Conversations with Jason Bartone

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason Bartone. 

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
If you dig deep enough in the scrapbook, you’ll find pictures of a boundless Italian family gathered around a few long tables arrayed with meals that had been prepared all throughout the day. I remember being in the back seat of the blue Astro van with my brother and sister headed to Nonni and Papa’s house for “Sunday Dinner.” You could smell that rich Italian aroma before being greeted by Armando, or “Papa” as we all called our grandfather. I remember him tending to his garden at sunset while the cousins played cards and threw darts and the parents would all be in several conversations at once. There was always one thing that remained a certainty: the food. It was always cooked with love and patience and seemed endless at dinner time! The family would help set up and break down the tables and chairs and have a glass of vino or cup of coffee while finishing the dishes up together. Looking back on those Sunday dinners, I really discerned just how “comfort” that food really was. Sunday dinner at Nonni and Papa’s house always meant family, and that was the true recipe that tied us all together.   

Food has always been more than just a means to survival. In our home we sat down and shared our meals and counted our blessings. Breaking bread together has always “captured the power of a meal to forge relationships, bury anger, provoke laughter. Children make mud pies, have tea parties, trade snacks to make friends, and mimic the rituals of adults. They celebrate with sweets from the time of their first birthday, and the association of food with love will continue throughout life.” These are words I have always admired. When your guests enjoyed their food, are delighted with the catering experience, paused to take a picture of your work, and proclaimed how great of an experience they had, therein lies the true reward. Food is a universal language and making people happy is a gift in itself and I believe every chef across the grid would agree. 

Bartone Catering, LLC was established on January 1st of 2017, but this was certainly not the beginning of the business. Since I could reach the kitchen counter I have been cooking, serving, and ultimately catering events for 20 plus years…and after getting a great education in some of the best kitchens during that period, I thought it was finally time to take the next step. I am excited to watch this family company grow and eager to hear from you. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Like building any business there have certainly been peaks and troughs and learning curves. I think one of the biggest struggles I have faced over the years is self-confidence. There is always this element of “how can it better?” I’ve certainly learned to appreciate the process and have gotten much better with this but it’s this eternal voice I coincided with that keeps me wanting to raise the bar, between food and service. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
We are a small but growing catering outfit that started in 2017. We specialize in everything from a residential, in-home full catering services to corporate events all over the tri-state of upwards of 500 people. We are known for not only having a larger offering of menus and packages but that we do custom menu builds with our clients to meet their taste, budget, and style. If you’re wanting something that’s not on the menu, we can (most of the time) incorporate those requests. I’d have to say what I’m most proud of is our consistency to give an extraordinary amount of attention to customer service…we’ve grown quite a bit over our short tenure and are incredibly grateful for that. Having said that, it’s still very important to me to follow up with every single client. Every single time. I believe this is one of those things that sets us apart. Customer service is something I’ve seen fall to the wayside over the years, sadly. My business stemmed from my family story, growing up in a circle of people who believed in putting good into the world, especially through breaking bread together and ultimately being grateful for what you can get out of it. This is a sentiment that’ll forever be in the backdrop of this family business and I think it reflects incredibly well through our food and service. 

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I absolutely loved my childhood…and I moved a lot, literally. I’m one of those types that can’t sit still… and through some tough trials and tribulations with trying to find “me” during the college years, I finally broke away from it all and went back towards my passions: cooking and music. Growing up, I was never influenced by anyone thing…I was into it all. I did every school sport I could, I did theater, music, marching band, pep band, concert band, jazz band, I was in various school clubs, and so forth. I wanted to enjoy it all and I’ve always loved staying busy. I found my passion in music, drums namely at a young age. I didn’t know how to channel my incessant energy until I found the snare drum…the story of my music career has been long and is still alive and well. I’ve been in several bands over the years and have toured the country a few times and have loved it all. I am currently in a band called Lift the Medium who has had pretty great success in our city and even nationally with our digital presence. When I’m not playing drums, I’m jamming my music in the kitchen and singing along while I create whatever is on the invoice board next. I’ve built my life around my personal and professional relationships…I’m one of those guys that will always find the good in people…it’s a blessing and a curse! lol. 

Contact Info:

• Email: BartoneCatering@yahoo.com
• Website: www.bartonecatering.com
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/bartonecatering