By Liese Gardner
The story of Dallas-based Vestals Catering begins like many meaningful meals do—with a charming backyard party that grew beyond the picket fence.
In 2008, Jordan and Emily Swim launched Food Creates Community, a grassroots dinner series they hosted in the backyard of their Texas home. With long tables under string lights and seasonal menus thoughtfully curated, the couple invited friends, neighbors and curious guests to slow down and truly savor a meal.
“It was never about putting on a show,” Jordan reflected. “It was about presence and purpose—creating something meaningful that connects people, celebrates the food and honors those who bring it to life.”
Merging Food with Storytelling
At the time, Jordan was a hospitality teacher at Richardson High School. But he felt the pull to do more. He wanted to create experiences that merged his love of teaching, food and storytelling. A spark came from an article he read about a chef in Seattle hosting warehouse dinners. “I wanted to do that,” he says. “To be able to present food that felt true to me.”
Together, he and Emily made this vision a reality. Their intimate dinners caught the attention of local media and curious diners, who appreciated the message as much as the menu. “When people support Food Creates Community,” Jordan told a reporter early on, “they’re not just supporting us. They are supporting the farmers, producers and small businesses who form the roots of our mission.”
Growing Vestals Catering
That ethos still drives the now-thriving catering brand. Rebranded as Vestals Catering, the company has grown into a top Texas caterer. Vestals’ headquarters in Dallas is home to 26 full-time employees and 50-plus part-time staffers, while its offices in Fort Worth and Austin employ 23 additional staff members. A partnership with Timberview Farmstead ensures that menus feature locally sourced, seasonal ingredients. Meanwhile, Vestals continues to grow with the addition of Vestals Fresh, a pick-up platters and boxed lunches concept that brings chef-crafted meals to effortless gatherings, and Room 1403, an intimate private event space that embodies the brand’s signature hospitality within a refined, residential setting.
Vestals has catered thousands of events across the Lone Star State, ranging from black-tie fundraisers to Fortune 500 corporate functions. Next year it will be catering many of the FIFA World Cup ’26 events. Yet even with a growing footprint, the heart of the business remains the same—to create thoughtful, elevated meals that feel like home.
