Licata Hospitality
An elegant candlelit waterfront dinner table at blue hour

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Four brands. One standard.

Four specialized divisions, each built for a different need—from landmark events and office catering to culinary production and disaster response.

The portfolio

Four divisions. Four distinct roles.

Each division serves a distinct client need, with the team, service model, and resources built specifically for that work.

Weddings, galas & fundraisers 01

Hugh’sCatering and Events

Large-scale, full-service events with custom menus, planning, staffing, rentals, bar service, and complete on-site execution.

Visit Hugh’s
Corporate catering & delivery 02

ArgentelleCatering

Office breakfasts and lunches, business meetings, recurring meal programs, and dependable drop-off or delivered catering.

Visit Argentelle
Culinary production & provisioning 03

Big Chef

Canapés, hors d’oeuvres, prepared foods, yacht and inflight provisioning, and custom products for hospitality partners.

Visit Big Chef
Disaster relief & field operations 04

HCBSBasecamp Services

Rapid-deployment mobile kitchens, basecamp feeding, water, ice, and 24/7 workforce support for emergency and government operations.

Explore HCBS

About Licata Hospitality

One team. One standard.

A Fort Lauderdale hospitality group built to honor respected legacies, sharpen operations, and raise the standard across every brand we lead.

The culinary team plating an event dinner with precision

Our approach

Preserve what matters. Elevate what’s possible.

Licata Hospitality brings restaurant discipline and hands-on leadership to established culinary companies with real history and loyal clients.

We protect the reputation each name has earned while strengthening the systems behind it—culinary standards, service, vendor relationships, event logistics, and client experience.

Today, Hugh’s Catering and Events, Argentelle Catering, Big Chef, and HCBS operate as four distinct divisions. Each has a defined role, while one leadership team maintains the standards behind them all.

1979

Hugh’s Catering and Events

A Fort Lauderdale catering legacy begins.

1984

Argentelle Catering

A distinctive catering and special-events name is founded.

1999

Big Chef

Culinary production and custom food solutions take shape.

Today

Licata Hospitality

Four distinct brands united by one operating standard.

Our leadership

Leaders present. Excellence delivered.

Our Fort Lauderdale-based leadership team brings restaurant and large-scale event expertise to every brand, from strategy and menu development through final execution.

Anthony Licata, owner and chief executive officer

Owner & Chief Executive Officer

Anthony Licata

Anthony brings restaurant-refined standards and an operator’s eye to Licata Hospitality. He personally oversees growth strategy, menu development, vendor partnerships, and key client relationships, ensuring quality and execution are never compromised.

Steve Nothnagel, chief operating officer

Chief Operating Officer

Steve Nothnagel

With more than 25 years orchestrating complex events—from Philadelphia and New York to South Florida’s luxury market—Steve leads logistics, timelines, teams, and on-site operations with calm, immediate problem-solving.

Daniel Alvarez, executive chef and culinary director

Executive Chef & Culinary Director

Daniel Alvarez

Chef Daniel’s Swiss and Italian heritage informs a career refined in kitchens from Belgium to Geneva and Northern Italy. A Culinary Institute of America graduate with Michelin-star training, he leads menu development and culinary standards across the group.

How we operate

Hospitality is in the details.

01

Restaurant standards

Food, timing, presentation, and service are judged at the level guests experience them—not by what is merely acceptable for an event.

02

Leaders on the ground

Experienced decision-makers stay close to the work, solve problems quickly, and own the result from beginning to end.

03

Complete accountability

Clear ownership, disciplined systems, and one shared standard keep every detail aligned across our portfolio.