In honor of National Small Business Week, the Colorado Chamber is celebrating Colorado small businesses and recognizing the contributions of small business owners, entrepreneurs, and their employees to our local communities. Learn more about Small Business Week here!
Today’s feature is Anthony Lambatos with Footers Catering
Footers Catering was founded in 1981 by Jimmy Lambatos as a family-owned business rooted in hospitality. In 2010, Jimmy’s son Anthony and Anthony’s wife April bought the business and Footers Catering expanded dramatically. Since then, revenue has soared, facilities have expanded, the company launched its own event venue with space for hundreds, and developed a leadership education program for team members.
Anthony Lambatos grew up working for his father and while he may not have always loved catering, he is grateful for the valuable lessons he learned early on about the commitment and hard work necessary to operate a small business. After studying business and economics at the University of Oregon, working with the Oregon Athletic Department and interning with the Denver Broncos, Lambatos returned to Footers in 2004.
A pivotal conversation with mentor Bob Carrothers changed Lambatos’ perspective on catering and his job during a period of frustration with the family business. Lambatos explained that he felt his true career path was in college basketball coaching due to his love for strategy and game planning. He described the process of recruiting and team building from a coaching perspective and the importance of personal development within a team. Carrothers simply responded, “Anthony, you have an opportunity to do all of that right now at Footers.” That insight helped Lambatos see his role in a new light – one focused on building the right team, fostering collaboration and prioritizing the team’s development and success.
When April and Anthony Lambatos took over the business in 2010, they committed to creating an outstanding work environment and company culture. April’s love of hospitality and expertise in operations combined with Anthony’s passion for business formed a leadership team covering all aspects of the business.
Today, Lambatos calls their team and business trajectory Footers’ greatest achievement. Several team members who were part of the company during the 2010 transition are still with the business today. The company’s culture is built on three guiding principles: placing people in roles that match their strengths, infusing purpose into their work, and surrounding them with teammates they trust and respect.
Footers Catering has earned multiple awards, including being recognized as a “Best Place to Work” by the Denver Post, Small Business of the Year by the Denver Metro Chamber, and the national ACE Award for Catering Excellence. This year they were honored at the ICON Awards in four categories: Best Industry Collaboration, Best Venue Showcase, Industry Innovator and 2025 Rising Star. Most recently, they were named one of the Denver Business Journal’s 2025 “Best Places to Work”.
Learn more about Footers Catering here and learn more about their upcoming Heart Leadership Workshop here!
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