Hungry Bear Catering Co.

Seasonally inspired. Food driven. Custom catering for all events.

THE OWNERS

Hungry Bear Catering Co. / photo by Kappen Photography

Hungry Bear Catering Co. was founded by Chef Jennie Trinh and TJ Holgado. The pair met while working together for SBE Entertainment in Los Angeles. They quickly discovered a mutual love for food, the culinary arts, and, each other.

Jennie is a classically trained chef. She earned her degree from the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco and she also majored in hospitality at Cal Poly Pomona. From there, Jennie dove head first into her career and, in both a research and development capacity and as Chef de Cuisine, helped open eight restaurants across the nation. Her résumé includes experience at Katsuya by Stark in Los Angeles and Miami, Cleo, Vetro and staging during her vacation at Il Buco di Alimentari and Scarpetta in New York City. However, her fondest memories are from her childhood summers working at her aunt’s Chinese restaurant in Denver.

With a background in business at Woodbury University, TJ has gained extensive experience in nearly every avenue of the restaurant industry, from front of the house guest services to organizing and implementing high-demand kitchen prep duties. He’s also executed a variety of on- and off-site catering events for SBE Entertainment and private chefs, ranging from Hollywood parties and awards shows to corporate business meetings and family celebrations.

Though they both boast the pertinent academic and professional backgrounds to launch Hungry Bear, it’s Jennie and TJ’s combined personal journey into the culture of cooking that serves as the heart of their business. The two have traveled around the globe to expand their knowledge and understanding of ingredients, preparation and technique, and maintain a collective effort to cultivate an organic, farm-to-table lifestyle at home that translates into their work.

When not developing the menu for their next catering event, Jennie and TJ enjoy their downtime by fishing, tending to their organic garden, raising free-range chickens and expanding an already substantial cookbook library. Hungry Bear Catering Co. is an illustration of the culinary skills and philosophy they’ve built together and hope to share with you, your colleagues and loved ones.  

 

Site photography by Kappen Photography.