Catering to the Florida Panhandle since 1989
History
Exquisite cuisine and exceptional service are the hallmarks of Classic City Catering. It’s what our clients throughout the Florida panhandle and Alabama Gulf Coast have come to rely on since 1989.
As a full-service, detail-oriented caterer our mission has always been to ensure your event is successful and memorable – for you and for your guests. You can relax knowing that we will coordinate everything impeccably. From tents, rentals and lighting to cakes, music and flowers. Even specialty linens. Regardless of the size or type of event, our commitment to quality and service remains the same.
CCC Facilities
It all starts here at our convenient location in downtown Pensacola.
After selecting your menu in our sophisticated, yet comfortable meeting room, we invite you back to our large storage area where you can pick from our wide range of décor and accessories to compliment your theme.
With a commercially equipped kitchen facility on site, Classic City can prepare for multiple events at a time. Our large kitchen and walk in refrigerator allow us to prep and store food before whisking them away to your event.
On-site Kitchen
Classic City’s “On-site Facility” has the ability to meet any of your location requirements by transforming any space into a suitable dining facility. After the food is prepped at our commercial kitchen facility, it can be transported to any open location where all the final touches take place. Parking lots, grassy fields, parks, beaches, all can be rendered suitable for your event’s special needs. So relax knowing Classic City can make any space successful and memorable.
Serving Accessories
Black tie event…think dramatic black and white china. Corporate shrimp boil…think rustic copper serving dishes and hurricane lamps. Whatever mood you are trying to create, Classic City Catering has a large variety of serving accessories and décor pieces to choose from at our convenient downtown location. From subdued and eclectic pewter, to our more ornate silver pieces, Classic City has the perfect accessories to garnish your special event.
The Heirloom Preservation Garden at Classic City Catering
David Penniman, owner and operator of Classic City Catering, had a dream. He wanted to grow a downtown garden full of unique flavors, colors and beauty to compliment the dishes and menus that Classic City Catering prides itself in. He contacted local Heirloom gardener Cat McCreery, and as they say, the rest is history!
The varieties of vegetables, herbs and flowers grown in this garden have been in cultivation for a minimum of 50 years, and therefore are considered to be heirlooms. Many of the varieties have a direct family heritage, and are grown, cultivated and the seeds or cuttings saved year after year in an act of preservation. This garden is actively growing and preserving several rare varieties such as the Beaver Dam pepper and the wild, native Florida Everglades tomato. We have recently harvested seeds from our fall and winter garden for several rare southern heirloom greens. These seeds will be sent to Seed Savers Exchange, a non-profit organization, dedicated to saving and sharing Heirloom seeds.
The garden at Classic City Catering is grown only from organic seeds, in the most responsible way, without the use of pesticides or chemicals. The entire garden is a perfect balance of nature’s own companion planting practices. Every plant is grown in harmony with its favorite friend or “helper’ and its best companion. Companion planting also gives careful thought and planning to provide yearlong food, water and shelter to our pollinators and beneficial insects. Classic City Catering has joined forces with The East Hill Honey Company and has added beehives on the building’s rooftop. This makes our garden the first in Pensacola to have a rooftop apiary. The bees will pollinate the garden, and the garden will provide a safe and chemical free habitat for the bees to thrive in.
David Penniman is realizing his downtown garden dream and is sharing it with his family. You will often see them working in the garden with Cat planting, maintaining and harvesting in this very special downtown garden.
Meet David
David Penniman, owner of Classic City Catering, was born and raised in Pensacola, Florida. David’s interest in the culinary world began early in life cooking with his grandfather David Neale. His father Erwin Penniman was himself an entrepreneur and restaurateur. David’s first job was selling eggs in the neighborhood from chickens he raised with his mother Sallie. After high school, experience at Athens, Georgia- based Epting Events provided him with an in-depth knowledge of the catering industry. David returned to Pensacola and, in 1989, began his own catering business in the kitchen of EJ’s Restaurant in Pensacola’s Historic District. He began Classic City with the intention of providing Pensacola with a quality full-service caterer. Today Mr. Penniman is proud of the service Classic City brings, not only to Pensacola, but to the entire Southeast.
David’s culinary philosophy centers on using the freshest ingredients available, with an emphasis on locally sourced products whenever possible. His menus blend timeless favorites with creative, contemporary flavors, allowing each event to be thoughtfully customized to reflect every client’s unique vision. Whether orchestrating an elegant beachfront wedding, an executive corporate seminar, or a grand Mardi Gras ball, David and his experienced team are dedicated to creating memorable experiences defined by exceptional food and attentive service.
Equally important to David is giving back to the community that has supported Classic City Catering since its founding. The company has proudly partnered with local and national nonprofit organizations for more than 35 years, donating thousands of dollars annually in catering services, food, and event support. David believes that investing in charitable organizations strengthens the community and helps create lasting positive change.
When he’s not planning events or developing new menus, David enjoys traveling, discovering new culinary inspirations, experimenting with recipes, and spending quality time with his three sons.
