Startups Catering & Events

Social Catering in New York & New Jersey

Sam Schultz

OWNER

Typically responds within 24h

Startups Catering & Events is an award-winning wedding and event catering company based in Middletown, NJ. Owners Sam and Katy Schultz specialize in delivering high-quality, flavorful, and gourmet cuisine for a variety of occasions, including **corporate events, private parties, and wedding receptions. Whether you’re throwing an intimate dinner party or a large celebration, this team provides everything needed to impress your guests. A Legacy of Quality The company continues a rich family tradition started by Sam’s grandfather, Elbert Startup, the original founder of Startups catering in Los Angeles in the 1960s. Raised in the family business, Sam and Katy founded their East Coast operation in 2004 to honor this legacy, bringing their expertise and dedication to the region. Wedding & Event Services For your wedding or event, Sam and Katy will work closely with you to design a custom menu that perfectly fits your tastes and budget. On the day, they ensure a seamless experience by providing linens, serving dishes, silverware, and professionally-dressed servers. Service Areas Startups Catering & Events brings their finest catering services to a wide area across both coasts: East Coast: New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Delaware

10+ years in business

Speaks English, Portuguese, Spanish

Large team (21+ members)

Details

Cuisine

American

BBQ

Chinese

French

Hawaiian

Italian

Latin American

Mexican

Southern

Southwestern

Specialty

Dietary Options

Organic

Vegetarian

Food & Catering

Buffet

Catering Clean Up

Catering Delivery & Setup

Chef Stations

Family Style

Food Trucks

Menu Tastings

Passed Appetizers

Seated Meal

Servers

Any questions?

Meet the team

Sam Schultz

Owner

Our Story We are the Schultz family—Sam (originally from Southern California) and Katy (a New Jersey native)—joined by a love for hospitality, devotion to family, and a shared vision. Sam’s roots run deep in the catering world: his mother’s family founded Startups in Los Angeles in the early 1960s. We’ve proudly carried on that tradition by launching Startups Social Catering & Events in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. Over the years, we’ve built a reputation for honoring time-tested techniques and creating menus that suit individual tastes and budgets. Our goal is simple but ambitious: to blend heritage and innovation, making each event feel both personal and extraordinary.

4.3

out of 5.0

9 reviews

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Review Summary

This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.

Startups Catering received high praise from reviewers for their exceptional service, delicious food, and accommodating staff. Sam and the team were commended for their attention to detail, menu planning, and providing gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan meal options. The staff, including Christy, was described as kind and attentive, creating a positive atmosphere on the wedding day. Guests enjoyed the food and drinks, highlighting the exceptional service provided by Startups Catering for making the wedding special.

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Justin P

8/06/2025

Startups Catering was chosen to cater our wedding on July 5th thanks to a recommendation by our wedding planner. I have to say that food was far better than I expected and that mos...

t of my guests ended up going for seconds. The set up and aesthetics of the serving tables was pretty average and the extra charcuterie board we payed almost 1k for was pretty terrible. It was like a costco tray for that price. Originally, the vendor argued that a reduction of headcount from 200 to 120 would only amount to a 10% reduction in price over a month out. After arguing that that was ridiculous, we did get a more reasonable quote. However, that inclination of the owner here left a bad taste in my mouth. Overall, the food was awesome and well prepared. Presentation was average. Customization of some things, like getting an espresso machine instead of a Folger's coffee pot was pretty poor. Trying to highball a quote 3o days out from a wedding where the headcount ALWAYS changes is really poor. Decent value for the money, but be prepared for some silliness.

Anonymous

4/16/2025

TERRIBLE CATERING EXPERIENCE - STAY FAR AWAY!! Startups Catering was hired to provide the catering for our wedding after finding their company listed on this website. A FEW of t...

he shortcomings: Staff arrived well over an hour LATE. The presentation of the food at the wedding was INCREDIBLY SUBAR. The presentation was not remotely similar to the photos on the Startups website. We later realized that most if not all of the companies online photos were most likely pulled from Google. By the time my wife and I went to get food at the cocktail hour they were completely out of multiple appetizers. The Tri Tip carving station was labeled as “TRIP TIP” which confused many guests. Guests complained that the beef was undercooked, chewy, and could not cut it up due to a lack of steak knives on the tables. Pasta was served plain in the trays without sauce which was aesthetically unappealing and caused the pasta to clump together. The sauces were coagulated which looked extremely unappetizing. The Mahi Mahi was labeled as Halibut which could have caused a SERIOUS issue if someone was allergic. Employees were seen bussing the tables with black garbage bags during the reception. After the wedding I received MANY complaints from guests and vendors stating that there was not enough food and some DID NOT EVEN GET TO EAT. The photographers were seen eating fast food in the corner which was humiliating to say the least. After reaching out to the owner Sam Schultz about our dissatisfaction, I received no reply for 15 days. I finally received a reply of "Ok". It has now been over 6 months since the wedding, no resolution was ever given, and he has since stopped responding to all forms of communication. In conclusion, Sam Schultz has horrible customer service, used fraudulent images on his website, and car salesman-like friendliness/ tactics to assure my wife and I that our wedding day would be amazing, which in fact was nothing but a SCAM!! Mind you we paid $12,000 for what is shown in the photos attached! SIMILAR REVIEWS ON YELP.COM AND GOOGLE

Any questions?

Claire R

10/27/2023

We used Startups catering company for breakfast at our hotel the morning after the wedding. The food was yummy and the staff helped everything run smoothly.

Emily W

10/15/2023

Sam and the team at Startups Catering did an amazing job for our wedding! From the initial phone consultation, to menu planning, providing China & linens and the amazing staff, eve...

ry detail was catered to us and our needs! When we asked about proving gluten free, vegetarian and vegan meals, Sam delivered above and beyond even noting my specific food allergies and creating a menu that really met our diverse needs. Our family and friends enjoyed all of the food! And the drinks made by the bartender were wonderful! So thankful that we found Startups! We would recommend them for any event!

Michael J

9/27/2023

My wife and I were on a tight budget for our wedding and Sam was not only understanding but talked with us for hours trying to save us as much as possible while also making sure we...

got every item and drink option we wanted on the menu. The entire staff of Startups was so kind, especially our coordinator Christy—she was a dream! Everyone made an effort to make sure that we were well taken care of. We had great conversations with the staff and their positive energy created an atmosphere we much appreciated on our wedding day. The food was terrific and the bartending staff was also kind, polite, and jovial. We wholeheartedly recommend Startups and thank them and their staff for making our wedding special.

Cynthia W

8/26/2022

I couldn’t let the year go by without writing this review. Let me start off by saying hiring Startup Caterings for my wedding was THE BEST decision I made out of my entire wedding....

I am West African and had a big West African wedding with 300+ people and Sam and his staff fed everyone with so such professionalism and grace. The food was SUPERB and fresh! Till this day people still compliment the food and mention how flavorful it was. Sam worked with me, my husband and our parents to create the most perfect menu. He was kind, professional, patient, and all around amazing (even through my bridezella moments lol). I’m forever grateful for how well he took care of us the day of my wedding and I pray that you all read this and make the right decision and book them. Trust me, you will not regret it! Thank you Sam and team for everything!!!

Darlene L

9/28/2021

I would give Start up 6+ stars if I could. Professional, stress free, attentive to details, punctual, responsive, inconspicuous, kind, flexible and…..wonderfully delicious food for...

my daughter’s wedding of 130 people.

Emma W

4/05/2021

They did such an amazing job with our event and I highly recommend them!!

Dixie M

3/25/2021

We used Startup Catering for my daughter's wedding. We had a few special requests - and there were no questions asked. Sam did a great job of listening and capturing what we wanted...

and made sure every aspect was unique to our preferences, taste and budget. Sam and Katie provided us with the highest customer service, organization and communication from day 1. They were so personal and coordinated everything which made our lives easy during this busy time.They provided a creative food presentation that was delicious and great service the actual day of the wedding. We received SO many compliments from our guests and could not have been happier! Startup catering assisted in making the event an unforgettable experience.

Service area & Contact info

Travel area: Within 100 miles

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(732) 239-9593

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Startups Catering & Events

Sam Schultz

Owner

Typically responds within 24h

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Startups Catering & Events

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Review Summary

Service area & Contact info

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