Roti Modern Mediterranean Adds a Personal Touch to Chicago Catering

Good food is not just the beginning of the relationship between caterer and customer, “It’s why people come back,” says Dane Mathews, Vice President of Marketing for Roti Modern Mediterranean (Roti). Roti is a big player on the Chicago catering scene but with 32 locations around the United States and more on the way, you’ll soon be hearing about them everywhere. Catering, which represents about 20% of Roti’s current business, is a big growth source for the company. “It’s frequently where people are introduced to Roti and our perspective on food,” explains Mathews. Their perspective is centered on the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet, fresh food, and sustainability.

Start with Great Food

At Roti Modern Mediterranean, it all starts with simple, quality ingredients. “We are a scratch kitchen,” says Mathews, “so we take our food very seriously.” Mathews should know. He, himself, recently spent a day on the front lines with an immersion blender, whipping together the chickpeas, tahini, and lemon juice for Roti’s creamy hummus. Their hummus is made fresh every single morning using only organic, USA-grown chickpeas.

For all their dishes, Roti Modern Mediterranean is committed to clean, tasty ingredients and that includes 100% grass-fed beef. Head Chef Molly McGrath elaborates, “We make all our sides from scratch, and we trim, marinate and grill all of our meats ourselves.”

The Power of People

That clean, fresh culinary experience is what keeps customers coming back. Mathews calls it the first key to Roti’s success in Chicago catering. The second key to success, says Mathews, is the catering “white glove experience.” Customers can order online, or live through either catering sales management or the Roti support center. Mathews says, “Live interaction with the customer gives us the chance to make sure we are curating the right menu for the right experience.” That personal touch includes cost management. No matter the budget, Roti Modern Mediterranean strives to help you plan a perfect order while determining the most efficient use of resources.  

Customization is Key

Working closely with clients on their orders is part of Mathews’ third key to success: customization.  McGrath credits the flexible menu. “One of the reasons we are so popular is we hit so many needs – maybe you need carbs or an extra serving of vegetables — we have that, and we have dietary-specific and indulgent options, too” she says.

Not every day is perfect, of course- even when all of a customer’s dietary needs are met. Mathews recalled a recent order that was not fulfilled properly. “We missed a cookie box,” he says. Mathews customer support team raced to fix the mistake. “We worked across the system to internally identify which restaurant could get it there the fastest,” he said. Thanks to swift teamwork and effective communication, the Chicago catering team was able to deliver a cookie box almost before the customer even realized theirs was missing.

Between the first rate food and service, Mathews and McGrath keep at it, creating new dishes and different platforms to introduce people to Roti. “People come back because our food is awesome. They can taste the difference,” said Mathews. McGrath concurred: “There is something special about food prepared from scratch every day. We want customers to embrace food and enjoy it.”