In 2018, Elena Popova and Teodora Lazarova founded Dream Team Catering as a natural progression of their professional experience. Today, they aim to exceed their own standards with every subsequent event.
During her conversation with the Forbes team, Elena Popova compares the philosophy with which she runs her business to kneading bread. “Bread is always kneaded with clean hands, a kind heart, and a lot of love,” says Popova, managing partner at the catering and events company Dream Team Catering. “Bread is not made quickly; it requires persistence, skill, honesty, and professional integrity toward the person you are making it for.”
Popova follows these same principles in the development of her business. After years of accumulated professional experience in the restaurant industry, she and her business partner Teodora Lazarova have been developing Dream Team Catering since 2018, offering full-service management for corporate events and formal occasions—from planning and concept to location selection and execution.
“The company was not created as a result of some sudden idea, but naturally built upon the experience we had behind us,” says Popova. “Tedi is a former manager of a large complex, and I worked as a server for 18 years. When I finished with that profession, the most natural progression for me was to stay close to people. Today, we have an individual approach to every event, and food is the primary tool we use to do it well.”
As Popova and Lazarova share, they do not prepare “ordinary food.” They choose the menu, the presentation, and the serving style to be part of the overall concept of an event. They share that one of their hors d’oeuvres must be beautiful, having “height, width, volume, and color,” but above all, it must be prepared with feeling. “The client senses it,” they say. Since its inception, the company has worked on corporate events at external locations as well as dinners, cocktails, and concerts of various scales. Regardless of the project’s size, the founders’ approach remains the same. “Just as we organize events for a thousand people, we do the same for two—the effort is the same,” they say.
According to them, the role of corporate catering has changed significantly in recent years. While companies previously sought a catering service provider, today they increasingly look for a partner capable of handling the coordination of various event elements and working collaboratively with other subcontractors.
In recent years, the two founders have observed that clients in the sector are approaching catering companies with more trust, which in turn allows them to be creative and reach their full potential in their work.
“We need freedom, and the more they agree to give it to us, the more satisfied the clients are,” say Popova and Lazarova. “If in the past we were asked the question: ‘What menu will you offer me?’, now they give us the right to enter the process from the very beginning and walk the entire path together.”
The business partners say that the menu is the “conclusion of the story” that their clients want to tell their guests. According to them, events today are used by companies as a method to build a sense of belonging among employees and to clearly communicate corporate values.
Today, Popova and Lazarova lead a team of over 20 people, in whose development they continuously invest—they believe that people are the company’s most valuable capital. “Our philosophy is to gather people—we want to build a stable core to work with long-term. Even when we bring in additional servers or chefs, they are not random—these are people we have gathered over the years.”
They choose to remain involved in the company’s operations and attend every event alongside their team. “We want to be on the front lines because that is the example we aim to set,” they say. “We create everything together and everyone participates in the process, so that the final result satisfies not only the client but ourselves as well.”
ONLY THE UNSTARTED IS IMPOSSIBLE
Since most of Dream Team Catering’s partners and clients are recurring, every subsequent event is designed with the idea of building upon the previous one. To evolve, Popova and Lazarova follow culinary trends and strive to adapt them to the specifics of catering.
They share that they are interchangeable in their work—their long-standing practical experience allows them to have a comprehensive view of every stage of organizing an event. However, their roles within the company are clearly defined—Popova is responsible for communication with clients, partners, and overall organization, while Lazarova is behind the culinary concept—creating the menu, execution, and the way the food is presented.
“The experience you provide to your guests is a combination of many elements,” they say. “The good food that greets them upon entry, the server’s smile, and the skill of the chef finishing the dish in front of them are only part of the experience. Personal attention is also important—the fact that they are greeted by the same people they have been communicating with the whole time. This leaves lasting memories.”
According to the business partners, a successful event is recognized by its atmosphere. “Of course, also by the feedback, and by the fact that clients return,” they say. “This means we have demonstrated professional integrity, precision, and professionalism.”
The future of the event industry, according to Popova and Lazarova, will look “increasingly technological.” They believe that lighting effects, digital solutions, and new food presentation techniques will play an ever-greater role in the overall guest experience, and that the companies that stand out in the market will be those that have their own signature style and succeed in evoking emotion in their clients.
Looking back, Popova and Lazarova say they are most proud of the team behind Dream Team Catering, which they have built over time on mutual trust and shared values. “It wasn’t just us choosing them—we chose each other over the years,” says Popova. “This is a dream team, and I am incredibly proud that we live up to our name.”
Therefore, the founders’ greatest dream is not related to business growth, but to preserving the team. Today, they attribute much of their success to their harmonious partnership, as well as the fact that they share the same vision for the company’s development while their strengths complement each other.
“I am proud that fate brought us together and helped me realize that my ambition needs her,” says Popova. “It is wonderful to know that standing beside me is someone who won’t let my wings be clipped when I spread them. So, I wish our Dream Team a pleasant flight!”
Source: https://forbesbulgaria.com
