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Encore! Encore!
Dave Hyman leaves them wanting more!

By: Melanie Meyers
Contributing Writer

After 18 years as the owner of Redwood City's Encore Performance Catering, Dave Hyman has had his share of stories. One such story is the time he catered a wedding while on a boat in San Francisco Bay, where several pieces of his equipment fell overboard. The next day he went back suited up in his scuba gear and retrieved every piece from the floor of the bay. Presently as the lead chef of Encore Performance Catering, Hyman remains someone who can get the job done when it matters most. Confirmation of this can be found within abundant testimonials from the company's collection of cards sent by past clients. Hyman continues to practice the art of cooking and creating new ideas from valuable sources such as cooking subscriptions, client suggestions and from kitchen experiments.

Hyman's dream to own a restaurant business came at the age of 16 working as a bus boy at Nick's restaurant in Pacifica. Hyman's other childhood dream was to travel the world. After working in the restaurant business through his high school years he served four years in the U.S. Navy and became a member of the U.S. Navy SEAL elite. Subsequent to serving in the Navy, Hyman returned to the restaurant business. "For four years I was learning how to do things that are off the wall totally unrelated to catering but it has helped in the discipline and the stamina to do this job. It's paid off in that sense and opened a lot of doors for me.", said Hyman.

Hyman's menu goes on for 8 pages of mouthwatering suggestions for everything from Continental Breakfasts to Formal Dinners. Despite an entire page devoted just to warm appetizers, these are mere suggestions and Hyman is quick to offer additional possibilities to fit and occasion.

One example where Hyman truly tries to go the extra mile for his clients is in dealing with funeral-related arrangements. Hyman bases his efforts on his own experiences after his father died. This has allowed him to take a unique service and sensitivity-oriented approach that allows the family to concentrate on celebrating the life of their loved one instead of focusing on arrangements. Hyman helps take pressure off by coordinating multiple vendors such as florists, etc. and providing a one-stop solution. Additionally, he pays special attention to the family and their needs. He solicits information about their loved one in order to produce catering that specifically celebrates that person's life. He has become so adept at this that one family referred to him as moving among them during the event as if he were a member of the family. Their note goes on to say "You took one huge worry off the shoulders of our Mom...She couldn't have been more pleased with the outcome." Hyman calls this service "Celebration of Life" to emphasize the celebratory and positive nature of his approach. One of the best features of this service is Hyman's ability to put together a full solution with just 48 hours notice in many cases.

Hyman also has a strong sense of community and participates in many community-oriented events. He participates in the City Trees program helping to plant and maintain greenery around the area and works with other local organizations such as the Peninsula Sunrise Rotary, the Chamber of Commerce, and Rebuild Together. He participates in the San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury. Additionally, Hyman is proud of the fact that his business products are nearly 100% recyclable, and, they contribute their leftovers to Saint Anthony's Dining Room in Redwood City.

Encore Performance Catering emphasizes performance through use of fresh, high quality ingredients and perfect presentation. Many of the cards he has received reflect this and contain lavish words of praise for his food and his service, such as one client who writes "...I appreciated how well you handled all the details...[We received] many positive comments on the food." Encore reflects his focus on winning repeat business through performance. Many of his clients come back time after time because they are so happy with his consistent results.

One way in which Hyman achieves his personalized service is by asking his clients to schedule time to sit down and talk specifically about the food at their event. This allows him to get a sense of their personality, their desires, the theme and ambience they are seeking, and, ways in which he can help from achieve their vision of the perfect event. Hyman recognizes that it's not just delicious food, but, food that enhances and accentuates the special occasion that keeps his clients coming back for more.

Encore Performance Catering is located at 2992 Spring Street, Unit C, Redwood City, 94063. Their website is available at http://www.epcatering.com, and their phone number is 650-365-3731.

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