Today we’d like to introduce you to Anthony Gutierrez.
Hi Anthony, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Wasabi Doll really started with a leap of faith—and light push from the universe.
I spent years working in corporate talent acquisition, building a career in Fortune 500 companies and cooking was mainly a hobby, turned passion, turned career. Eventually I realized I didn’t just want cooking to be the thing I did for fun. I wanted to see what could happen if I took it seriously. The real catalyst was going through a layoff and competing in a cooking competition to take up the time while I determined my next move. That experience pushed me to look at food differently—not just as something I loved, but as a craft and a business. I eventually left corporate America and started building Wasabi Doll.
What began as a small catering operation has grown into a collection of food experiences: private chef dinners, drop-off catering, meal prep, and intimate events. I’ve cooked for everything from small dinner parties to groups of 30, and I’ve built a business that can move between an elevated dinner party and a week’s worth of thoughtfully prepared meals.
The journey has taken me places I never expected—and I’m still very much building. That’s actually one of my favorite parts of the story. Wasabi Doll isn’t a finished product. It’s a business I’m continuing to shape around great food, great experiences, and hospitality that feels like home.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Absolutely not—and honestly, I think that’s important to say!
Starting a food business is humbling. There are the obvious challenges: food costs, commercial kitchen expenses, staffing, logistics, seasonality, pricing, and figuring out how to make a creative business financially sustainable. But some of the harder lessons have been personal.
When you come from a corporate background, you’re used to having systems, teams, budgets, and resources around you. Entrepreneurship takes all of that away. Suddenly you’re the chef, salesperson, bookkeeper, marketing department, operations manager, customer service team, and sometimes the person washing the dishes at midnight.
I’ve had to learn that being good at the food isn’t enough. You have to understand your numbers. You have to price your work appropriately. You have to learn how to say no. And you have to be willing to change your idea of what success looks like as the business evolves.
We’ve been impressed with Wasabi Doll Catering, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I like to think that Wasabi Doll is a hospitality brand with food at the center of the experience. I create private dining experiences, catered events, drop-off meals, and customized meal prep in the greater Boston are and Cape Cod, though I do travel outside of that area for private events.
The easiest way to explain Wasabi Doll is that I make food for people who are tired of eating the same thing.
Whether I’m creating an intimate dinner at someone’s home or designing meals around someone’s active lifestyle, I want the experience to feel personal, elevated, and a little unexpected by creating food that is not only nourishing, but draws connections the dots between culture, flavor, and familiarity.
The brand is playful, but the food is serious. I’m proud that Wasabi Doll has developed a distinct personality and point of view rather than feeling like a traditional catering company. I care about the details—from the food itself to the presentation and the way people feel throughout the experience.
Ultimately, I want Wasabi Doll to be known for making hospitality feel personal and food feel exciting, wherever that experience happens.
How do you think about happiness?
I’m also happiest when I’m creating—whether that’s developing a new dish, dreaming up a theme, or experiencing the creativity of others that inspire me.. I think that’s probably why this type of business suits me: there’s always something new to imagine, build, and share.
The type of things makes me happy is creating something that brings people together. Whether it’s hosting a dinner party for my own friends, brainstorming a dish with a client and hearing their reaction, or simply traveling partaking in local culture for the first time, I love those moments when food becomes more than just food.
Pricing:
- Varies based on service and client needs
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.wasabidollcatering.com
- Instagram: @wasabidollcatering
- Other: https://tiktok.com/@acgutier
