How A Local Caterer Never Stopped Working During the Pandemic

By Ash Golangco

Photo courtesy of Gretchen Pelsma

Many restaurants had to close their doors permenantly during the pandemic – similarly, for catering businesses, losing the ability to serve at public gatherings was devastating. Early into the pandemic, the National Association for Catering and Events conducted a survey of its 3,300 or so members, and found that over 75% had “already experienced personal financial hardship through business closures, layoffs, furloughs and reductions in hours or pay.” 

That’s caused many chefs and owners to find creative solutions – and local catering business 3 Girls Catering is no exception. 

Their story has nostalgic roots – growing up, 3 Girls Catering co-owner Gretchen Pelsma’s mother would bake fresh treats every Monday, like cinnamon rolls or fresh bread. It was always completely from scratch. “My sister was older than me, so I was like an only child,” Gretchen recalled during our phone interview. She learned to bake from her mother, including all the family recipes. 

For a time, she worked as a wardrobe stylist for film and photoshoot crews. The switch into catering was, in part, out of luck and popular demand. Gretchen’s talents in the kitchen weren’t kept a secret, since she loved cooking for others. One day, the person responsible for craft services – which provides snacks and drinks on-site – didn’t show up. “Someone said, ‘You cook! Why don’t you do it?’ and I said, ‘Fine! I will!’” she laughed. 

Photo courtesy of Gretchen Pelsma

Her food impressed everyone: At the time, fresh hot food wasn’t the norm for craft services. Gretchen brought an electric skillet and crockpot, and made chili and quesadillas. “That led to doing crew meals. [Then] I started working out of an industrial kitchen, and it snowballed.” 

Besides Mexican food classes, Gretchen never had formal training, such as working in a restaurant or going to culinary school. She figured everything out in her own way, and continues to train her employees with a simple mantra that’s served her and her customers well over the decades: “Whenever we have new employees, I ask them, ‘Would you serve this to your mom, or grandma? Is it good enough, pretty enough? If not, what would you change?’ Then, they get it!” 

She operated for a few years in Southern California as 2 Girls Catering, but then partnered with her older sister Lisa, and moved to Boise, Idaho. Although their past business partner isn’t with them any longer, “3 Girls Catering seemed like the natural progression!” They bought a kitchen once owned by Chef Lou of Westside Drive-In, and, because they took on many of the past out-of-business catering business’ clients for free, they've been busy serving loyal Boise residents ever since! 

Photo courtesy of Gretchen Pelsma

Then, the pandemic hit – suddenly, all of their events were cancelled, which was “terrifying.” “So, we thought, ‘Who needs food right now?’” They began offering private school lunch deliveries, which was especially popular for schools that didn’t have cafeterias. 3 Girls Catering also began creating a weekly menu and offered free local delivery on Wednesdays. Working with smaller farmers who remained open, they delivered fresh farm-to-table meals for 2, 4, and 8 portion sizes, including pastries, salads, as well as gluten-free and vegan options. Their charcuterie grazing boxes (paired with a bottle of wine) also became very popular. 

The new offerings and delivery services worked – 3 Girls Catering never stopped working throughout the pandemic. 

While 3 Girls Catering is known for their gorgeous presentation of food at events, from grazing tables to plates, customers also love their thoughtfulness towards service, too. When pickup at the kitchen became available, for a time, each order included a roll of toilet paper and a friendly, personal note. 

The 3 Girls Catering menu is unique, always changing, and always completely from scratch, even when it comes to dishes like their lemon goat cheese pizza! “We make our own focaccia bread, so I made it into a pizza dough. We threw it on a grill … and we used lemon zest or lemon preserves, blended. Never Margarita sauce. [We might use] tzatziki sauce which smears really well.” 

Thanks for sharing your awesome story with us, Gretchen! We can’t wait to see (and taste) what the future holds for 3 Girls Catering.