About On The Spot
The kitchen
always called
me back.
A dish-pit start. A year lost. A comeback cooked on the spot — one chef, one fire, building a catering company out of a second chance.
The Statement
No chafing dishes. We bring the restaurant to you —
and cook to order, in the open, while your guests watch.
On The Spot isn't a typical catering company. It's more like a private chef and a restaurant, brought to your event. State-of-the-art equipment, set up in the open, so the cooking is half the meal.
Chef Alec On The Line
Watch the fire happen.
This is what "on the spot" actually looks like — Alec cooking, live, in the open.
Chef Alec Ayala · Riverside, CA
Meet Our Chef
Meet Chef Alec.
A passionate master of flavors, dedicated to crafting extraordinary dishes that tantalize your taste buds.
Life tested me more than once, but the kitchen always called me back.
In every dish I create, I’m reminded that purpose is found not in the absence of struggle, but in the courage to keep showing up and giving your best to others.
Cooking has never been just a profession or a way to provide for my family. It’s a source of peace and fulfillment — the kind of satisfaction people can go their whole lives without feeling a glimpse of.
My greatest reward is watching guests enjoy what I’ve made. Seeing the smiles, hearing the conversations, knowing I helped create the moment — that’s the joy that keeps me on the line.
On The Spot Catering started in February of 2019. Our first event was 140 people and though I experienced more than enough pressure, I knew I found something that made me immensely happy. Professionally AND Personally.
I didn’t get introduced to the knowledge I hold through academics, but instead in various establishments all around. From mom and pop restaurants to fine dining.
My very first kitchen job was washing dishes, and when I was able to finish dishes quick enough, I got invited to jump on the line and help out and to learn the ins and outs of cooking and preparing food.
After a year of scrubbing pots and soaking in their menu they finally decided to hire me as a line cook and I knew I had finally found my passion. That was almost 10 years ago!
I lost my focus after a personal tragedy arose in my life. As they say if it’s meant to be then it will. I got a call to come help out in a private kitchen and though wary to accept, I was instantly reminded of the beauty in life I was missing. I was able to completely reinvest the earnings from that first event and we now have a company that strives to provide more than just food but a whole experience.
I wouldn’t be able to do all of this if it were just a source of income to provide for me and my loved ones. Cooking brings me the type of satisfaction people can go their entire lives without feeling a glimpse of, and I feel dutiful to provide not only that passion for myself, but to be able to share these culinary delights. (If I do say so myself) I reach my peace of mind when I see the reactions of those I am most fortunate to cook for. Their experience during food service is entirely mine to provide and it is always a delight to behold.
Meet Chef Alec
From washing dishes
to the line.
Chef Alec didn't learn his craft in classrooms — he learned it in kitchens. Mom-and-pop spots, fine dining rooms, and every station in between. Here's the path.
"Life tested me more than once, but the kitchen always called me back."In every dish I create, I'm reminded that purpose is found not in the absence of struggle, but in the courage to keep showing up and giving your best to others.
Cooking has never been just a profession or a way to provide for my family. It's a source of peace and fulfillment — the kind of satisfaction people can go their whole lives without feeling a glimpse of.
My greatest reward is watching guests enjoy what I've made. Seeing the smiles, hearing the conversations, knowing I helped create the moment — that's the joy that keeps me on the line.
The Dish Pit
Alec's first kitchen job was washing dishes. When he finished early, the cooks let him jump on the line — and he soaked up every minute of it.
Line Cook
After a year scrubbing pots and memorizing the menu, they hired him on the line. He knew he'd found his calling. That was almost a decade ago.
The First Event
On The Spot Catering launched with a single event for 140 guests. The pressure was intense — but Alec knew he'd found something that made him happy, professionally and personally.
Lost Focus
A personal tragedy pulled him away from the kitchen. For a time, the cooking stopped.
Called Back
A call to help in a private kitchen. He hesitated — then accepted. One event in, he was reminded of the beauty he'd been missing.
Built On Reinvestment
Every dollar from that first comeback event got reinvested. Now two companies: On The Spot Catering for events, and On The Spot Meal Prep for everyday.
The Promise
We cook with the finest quality ingredients.
Here at On The Spot, it's taken a long time to find what works. The trials and tribulations got us here — and this is what we stand on now.
Premium Sourcing
Top-of-the-line ingredients sourced from local farmers' markets and butchers — the kind that took years of trial to get right.
Culinary Expertise
A private-chef mindset, not a catering-company one. Every dish cooked to order, transformed in the open for your guests to watch.
Uncompromising Quality
No chafing dishes. No lukewarm pans. State-of-the-art equipment, set up live — a dining experience a cut above the rest.
The Facts
Let's plan your event.
- (951) 548-0727
- booking@otscateringservices.com
- Riverside, CA — serving all of SoCal
- $15 taco bars to $200 plated private dinners