Food for Thought features a first class staff working together to provide clients with a quality event, no matter what size. We all strive to exceed your expectations each and every time we serve you.

Our perfectly-seasoned staff is expert at customizing your menu to your specifications for your special event. We’ll work within your budget to create a delicious menu and plan every detail, including connecting you with qualified, reputable event partners for flowers, valet services, photography, music and more. Our kitchen and service staff round out the flavor, promising to make your event the smart, tasteful affair you desire.

Bonnie J. Matthew

Owner

Bonnie is a graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York State. She achieved a bachelor of Business in Restaurant and Hospitality Management. Her culinary career began with Stouffer Restaurants, a subsidiary of Nestle. While at Stouffers in the eighties, she dreamed of a business where she could channel the hard working demands of the restaurant industry into something that would afford her a more balanced life. Food For Thought was born.

Bonnie is a founding member and active participant in the Women’s Presidents Organization (WPO). She is also a Trustee of the Council of Smaller Enterprises (COSE) where she sits on the executive committee and is involved in a variety of committees. She is also a Trustee of the Greater Cleveland Partnership. In 2015 she has agreed to serve on the board of the NEO tennis association giving back to the sport that is near and dear to her heart, she currently sits on the management committee serving as secretary for the organization.

Bonnie is a 30 year resident of Northeast Ohio and lives in Auburn Township. She is is a big fan of Cleveland, having moved all her life, she appreciates all the city and surrounding area has to offer. She is an accomplished tennis and paddle player. Her athletic talent, coupled with her business acumen, has proved to be an excellent vehicle for growth. As Food for Thought has matured, much of Ms. Matthew’s attention is focused on keeping the company’s culinary drive alive while pioneering smart, healthy food choices as well as green initiatives within the industry. She enjoys being involved in the Cleveland community and networking, making sure people know all about Food for Thought.

Robert J. Hufgard

Owner

Bob started young as an entrepreneur in his late teens. His early ventures include a white tablecloth restaurant, a high-end wine shop and a gourmet specialty & prepared food store.

Having met Bonnie years earlier at Stouffer Restaurants, they re-connected in 1995 as Food for Thought was developing and the two quickly joined forces. Together they have guided Food for Thought through major expansions and grown into one of NEO’s largest off-premise caterers.

Many of Bob’s Food for Thought responsibilities involve day-to-day operations and general business matters. Another essential role is collaborating with Bonnie and the members of the management team on matters that ensure Food for Thought’s continued success.

Bob was born and raised in Mentor, Ohio and now resides in Kirtland Hills along with his wife of 31 years, Dawn. His family includes three grown children, two sons-in-law and a recently added grandson.

When not at Food for Thought or spending time with his family, Bob can be found working on home projects, working out or Scuba Diving; both for pleasure and as an instructor.

Dan bednar

director of operations and culinary

Dan Bednar has been cooking since he was a child. Dan and his brother used to record a weekly food show in their kitchen, Sloppy Sandwiches, and he never looked back. After attending Miami University, he went on expanding his knowledge beyond a good turkey and cheese ratio for a sandwich honing his skills as an Executive Chef up and down the East Coast. He has lived in many different states from Virginia to Georgia and picked-up new culinary insights at every stop. Once he satisfied his need for travel, Dan returned home to northeast Ohio. He comes to Food for Thought with an enthusiasm for innovative, healthy and approachable food that carries a homespun feel.

When Dan is not in the kitchen here or at home, he can be found adventuring through the metro parks or downtown Willoughby where he resides with his wife Erika, and many four-legged friends. Dan is the proud pet dad to three dogs and three cats. Sheesh…

jason taylor

kitchen manager

Food for Thought is in its’ 32nd year and Jason has been a part of our family for 23 years. Since then, he’s had his hand in every food prep station learning, tweaking and perfecting as he grew. Jay was on board with growing the company which eventually led to a promotion to line cook and on to become a member of the management team.

Jason’s goal is to provide fresh ideas customized to the style and service our customers have come to enjoy and expect. Jay does his best to create without limitations, providing colorful, flavorful and simple cuisine without skimping on variety. It’s also not unusual to find him at the helm of the BBQ grill at many special events!

When Jay isn’t playing with food, he’s likely taking on another home remodeling project or shooting pool.

brenda hanna

office manager

It’s not uncommon that on a typical day our Office Manager, Brenda Hanna, comes in contact with more customers than anyone else in our company. We are delighted when this happens because your complete satisfaction is our primary goal and we know that, when you’re with Brenda, you’re in two of the best hands in the business.

Brenda recently celebrated her 16th anniversary with Food for Thought. Prior to her coming to Food for Thought, she honed her relationship skills as a business owner in the collectible art industry. She owned galleries in several locations, including downtown Cleveland.

Competently managing a busy and talented office staff, Brenda’s team successfully processes hundreds of orders every day. And hundreds of positive experiences.

Brenda’s guaranteed commitment to you:

In every conversation you’ll hear a reassuring smile
Focused attention to your specific requests
You’ll feel like the most important customer of her day.

jim polsak

director of corporate accounts

Since joining the Food For Thought management team in 2004 Jim has been a powerful, influence and solid contributor to the development and growth of the company. As Director of Corporate Accounts, Jim brings more than 40 years of sales relationship experience to a broad scope of knowledgeable customers located in the corporate community of northeast Ohio and beyond.

As a lifelong Clevelander and former executive in this marketplace, Jim understands the importance of food for any corporate occasion. He also knows how important it is to the people responsible for placing the orders to have the right food set up and ready at the right time. A daily commitment to his vast customer base has always been the foundation for his unwavering guarantee, “We are here to serve you and make you look good.”

Jim earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Restaurant Management/Food Sciences from The Ohio State University. He has employed his expertise to combine Food for Thought’s quality of food with complete client satisfaction to produce many mutually beneficial and long-established relationships. If you are not already a customer, Jim hopes you will become one in the very near future. If you are a Food for Thought customer, Jim appreciates your loyalty to our food and he will continue to serve you in any way that he can.

Leslie lee

Logistics Coordinator

Many of you may already be familiar with Leslie from our customer service department, a delivery or a staffed event. Leslie has been a part of the Food for Thought Family for over 15 years. In 2017 she joined our management team as our Logistics Coordinator.

When she is not at Food for Thought, Leslie enjoys spending time with her friends and family, especially her three daughters.

jennifer natale

director of special events

Jennifer was born and raised in Connecticut where fresh out of high school, she pursued her first career path as a cosmetologist. This was all she had wanted to do since she was a little girl. She got into the restaurant business part time while growing her client base…and the rest was history!
She has been in the food & beverage industry for over 30 years now! Starting off as a busser, she quickly fell in love with the restaurant business. From there she decided to learn everything she possibly could! There isn’t a position in the industry that she has not held, which gave her the knowledge and experience she needed to become a hotel food & beverage manager. That is where she discovered her passion for event planning.

Jennifer started off at Food for Thought as one of our Customer Service Representatives and now she gets to continue pursuing her passion as our Director of Special Events. Being able to assist our clients by creating memorable events brings her great a sense of joy and accomplishment.

In addition to being a mom to 3 terrific kids, Jennifer enjoys listening to music and spending as much time outdoors as she can, whether at the beach, hiking, or camping.

“I had the opportunity to meet and speak with managers, customer service representatives, and a variety of your staff. The highlight of my evening was that each of your staff was welcoming, professional, pleasant, and truly loved their work. And obviously they take great pride in the company they work for and are proud of their product and presentation. An organization that has such dedicated and professional employees must truly be its greatest asset. You should be congratulated on yours.”

— Jim, CLE Yacht Charters