About Bekker's Catering
Bekker's Catering has come from humble beginnings to become San Diego's longest established and most reliable catering and event planning company. We began as Roadside Bar BQ in 1958, as a restaurant and catering company. We moved to a larger location and reopened as Bekker's Bar BQ in 1978 to accommodate our growing catering business. We have now expanded to an even larger facility in 2013, and are fully staffed and ready to cater corporate and personal events of any size. Our goal is to provide our clients with amazing meals, customized personal event planning support, spectacular presentations by professional and friendly staff, and unparalleled value.
The Bekker's Story
Humble Beginnings-
After college, the Navy, and World War II, submarine chef Dale Worm and his wife, Betty, decided that they would find their next success in the barbecue business. They found property on Mission Gorge Road, an unpaved and undeveloped area of San Diego County. Upon consulting with the health department, Dale encountered a minor setback - in order to open a restaurant, he needed the sewer system to be extended to reach Mission Gorge Road. Dale took the initiative and went from house to house and business to business, gathering signatures to get the sewer brought in. Earning the nickname "The Mayor of Grantville," Dale spearheaded the development of the entire Grantville area. Roadside Bar BQ opened its doors in 1958 - becoming the very first restaurant on Mission Gorge Road. Dale and Betty spent 20 years in this location, serving fantastic barbecue to the growing city of San Diego, and raising a family who would later carry on the legacy.
The Next Step-
In 1978, Dale and Betty's son Oscar decided that the barbecue business was also the place for him, and joined his dad in opening Bekker's Bar BQ, 3 miles down Mission Gorge Road. The new location provided a great opportunity in which they had much more space to focus on catering. A few years later, Oscar was married, and his wife Olga joined the business. Olga and Oscar spent over 20 successful years in this location, keeping the restaurant busy, and catering events for a growing San Diego community. With each passing year, the business grew, and so did the reputation of Bekker's Catering. After raising a family themselves: Lara, Marla, and Scott, Olga and Oscar attempted to retire in 2001. They sold the business and spent six years travelling and enjoying their well-earned freedom.
A New Venture-
In 2007, daughter Marla, son Scott and his wife, Jennifer, pulled Olga and Oscar out of retirement, and into a new venture - West Coast Barbecue and Catering, on Lake Murray Blvd. in La Mesa. As a family, they ran yet another successful restaurant for 5 years in this location. Soon, they found themselves in such high demand for catering, that they reassumed ownership of Bekker's Catering in 2010. Scott and Jennifer welcomed son Henry into the family in 2011, daughter Emily in 2013 and baby Tiffany in 2015. Marla and her husband Jonah welcomed son Mazer into the fold in 2014. Finally, after a few years of running a busy restaurant as well as a rapidly expanding catering company, the entire family decided that they were ready to focus exclusively on catering, and sold West Coast Bar BQ in 2012.
Bekker's Catering - Awesome food and service for 55 years...and counting.
Oscar Worm - Former CEO and Chef Emeritus
- at Bekker's since 1958
Now retired, Oscar is called in only during the busiest days as the fastest carver in the west! He also has the ability to see the big picture, and is in charge of special projects and new ideas for the ever expanding business. He is very happy to sit back and create new marketing strategies, or new menus - as long as he doesn't have to implement them! He now enjoys the hobbies he has put off for the over 30 years that he worked 7 days a week. He loves to hike, work out at the gym, play the accordion, do woodworking, dredge for gold, flint knap, garden, and enjoy the fruits of his labor. He is especially proud of his children: Lara, an Asst. U.S. Attorney; Marla, a devoted mother; and Scott, who has taken over the catering kitchen completely and successfully. Oscar and Olga have enjoyed travelling more as their children have grown into handling the day to day responsibilities. They have recently toured almost every country in Europe through a few extended journeys. With each new country they visit, they put a new set of ethnic menus on the catering list with the recipes they collect on their travels!
Olga Worm - CEO - since 1980
Guiding and carrying on the family legacy for over 30 years, Olga is the consummate hands-on professional leader. While spearheading this multimillion dollar corporation, you will also find her planning the minute details of complicated events, setting up enormous, artistic fruit displays, carving beef for a thousand guests, and loading tables onto a truck. She serves as a boss and mother to over 50 employees, training, directing, perfecting and encouraging each person to excel to new heights every day. Each staff member becomes a member of her family, and each is valued for both adherence to our high standards of customer service, and the unique attributes he or she brings to the Bekker's team.
Born in New York City, then moving to Pocatello, Idaho from Elementary through High School, Olga has a unique view of the world from both big city and small town perspectives. Always an overachiever, she received many awards in her fields of music, speech, dance, acting, directing, leadership and academics. She graduated from Pomona College in 1977 - BA in Theatre Arts; Acting, Directing and Design, and California State University, Fullerton; Teaching Credential. After a short career in teaching, she discovered her forte in sales upon working in a shoe store. By age 22, she opened her first entrepreneurial venture - a ladies fashion shoe store. Within a few years, it became a chain of 5 stores and then she married the owner of the neighboring business - Oscar at Bekker's BBQ. Five shoe stores, a restaurant and catering business, and soon three children, were a bit too much for one new family, so the shoe stores were sold in favor of the family restaurant business. After a few years, Oscar and Olga recognized the potential of the catering side of their business, and eventually phased out the restaurant, and with hard work and determination, the catering grew by leaps and bounds every year.
Olga draws on her theatre background to make every catered event a show deserving of a standing ovation. Now a grandma, Olga still has the boundless energy and enthusiasm to keep every event new, fresh, delicious, and worry-free for all of her clients. Olga is very proud and lucky to have her children and grandchildren working side by side in the family business, training them all to fulfill the family legacy. Olga also has many outside interests, and spends her minimal spare time volunteering and serving on executive boards of many charitable organizations. In her short retirement, Olga wrote and directed a touring musical theatre production entitled "Sentimental Journey." She also spent a few years as a travel agent and furniture salesperson. Her greatest joys are her husband, Oscar, all her children, grandchildren, staff, friends, and 4 generations of clients.
Scott Worm - Executive Chef & Corporate VP
- at Bekker's since 1986
Scott Worm was born an entrepreneur, and has had a keen eye for business since childhood. He always excelled in school, focusing on his studies, the Future Farmers of America club, Football and Wrestling. He began working for the family business as soon as he could walk! Always a man with serious intentions, he met his wife Jennifer while still attending El Capitan High School in 2003. Scott saved his money diligently, and was able to purchase his first home in Austin, TX in 2005. He and Jennifer then moved to Austin, and he attended college and worked for a large equipment company, moving up quickly from warehouse staff to sales. Scott and Jennifer moved back to San Diego in 2008, began working at our former restaurant - West Coast BBQ, and Scott finally popped the question! Scott became executive chef of Bekker's Catering in 2009, and finally allowed his father Oscar to retire! Jennifer and Scott were married in 2009, and purchased a home in San Diego. They welcomed their first child, Henry into the world in 2011, beautiful daughter Emily in 2013, and newest baby Tiffany in 2015. In his minimal free time, Scott enjoys the art of home-brewing craft beer, gourmet cooking, gardening and spending time with his family and dogs. He and Jennifer enjoy travelling and experiencing cuisines from around the world, the best kind of research & development!
Jennifer Worm - CFO & Human Resources Director
- With us since 2008
Though she may not have known it, Jennifer was born a member of our family. She met her husband, our Executive Chef Scott, while still attending El Capitan High School in 2003, and it was meant to be. Jennifer worked at Washington Mutual Bank where she learned many of the skills she would later use as our Chief Financial Officer. After graduating from High School, Scott and Jennifer purchased their first home in Austin, TX in 2005, and Jennifer continued working in banking while attending college. They returned to California in 2008, and Scott finally popped the question! While attending Grossmont College for accounting and business, Jennifer also worked at our former restaurant, West Coast BBQ as a hostess, server, and bookkeeper. They were married in 2009, and welcomed little Henry, into the family in 2011, beautiful Emily in 2013, and baby Tiffany in 2015. Jennifer may be quiet, but it's only because she's so busy! When she isn't handling the finances, she is booking parties, and taking care of deliveries. She manages to keep our employees and suppliers happy by handling payroll and business accounts, all while taking care of two young children. In her free time Jennifer loves spending time with her family, reading, cooking and finding fun projects on Pinterest.
Please visit our...
Office and Catering Kitchen
7455 Mission Gorge Rd, San Diego, CA 92120
Thanks for joining us!
