An interview with John Crisafulli of Behind the Scenes Catering, who’s catered for 13 Olympic Games
John Crisafulli—ECEP founding member, and president and CEO of Behind the Scenes (BTS) Catering in San Diego—has produced food at 13 Olympic Games. He’s seen it all, from Covid restrictions to frustrating red tape to perhaps the most exciting challenge—preparing a culinary experience in Paris, the city that sets culinary standards.
He and his culinary team—led by Melissa Chickerneo, BTS’ corporate executive chef, who has worked at six Olympic Games—began to visit Paris and the surrounding areas at least six months out to source local vendors. In addition, they began to develop menus, recruit local workers and coordinate a sustainability plan with the Olympic organizing committee.
In the end, notwithstanding a few minor glitches (including cardboard beds), Paris offered joy, sightings of Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart, nightly views of a sparkling Eiffel Tower, and great memories for BTS and the team.
CFE: What set this year apart from other Olympics you have worked on?
Crisafulli: This was back to what we would consider a “normal” Games, with fans from all countries in the stands, no Covid restrictions or segregation of athletes, volunteers, etc. It was well-orchestrated from the organizing committee perspective. They spent less than most traditional host cities by utilizing existing venues and relying heavily on their public transport system. The Games looked great in person and on television. Ratings were up, and fans were able to view the coverage on almost any platform, including streaming, live, on primetime TV and on YouTube.
In the past, Games have been held in less populated and less urban settings, so resources were not as abundant. Paris rolled out the red carpet from a culinary perspective for our team, unleashing their creativity and talent at all event venues. Working with local vendors and purveyors, we were able to procure the freshest and most beautiful produce. Our chefs had access to virtually any ingredient that their hearts desired and were therefore not limited in their ability to prepare world-class dishes for sponsors, athletes, broadcast television crews, celebrities and VIP guests.
CFE: What were your favorite highlights?
Crisafulli: We loved seeing the Parisian fans embrace the Games in their hometown. Often host cities scare away the locals with threats of gridlock traffic, overcrowded streets and restaurants, and other inconveniences. In Paris, the French showed up in droves to support their athletes and to create a celebratory atmosphere for fans and visitors from all over the globe. Seeing the more than 200 countries participating in a safe and organized competition in the various sports was brilliant to watch and experience.
We also loved watching and participating in NBC’s updated approach to hosting the Games on their network and bringing in celebrities like Snoop Dogg, Martha Stewart and Ina Garten.
CFE: What challenges did you face and overcome?
Crisafulli: Paris wasn’t quite ready for the Games when we arrived. In some venues we had our structure built and electrical distribution run, but there was no electrical cable to our panels from the main power. We came to learn that they ran out of cable! It took about a week to get more supplies and finish the job.
The credential tent was ready and open on time, but it was located inside a secure perimeter that required a credential to get in, making it hard to pick up a credential when you don’t have a credential to get to the pickup spot! In the end they figured it all out, but they were a little like deer in the headlights when participants began to arrive in some respects.
Side story…some of our staff were housed in the Media Village and were some of the first people to move in and experience the infamous cardboard beds that so many of the athletes posted about on social media. It took a couple trips to Ikea to retrofit the beds so they were more comfortable.
CFE: What lessons did you learn this year that you will take into your next Olympics and other major events?
Crisafulli: With all Olympic Games, flexibility is the key to success. Often, nothing goes as planned, but you need to be ready, willing and able to pivot and resolve problems or find alternative solutions.
What was a great learning lesson, that Paris did a good job emphasizing, is that you can host a Games on a budget that is sustainable in its approach and well received by the participants and guests.
While we weren’t responsible for catering at the Athletes’ Village (this was done by a major French foodservice company), we do know they learned a tough lesson at the Athletes’ Village about menu planning. Trying to force elite athletes to eat a plant-based diet for 50% of their meals is a bad idea. Athletes run and train on meat proteins, not plant proteins, so only offering plant-based meals on certain days in the Village created some frustrated athletes and training coaches. It took the French company about a week to recover, but eventually they filled their refrigerators with the meat proteins the athletes needed to consume. From a food and planning perspective, that idea was a swing and a miss!
