ABOUT US

What started as a small, family-owned business and labor of love in 1982, has grown into one of Orange County's premier catering + event production companies. Current owners, John + Stacy LaBrake were involved early on in assisting Love At First Bite's Founders, Cindy + Steve Vatcher, in their vision to bring great food, great service, and great prices to catered events in Orange County. When the Vatchers made the difficult decision to move their family out of state, it was a natural transition for John & Stacy to take over, and continue the company's legacy. Now, over 40 years after LAFB first opened its doors, our team has grown, and you still won't find a catering company with more heart.

MEET THE OWNERS

JOHN LABRAKE

Co-Owner / Chef

John leads our kitchen + culinary team.
This guy loves slow-smoking meats, handcrafting sausages, and any excuse to get behind the grill. He also created his very own BBQ sauce, the "Almost Famous" Ace LaBrake BBQ Sauce which is the secret to our amazing BBQ menu.

Favorite Menu Items:

Slow-Smoked Baby Back Ribs, Chicken Piccata, & Asparagus Crepe Wraps

STACY LABRAKE

Co-Owner

Stacy keeps our company running smoothly by overseeing our day-to-day operations, including managing our event production team.
She makes the incredibly difficult job of keeping multiple balls in the air look graceful and works hard to keep
our Team LAFB feeling like family.

Favorite Menu Items:

Chicken Piccata, Poppyseed Chicken Bouchee Cups, & Cashew Chicken

MEET TEAM LAFB

The magic makers

VANESSA GERRIE

Director of Operations

With over 15+ years she oversees every event from start to finish and makes sure all the wheels are in motion

Favorite Menu Items:

Honey Pistachio Chevre,

Our Fire-Roasted Veggies,

Plantain Crusted Chicken

ARIANA GALEANA

Event Coordinator

Having worked as a Service Captain for 6 years, Ari knows how to make your event memorable and fun from start to finish. Her inside knowledge is invaluable.

Favorite Menu Items:

Mashed Potato Bar,
Bacon Wrapped Smokies, & Portobello Chicken

KRISTEN PARRISH

Coordinator / Chef

With over 25 years of experience with food in various capacities and a passion for nutrition. Her inspiration derives from regional cuisines from around the world.

Favorite Menu Items:

Antipasto Display, Marinated Artichoke Angel Hair Pasta Salad, Balsamic Tri-Tip

SUE PRESCOTT

Event Stylist + Specialist

With over 25+ Event experience and a passion for entertaining, she actively works within the community to create distinguished events

Favorite Menu Items:

Melt Bar, Smoked Tri-Tip with Creamy Horseradish Chive Sauce, & the Marinated Artichoke Angel Hair Pasta Salad

KAREN GONZALEZ

Operations Manager

With 10 years experience working her way up from driver, to Lead Server, she's now the brain behind the logistics of our largest events

Favorite Menu Items:

Chicken Suiza Enchiladas,

Broccoli Stuffed Chicken, Balsamic Tri-Tip, Rice Pilaf, Harvest Salad

DONNIE BRUYN

Chef / Service Captain

With over 45+ years experience running successful restaurants, he brings his showmanship to every action station + trains our service team in

the art of hospitality

Favorite Menu Items:

Smoked Tri Tip + Ace BBQ sauce, Havarti Mac-N-Cheese Bar,
Wellingtons, Clambake,
& all of the Action Stations!

STEPHANIE GERRIE

Mayor of Snoozeville

Yes you read that correctly. Steph does all that boring stuff... everything from HR, onboarding, scheduling and payroll preparation thru to financial analysis and she makes it look fun

Favorite Menu Items:

Cookies, Wood-Fired Pizza Station, & Baked Brie en Croute

RAMON SOLIS

Administrative Assistant

A dynamic team member. His web design skills create user-friendly websites, while his dedication to feedback, server coordination, and sales ensures exceptional customer experiences

Favorite Menu Items:

The Mini Mousse Cups, and the Garlic Mashed Potatoes

ANGELINA GALEANA

Chef

With over 20 years of experience, she puts the "love" in every dish as the Mama of the culinary team

Favorite Menu Items:

Chicken Parmesan with our version of the Caesar Salad,

& Chicken Suiza Enchiladas

KELSEA ALMEIDA

Service Team Leader

She's passionate about service and her artistic side comes out with beautiful tiered buffet displays

Favorite Menu Items:

Chicken Piccata, Bacon Wrapped Smokies & Baked Potato Bar

ARTURO GALEANA

Action Chef

Our jack-of-all-trades. From behind the scenes event prep, to serving you with a smile. He makes being everywhere look easy!

Favorite Menu Items:

DREW MATHEWS

Action Chef

He does it all. Drew is focused on fun and delicious culinary experiences. Pizza, Pasta, Omelettes, you name it!

Favorite Menu Items:

Prosciutto Stuffed Chicken,

Chicken Suiza Enchiladas,

& Chicken Piccata

ALY ALMEIDA

Operations Assistant

Aly's the list checking queen, she takes care of the day to day checkoffs to make sure everything's in it's place and on time

Favorite Menu Items:

Sundried Tomato Stuffed Chicken

with basil cream sauce

Mini Beef Wellington

& Summer Squash Lasagna

YETZANNETT SOTO

Service Team

Yetz keeps our culinary team organized with extra special attention on guest's special dietary needs

Favorite Menu Items:

Pomegranate Brie Tartlets, Asparagus Crepe Wraps,
Pear Gorgonzola Crostinis

& Mac N Cheese Bites

ALENNY SOLIS

Lead Server

6+ years of experience and an eye for meticulous detail. She loves to go the extra mile to make sure clients are happy.

Favorite Menu Items:

Chicken Piccata, Mac and Cheese Bar, Cookies

SUSAN WILSON

Service Team

With over 25 years of experience, Susan makes our clients feel like family and shines with Southern Belle hospitality.

Favorite Menu Items:

Smoked BBQ Chicken Sandwich, Spinach Orzo, Potato Taquitos
& California Salad

VICTOR OCHOA

Lead Server

Victor excels in meticulous day-to-day operations, showcases artistic talent through tiered buffet displays, and effortlessly handles a range of tasks with a smile, while also ensuring the culinary team stays organized with a focus on guests' special dietary needs.

Favorite Menu Items:

Bacon Wrapped Smokies, Italian Chopped Salad, Chicken Piccata