are a snap with Continental Catering.

“We recently catered an event for 2,600 guests on the USS Midway that was challenging due to the size of the event. With 22 food stations and 10 bars spreading across two decks, 151 employees worked hard to make this event possible. Our clients were extremely happy and we look forward to doing more events like this in the future,” Jermyn said.

Continental differs from other catering companies mainly because it is a full-service caterer, ready to tackle any event. “We can provide not only food, but wow-worthy décor and service,” Jermyn said.

As a result, Continental is on more venue-preferred lists, catering to a long list of companies, including those in East County, such as East County Family YMCA, El Cajon Rotary and La Mesa Rotary, Sunset Glazing, El Cajon Ford, Taylor Guitar, and Millicent and Company, just to name a few. Kaiser Permanente and La Mesa Chamber of Commerce have also used Continental catering on a regular basis.

It’s no wonder that Continental Catering has continued to dish out client satisfaction for more than 30 years. “We are focused on perfecting what we do,” Jermyn said.

Check out their website and blog at www.continentalcateringsd.com. On the website is a place where clients can fill out a form listing their party needs, or they may call 619-698-3500 for more information.