Dave Katz, owner of Depot Dave Catering, has been serving the Pelham community for decades, offering delicious food and sharing his extensive culinary knowledge. His passion in the kitchen was fostered from a young age and has flourished into a career that brings him joy and fulfillment.
The Makings of a Chef
Dave Katz found his calling early on in life. His mother was a talented and prolific cook in his family kitchen, inspiring Katz to get involved in the restaurant scene at a young age. At eleven he began washing dishes at a local restaurant, and worked his way up the ranks to food prep and eventually to the kitchen. During these formative years, Katz found strong mentors in his older brother and in his friend Dave, who taught him that being a chef is more than cooking: it is about how you carry yourself and how you are perceived by your customers.
On Running a Business
In 1999, Katz worked at “The Depot Market” in Pelham and was approached by the owner about purchasing the deli. While it was not something he had previously considered, Katz took the leap of faith and has been growing his business ever since. The need to bring fresh ideas to the business fueled him, and his mentor Dave suggested he utilize his experience with gourmet cooking in the deli scene. The Depot Market became one of the first delis in the area to expand beyond a traditional catering menu, offering unprecedented grilled vegetable displays, salmon, filet mignon, and other items more traditionally found at country clubs or restaurants. After he felt that his time at the deli had run its course, he transitioned to private catering out of his store front on 5th Avenue.
A Packed Schedule
A busy Saturday for Katz starts around 4:45 a.m., when he wakes up and checks his emails for any urgent messages. He heads out to Restaurant Depot to pick up his ingredients around 5:30 a.m., allowing him to get to the kitchen by 7:30 a.m. There is a lot of math in the kitchen, so food shopping is no small feat. Katz has to do a lot of conversions before shopping, as he is responsible for calculating the portions per person needed for an order and translating that to the quantity of ingredients he will need. Restaurant Depot is sufficient for typical ingredients, but depending on the order, Katz may have to look to Ace Endico in Brewster for specialty items. Crawfish boils, a customer favorite, require even more coordination as Katz sources crawfish from Louisiana which must arrive the same day the order is prepared. Katz will place an order at 4:00 a.m. and receive it by noon the same day to ensure that food quality is of utmost priority.
A typical Saturday will have four or five events to cater for, meaning it is not unusual for Katz and his sous chefs to work 15-hour-days. Depot Dave’s prioritization of freshness and high-quality ingredients necessitate the extra effort and hours on the job.
Business Operations
Katz stresses the importance of constantly reinventing himself, especially through his transition to catering full time. He is always open to making the dishes his customers are looking for, chances are he has made them before. He explains that if he doesn’t recognize a dish, he looks it up to see what goes into the recipe. Katz shares that there are really only seven or eight cooking methods in the world (baking, broiling, deep frying, steaming, sautéing, roasting, and grilling) and different dishes just involve different ingredients following the same patterns.
In addition to constantly expanding his culinary repertoire, Katz has continued to add to his plate in the business realm over the last 25 years, partnering with other small businesses like Artistic Manner Florals in Pelham to prioritize the customer experience.
The Highs and Lows
Katz cites the longevity and community recognition he receives as being some of the most rewarding parts of his job. He notes that earning the title of a Best of Westchester 2025 winner was one of the proudest moments of his life, and he appreciates the acknowledgement of the heart he pours into his business. He also feels content knowing that he is fair, and puts forth the best work he can each day. One of the most challenging aspects of his position is making sure everything is on time with so many moving parts, especially on those extra busy days. One Saturday in June the business was catering for eight events within 24 hours, really putting Katz’s time management skills to the test.
Community Involvement
When asked about a “specialty,” Katz responded, “food is my specialty — as a chef I am required to know all types of food and all types of methods to cook food.” This message certainly translates to Katz’s commitment to sharing his vast knowledge with the community at his storefront. Katz preaches that cooking is not as complicated as people make it out to be, and has a passion for teaching people his methods.
“I have no secrets,” Katz says “I want people to come to our class and learn and call me and tell me they made it at home.”
The impact these classes have made is evident with an anecdote Katz shared of a man working at a local business calling on his skills when he needed them most. The customer attended several cooking classes at Depot Dave’s location and learned applicable new techniques. He then went on a safari in Zimbabwe where the food supply was compromised, and limited ingredients were left to feed his group. This culinary pupil called Depot Dave to help him brainstorm a menu and was able to cook and feed his group with the skills he had learned. When he is not making a difference in the kitchen, Katz also prioritizes giving back to the town that has given so much to him by frequently donating when opportunities arise.
If you are looking to cater your next event or want to learn skills from the best to apply in your kitchen, follow @depotdavecatering on Instagram or book his services through his website.
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