“If it doesn’t look good or taste good, I won’t put it on a platter,” said Yaacov Farbowitz, who started Out of the Box Catering in July. “It’s about elegance and quality.”
With 10 years in the food industry in a variety of roles, Farbowitz decided it was time to start a business so he could follow his real passion: helping people achieve flawless events. He named the firm Out of the Box to demonstrate that he can always find a way to align a client’s taste and budget for maximum results. “I’m passionate about making people’s events memorable, something they’ll never forget,” he said. “Everyone gets nervous—I reassure them that ‘I got this’ and at the end of the day, everything will go smoothly and they will have a beautiful simcha.”
When Farbowitz meets with clients for the first time, he asks about their needs, what they want and what they don’t want. “I’m good at mapping things out for people, giving them options,” he shared. Whether the client is having a sheva brachot dinner, bar/bat mitzvah meals in shul, casual barbecue, anniversary party or company event, he knows how to make it come together affordably and look beautiful.
With his many contacts from years in the business, Farbowitz has excellent relationships and sources. When he coordinates the process of arranging food, the client saves time and headaches.
Grand & Essex Catering Director Yitzi Elbaum has worked with Yaacov frequently and said he has made events go much more smoothly by handling all the arrangements and communication. “We have worked with Yaacov Farbowitz on all of our events that took place at Shaare Tefillah and more. After just a couple of events, we felt that dealing with Yaacov made our jobs easier, as he took the responsibility for the entire event (or weekend). We look forward to continuing working with Out of the Box Catering.”
Farbowitz has an excellent source behind the scenes working on details and logistics—his wife, Lizzie. She also has a passion for the food business, a family trait. “My mother is a baker, my sister went to culinary school, and my father was a mashgiach and loved to cook,” she said. “It’s in our blood to be in the food industry.” Speaking about their shared vision for the company, “We’re big on presentation,” Lizzie said. “And showing that just because you don’t have fancy food, that doesn’t mean you can’t present it in a nice way. We show them there’s a way to think out of the box.”
To jumpstart the business, Out of the Box Catering is offering a promotion—book now for October and get a $150 discount on the price for an event with 150 people or more. To arrange a meeting, visit www.outoftheboxcateringnj.com.
By Bracha Schwartz
