History
M Culinary Concepts' History
What started as a single fine dining restaurant has grown into the largest privately held catering & hospitality service provider in the Southwest, serving clients locally, regionally and nationally. Dive into our rich 25+ year history.
M Culinary's story isn't just about growth, it's about embracing opportunities and exceeding expectations.
It all began in 1997 with Michael's at the Citadel, a Scottsdale fine-dining restaurant that raised the bar for culinary excellence.
Our success didn't stay confined to four walls. Soon, requests poured in to bring Michael's magic to private events. In 1999, Michael's Catering was born, expanding our reach beyond the restaurant walls.
No challenge was too big. In 2000, we took on our first major event – catering for Xerox at the Phoenix Open. This blossomed into a 24-year partnership, making us a proud part of this iconic event.
We launched Houston's Too to feed brave wildfire firefighters across the western US.
After spending some time learning the business, we secured our first contract with the U.S. Forest Service. From one Houston’s Too unit to three Ridgeline units today, our fire team has been the best in the business!
Our longtime client and event partner invited us to cater the TrackTown: The U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials. For two weeks, the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field hosted us as we fed over 150,000 fans, sponsors, partners, and officials.
After closing Michael’s at the Citadel in 2007 and surviving the crash of 2008, we got back to our restaurant roots. We opened Heirloom at DC Ranch in January, bringing Chef Michael back to the north Scottsdale fine dining scene. Then in November, we headed south to open Mid City Kitchen, our take on a counter-service restaurant.
The leaders of Cambria Hotels, a division of Choice Hotels, needed help with their existing F+B program. Chef Michael and team got to work immediately, designing an entirely new program for their restaurants, bars and in-room dining. Cambria has implemented our menu, ordering and training programs ever since, and we have helped them open over 40 hotels throughout the US.
The owners of the Valley’s top corporate delivery catering company wanted to step back, and they trusted M Culinary to take on and grow their business, preserving their hard-earned legacy. Nibblers Catering became part of our world, filling a niche perfectly for our seemingly ever-expanding roster of services.
The start of the year brought the start of a new relationship with the City of Scottsdale - M Culinary won the exclusive F+B contract for 386-acre WestWorld and the new Tony Nelssen Equestrian Center. Our concessions concepts and catering services have been delighting hundreds of thousands of annual visitors ever since.
Already affiliated with BCS, College Football Playoffs and the CFP Champ Game, M Culinary catered ESPN’s 2015 Super Bowl Party. We were invited back in 2016 to cater both the CFP Tailgate and ESPN’s Party at the Playoff. We’ve been traveling with ESPN all over the country ever since!
Our friends at C3 Presents - part of Live Nation - had this great idea for a Spring Training-themed music festival. The Valley Innings Festival is a weekend multi-genre concert jam-packed with headliners and rising stars, baseball legends, activations, and of course, great food. We’ve scored home runs with our VIP and backstage catering, food truck treats, and top-notch bar services.
We proudly celebrated 25 years in 2022. Having become the largest caterer in the Southwest, we cater everything from social events to spectator events to wildfires and look forward to what the future holds.
Our People
Our story is built on a foundation of passionate, selfless team members who share an unwavering commitment to excellence, each other, and the community we serve. Together, we achieve the extraordinary.
Make History With Us
M Culinary has a reputation of being the premier caterer in Phoenix and the Southwest. We’re always on the lookout for exceptional individuals to join our team—could that be you?
