At an event space nestled in Uptown Oakland, hundreds of partygoers over the weekend celebrated the 20th anniversary of The Red Door Catering, a high-end service with high-end clients.
“I am truly overwhelmed,” said Reign Coleman, the company’s founder. “My heart is just pounding because it’s so much gratitude and so much love.”
Coleman and her company curate luxury catering for all kinds of events, including Super Bowl 50 and NBA All-Star activations. Clients include former Vice President Kamala Harris, the Obama Foundation, Louis Vuitton, Google and Meta.
Coleman, a Black woman from Ohio, never set out to start a catering company.
“I just knew that I love creating beautiful things,” she said. “When I started, I didn’t have 20 years of experience to point to. I didn’t have a giant portfolio. I didn’t have all the answers. What I had was work ethic, some talent, a little bit of nerve, and probably an unreasonable amount of confidence on certain days.”
The company started out of Coleman’s Oakland apartment, where she moved after attending university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her food is inspired by her West Indian heritage and the rich culinary traditions of New Orleans, but her catering menus respond to her clients’ wishes.
“If you have a special recipe that you grew up with and you’re having a wedding or a special occasion, we’ll allow you to bring the recipe in our kitchen,” she said. “I always want people to feel like they have a hug with me. They don’t have to just settle, but they can have exactly what they want.”
At Saturday’s party, Coleman arrived on horseback with the reggae song “Bam Bam” by Sister Nancy playing for the dramatic entrance to cheering friends, family and dedicated customers dressed in their best country Western wear.
Warm and soft light flooded the outdoor and indoor space, and Western-themed décor and native plants transported attendees to a Southwestern-style environment. Guests sipped creative cocktails and mocktails and enjoyed artistically presented platters of triple-cream brie and honey that looked just as good as they tasted.
Representatives from offices of local politicians including U.S. Rep. Lateefah Simon, D-Oakland, and state Assemblymember Mia Bonta, D-Oakland, came to show their support. Mayor Barbara Lee’s Deputy Chief of Staff Preston Kilgore presented an honorary proclamation to Coleman.
“On behalf of the mayor and the city of Oakland, we want to give you this amazing proclamation and honor you for 20 years,” Kilgore said in a speech. “It’s 20 years of success, building community and bringing people along with you every step of the way.”
Cathy Adams from the Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce said, “We are proud to salute Reign for Red Door Catering. She has always been on the top of her game; she’s given back to our community.” She added, “If you can do anything in this room, continue to support Black-owned businesses.”
Coleman shouted out her family and employees for their support and reflected on the company’s journey.
“There have been moments over these 20 years when the opportunity in front of me was bigger than my experience — moments when the problem was bigger than my resources, moments when I didn’t know what the next move was going to be,” she said. “And somehow a door opened.”
Live music, including a soulful performance from Oakland native singer and bassist Aneesa Strings, got the party dancing. Servers dished out refined plates with savory lamb chops and tender duck breast on beds of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Looking into what’s next, Coleman fully intends to keep expanding and evolving.
“Twenty years later, I’m still dreaming,” she said. “There are new things I want to create, new people I want to serve, and new opportunities I want to build, and doors I want to open. But the heart of Red Door still remains the same: make people feel seen, take care of them, do exceptional work, create opportunities.”
