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Founded in Austin in 1952, Dagar's is back! Dagar's Catering was founded in 1952 in Austin, Texas by the late Freddie Dagar.

Kathryn and Frank Albarado reacquired the historic name and look forward to sharing memories, recipes, stories, and decades of catering knowledge while celebrating Dagar's legacy and its future. www.dagarscatering.com
www.dagarscatering.wordpress.com

Dagar’s Catering provides full-service catering, express catering, and full service bars for weddings and corporate, social and scholastic events in Austin and the Texas Hill Country! Freddie set out to create a business that would allow him to earn a living while having fun and exploring his love for food. Beginning with very humble roots, Freddie's offerings amounted to barbecue, barbecue, and more barbecue! The young businessman soon earned a reputation for providing the finest tasting food backed by a devoted family whose customer service and attention to detail were second-to-none in Central Texas. Freddie's son, Albert, gradually took the helm of the company to help expand Dagar's menu offerings to meet the needs of an ever growing list of long-time patrons. Keeping the business in the family, Albert's daughter Kathryn eventually took a position by her father's side and together they continued to further expand the scope and services of the company. Under their management, Dagar's became known as the go-to caterer for numerous renowned associations, corporations, public figures, and universities. After Albert's passing in May of 2012, Kathryn fully took over the reins of the company and has continued to help maintain its status as one of Austin's most trusted and well-regarded names in catering. Dagar's presently offers a cuisine-spanning menu for events of all specifications and sizes, and stills proudly boasts quality service and top-notch food as an Central Texas staple. Though we continue to grow in scope, we at Dagar's Catering will forever be proud of our roots in "Old Austin" and the community that has supported our family-owned company for decades. Give Dagar's Catering a call today at 512.719.5524 to find out more about our current menus, services, and specials!

14/09/2026

🍋 The Hospitality Juggle Is REAL!

If you’ve ever owned or led a hospitality business, you know there is **always something to juggle.

The phone is ringing.
A client needs an answer.
A menu needs to be finalized.
An employee calls in.
A vendor is late.
Payroll is due.

The numbers aren’t where you want them to be.
A customer has a last-minute request.
The event starts in two hours.
And somehow, you’re still expected to smile and make everyone else feel taken care of.

Welcome to hospitality.

Hospitality is an incredible business—but it can also consume you if you’re not intentional.

I know this juggle firsthand. After decades in the family hospitality and catering business, I understand the beautiful, exhausting, rewarding, and sometimes downright chaotic world of serving others.

And here’s something I wish more hospitality business owners heard:

You are not supposed to be the solution to everything.

Your business needs your leadership—not every ounce of your energy.

Sometimes the next step isn’t another event, another client, another employee, or another 12-hour day.

Sometimes the next step is stopping long enough to ask:

What do I want my business—and my life—to look like now?

That question becomes especially important in a **family or generational business.

Because eventually, the question shifts from:

“How do we keep this going?”

to

“What do we want the next chapter to look like?”

That’s where I come in.

As a Generational Business Life Coach, I help family and generational business owners—especially those in hospitality—step out of the daily juggle, look at the bigger picture, and REIMAGINE what’s next.

Because success isn't just about how many events you can pull off, how many customers you can serve, or how many fires you can put out.

**Success should also leave room for you to live the life you worked so hard to build.**

So if you’re juggling lemons today… 🍋🍋🍋

Take a breath.

You don’t have to catch every one.

The juggle is real.
But so is the possibility of doing business differently.

— Kathryn Albarado
GenBizLife Coach
REIMAGINE what’s next.

11/09/2026

🇺🇸 Remembering September 11, 2001

Today, we pause to remember.

We remember the lives lost.
We remember the families forever changed.
We remember the first responders who ran toward danger.
We remember the courage, compassion, and unity that followed.

September 11 reminds us that life can change in an instant—and that **people are what matter most.**

In hospitality, we often talk about serving others, gathering people around tables, creating memories, and opening our doors to our communities. Today is a reminder of the deeper meaning behind all of that.

People. Connection. Community. Service.

May we never forget those we lost, those who served, and the countless acts of kindness that emerged from one of our nation's darkest days.

🇺🇸 We Remember. We Honor. We Will Never Forget.

01/09/2026

**What do YOU struggle with most in your catering business?**

For over 70 years, my family's catering business executed hundreds of events each year. During that time, I learned that success isn't just about creating incredible food—it's about building systems, leading people, and creating processes that allow your business to thrive.

Now, I want to hear from you.

What is your biggest challenge right now?

🍽️ Staffing and retaining great employees?
📈 Pricing for profitability?
⏰ Time management and organization?
📣 Marketing and attracting new clients?
📋 Event logistics and ex*****on?
💰 Cash flow and growing your business?
🤝 Something else?

Drop your biggest challenge in the comments or send me a private message. Your feedback will help me create practical resources, tips, and coaching designed specifically for caterers.

Let's learn from one another and build stronger catering businesses together.

25/08/2026

Happy Birthday to my baby brother, John Dagar! 🎉🎂

It's hard to believe my favorite second brother is another year older... especially since he still acts like he's the favorite of them all. (We're still debating that. 😉)

Growing up with you meant there was never a dull moment, including leaving scares on your temple due to your negligence of picking up a golf ball while I was in mid-swing—and somehow, you've managed to survive having me as your big sister!

From working side-by-side in the catering world to sharing countless laughs, stressful events, and unforgettable family memories, I'm grateful for every moment. You have a huge heart, a great sense of humor, and you're one of the most talented people I know.

I hope your birthday is filled with great food (because, let's be honest, anything less would be unacceptable for a Dagar), lots of laughter, and all the people who love you.

Love you, little brother! Here's to another year of making memories... and reminding everyone that I'm still the older and wiser sibling! ❤️🎈

😄

24/08/2026

My dad, Albert Dagar, had a way of teaching lessons with humor.

One of his favorite **half-joking** questions was:

"What do you do from midnight to 6:00 a.m.?"

If you've ever owned a business, you probably know the answer.

Those are often the hours spent catching up on invoices, planning events, answering emails, or finishing the work that couldn't get done because your customers, your team, and your family needed you first.

Dad would ask it with a smile, but there was wisdom behind the joke.

Working harder isn't always the answer. Sometimes the answer is creating better systems, setting healthier boundaries, and learning to manage your time so your business doesn't take over your life.

You can't add more hours to the day, but you can make the hours you have count.

Don't let midnight become your regular business partner, unless you are finishing up an event. 😉

If you're struggling to find balance in your business, I'd love to help. Let's schedule a complimentary consultation and talk about building a business that works for you—not the other way around.

21/08/2026

This is one of my favorite pictures from the Dagar’s Catering portfolio—not because it’s a great shot of the baron round of beef, but because if you look closely, you can see my Daddy’s hands.

Those hands worked hard. They prepared countless meals, served so many people, and helped build something that became such an important part of our family’s story.

To most people, it’s just a picture of someone carving beef. To me, it’s a little piece of my Daddy that I get to keep forever. ❤️

Sometimes the most meaningful memories are found in the smallest details.

❤️

18/08/2026

Experience Gives You Stories. Strategy Creates Results.

For more than 20 years, I didn't just work in the catering industry—I lived it.

From 5:00 a.m. prep calls to midnight cleanups, from weddings and galas to corporate events, I learned that successful catering isn't just about great food. It's about leadership, communication, systems, customer experience, and making hundreds of decisions before your client ever notices one.

Today, I bring those same lessons to business owners through **GenBIZ Coaching**.

I don't coach from theory.
I coach from experience.

Running **Dagar's Catering** taught me:
✔️ How to build systems that work.
✔️ How to lead teams under pressure.
✔️ How to solve problems before clients ever see them.
✔️ How to grow a business while protecting its reputation.
✔️ How to build a legacy—not just a company.

If you're a caterer, event professional, or small business owner feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or ready to grow, let's talk.

Sometimes the next level of your business doesn't require working harder—it requires a better strategy.

What's the biggest challenge you're facing in your business right now?

Share it in the comments or send me a message. I'd love to help.

— Kathryn Albarado
**GenBIZ Coaching**

14/08/2026

Albert Dagar loved serving his BBQ. ❤️🔥

For Albert, BBQ was never just about the food — it was about the people gathered around it. He loved standing behind the cutting board, sharing stories, serving up a slice of brisket, and watching people enjoy a meal made with pride and passion.

Every plate carried a little piece of his heart. His BBQ brought people together, created memories, and became part of so many celebrations.

Albert didn’t just serve BBQ… he served hospitality, laughter, and a whole lot of love.

What’s your favorite memory of Albert serving up his BBQ? Share it below. ❤️

13/08/2026

🌿 We Can't Forget the Dagar Women

When we talk about the legacy of Dagar's Catering, we can't forget about the Dagar women who were behind the scenes making it all happen.

The first Dagar woman on the scene was Rosalie Dagar—my sweet Tita.

A cousin once wrote something that made me smile:

“Freddie made the iced tea, but Rosalie made it sweet.”

That pretty much says it all. ❤️

Rosalie was part of the foundation of what would become the Dagar legacy. She brought warmth, strength, love, and that unmistakable Dagar hospitality to everything she did.

This photo captures just a little piece of that history. The tables, the food, the work—and the woman behind it all.

I can only pray that I grow to be **half the woman my sweet Tita was.

The Dagar legacy wasn't built by one person. It was built by generations of men and women who worked, served, loved, and believed in taking care of people.

And the women of Dagar's deserve to be remembered. ❤️

Who are the women in your family who helped build your legacy?

12/08/2026

Dagar's Remember...

Long before social media challenges, we had one of our own.

No matter where we traveled, a Dagar's cup came with us.

Rome. Beaches. Mountains. Small towns. Big cities.

If we were there, so was the cup.

It became our family's version of "Where in the World Is the Dagar's Cup?"

People would laugh as we'd stop to take a picture before taking a sip, but those photos became more than marketing—they became memories.

Looking back, I realize we weren't just taking a cup on vacation—we were taking a little piece of home with us wherever we went.

Sometimes the simplest traditions become the ones you cherish the most.

❤️ Do you still have a Dagar's cup?

If you do, post a picture in the comments and tell us where it's been! We'd love to see how far our little cup has traveled over the years.

Maybe it's time to bring the Traveling Dagar's Cup back!

** **

11/08/2026

Quotes to Live By

Some of the greatest lessons in business aren't found in books—they're learned in kitchens, banquet halls, and long days serving people with excellence.

Growing up in Dagar's Catering, I had the privilege of learning from two men who built more than a successful catering company. Fred and Albert Dagar built a reputation based on hard work, consistency, and taking care of every client as if they were family.

Their words still guide me today—not only in catering, but in coaching business owners.

✨ Fred Dagar:
"There are three things people never complain about:

You're too early.
The food is too hot.
There's too much food on my plate."

✨ Albert Dagar:
• "Failure is not an option."
• "You're only as good as your last event."
• "You can do 100 events for somebody, but they only remember the last one you did for them."
• "Success is the best revenge."
• "Now let's go kiss some ass." (His colorful way of saying: take care of your customers.)
• "You don't get second chances in catering."

These weren't just sayings—they were the standards we lived by every day.

Today, through GenBIZ Coaching, I help business owners build businesses with the same principles:
✔️ Excellence over excuses
✔️ Relationships over transactions
✔️ Systems that create consistency
✔️ A legacy worth leaving

10/08/2026

☀️ Summer Can Be the Toughest Season in Catering

For many restaurants and caterers, summer can be one of the hardest times of the year.

Events slow down. Corporate clients take vacations. Schools are out. Cash flow gets tighter.

So here's my question...

What's your secret?

How do you keep positive cash flow during the slower months? How do you keep your staff working? What's the niche that carries your business through the summer?

For Dagar's Catering, the answer changed over the years.

Back in the 1980s and early '90s, one of our biggest summer accounts was a trail ride in New Mexico. It kept our crews busy and helped bridge the slower season. (There was one rule for this particular group: **No guns. No dogs. No women.** 😂 Needless to say, I never got to go.)

When that opportunity ended, we spent years looking for the next niche that could help sustain the business.

Then, in 2012, while planning my father's funeral, something happened I'll never forget.

The funeral director quietly pulled me aside and said,

"I know this isn't the right time, but when you're ready, I'd like to talk to you about catering."

Even in one of the hardest moments of my life, he saw a need—and an opportunity for Dagar's to serve families in a meaningful way.

I often joke that my dad was the only person I knew who could book business at his own funeral.

That conversation led to relationships with local funeral homes and opened an entirely new chapter for Dagar's Catering.

My dad always said,

"In catering, we serve people through every stage of life."

He was right.

We served weddings, birthdays, graduations, corporate events, family reunions, and celebrations of life. We learned that a successful catering business isn't built on one type of event—it's built on finding meaningful ways to serve your community.

Now I'd love to hear from you.

What niche helped your business survive the slow season? Was it something you planned for... or something that found you?

07/08/2026

At just 32 years old, I became the steward of a family legacy that had been built through decades of hard work, dedication, and service. Dagar's Catering was never just a business—it was a name people trusted to be part of life's most important celebrations. Carrying that legacy was both an incredible honor and a tremendous responsibility.

There were moments of uncertainty as I wondered who I was beyond being Albert Dagar's daughter. But over time, I realized that the greatest gift my father gave me wasn't simply a catering company—it was the values behind it: integrity, hospitality, resilience, and a commitment to serving others.

Today, while the catering chapter has closed, the legacy continues. Dagar's isn't just about the meals we served or the events we catered; it's about the relationships we built, the people we mentored, the memories we helped create, and the impact we made throughout our community.

I am Kathryn Albarado, proud daughter of Albert Dagar. His greatest legacy wasn't the business itself—it was preparing me to carry forward the values that made Dagar's Catering so special.

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Opening Hours

Monday	09:00 - 17:00
Tuesday	09:00 - 17:00
Wednesday	09:00 - 17:00
Thursday	09:00 - 17:00
Friday	09:00 - 17:00

Telephone

+15127195524

Website

facebook.com

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