An Invitation Only Experience That Pairs People & Place with Food & Beverage.
Hosted by Steve Fortunato and Executive Chef Alejandro Guzman.
The Journey Here
In the heart of LA, over 30 years ago, Steve Fortunato found and led roomforty & the fighouse into an industry leading and defining event and hospitality company.
Over those 30 years, Steve and Alejandro have had the honour of serving American Presidents, Athletes, Celebrities and thousands of people on the most important days of their lives.
But Steve realized, something was missing and as Alejandro so eloquently puts it, neither wanted to continue hosting and cooking with fear. They wanted to re-discover what it was like to cook and host with love.
What if dining was never just about food?
What if every glass, every plate, every word shared around a table was part of something greater?
roomforty is re-awakening—not as a catering company, but as an invitation. An experiment in how food, story, and human connection intertwine.
Small, private gatherings.
Cocktail evenings and intimate dinners for 8–12.
An exploration of ideas, insights, and conversation—paired with food and drink designed to inspire.
This isn’t just dining.
It’s a hosted experience.
It’s where Steve Fortunato blends the lessons of The Host Mindset with curated food and beverage, transforming meals into moments and conversations into connection.
Be among the first to be invited.
Join the waitlist for upcoming experiences.
The Next Chapter of Hosting.
Something new is coming. A series of intimate experiences—hosted with the care, style, and storytelling that defined roomforty.
Elevating the hosting
roomforty was never just catering. It was about elevating the act of hosting—transforming food and drink into something more: a moment, a memory, a connection.
This next chapter continues that tradition.
Private dinners. Cocktail evenings. Small gatherings where conversation flows as effortlessly as the wine.
Where ideas are shared, stories are told, and community is built.
Cocktail Evenings
Curated gatherings where each sip is paired with conversation and discovery.
Private Dinners & Intimate Events
Highly styled tables for 8–12 guests. Food as narrative. Evenings as memory.
Corporate Gatherings (Keynotes & Workshops)
The Host Mindset brought into the workplace: blending food, story, and insight to reshape how teams connect.
Your
Hosts
As someone who never felt valued, leading a company centered around making clients feel valued on their special occasions, I experienced firsthand the impossibility of giving value to others, while simultaneously trying to get value for yourself. I saw this conflict not just in me, but everywhere.
I discovered that true hospitality—going first in valuing people deeply—had the power not only to heal my past wounds but to build meaningful relationships in every area of life. Today, through speaking, writing, hosting retreats, and my work at roomforty, I teach leaders how to embrace what I call the Host MindsetTM.
Steve Fortunato was the founder and CEO of Hospitality Collaborative, a multi-concept hospitality group that has redefined elevated experiences in Los Angeles for over 15 years. What began as roomforty—a boutique catering company operating from a 100-square-foot converted taco stand—has evolved into a hospitality empire that includes the acclaimed event venue Fig House, The Harper in Orange County, and the craft cocktail company Pharmacie.
Steve’s unconventional path to hospitality leadership started at 15 as a busboy, driven by a profound understanding that hospitality is not an industry but a virtue. This philosophy has guided him through remarkable milestones: cooking for President Bill Clinton from that tiny Glassell Park kitchen, hosting Jay-Z’s TIDAL launch at Fig House, and creating untold unforgettable events for world-renowned artists, community and business leaders. Under his leadership, roomforty has become synonymous with “virtuous hospitality”—leveraging craft to celebrate others rather than seeking celebration for craft itself.
Beyond his operational success, Steve has emerged as a thought leader challenging fundamental assumptions about business and relationships. His book, “The Urgent Recovery of Hospitality: How Rediscovering Generosity Restores a Civil World,” featuring endorsements from Spencer Rascoff (Zillow founder) and other industry luminaries, articulates his revolutionary Host Mindset™ framework. This approach transforms how organizations think about value creation versus extraction, positioning hospitality as the antidote to modern entitlement culture.
As a sought-after keynote speaker, Steve delivers transformative presentations including “Be My Guest: Unlocking the Universal Power of Hosting and Serving,” “How Can I Help You?: Connecting Service and Sales,” and “Give What You Need: Building Fulfillment and Connection.” His Highway One Series executive retreats bring senior leadership teams to California’s transformative coast to explore leadership as an ecology, not just a psychology.
Steve’s journey from that cramped kitchen to industry innovator exemplifies his core belief: excellence isn’t about resources but resourcefulness, and true success comes from making others feel valued.
A lifelong surfer and California native, Steve lives in Santa Cruz with his wife Nicole and their three children. When not reimagining hospitality’s future, he can be found in the waters of Santa Cruz, where the ocean continues to teach him about flow, patience, and reading the conditions—lessons he applies to navigating business and life.
Alejandro Guzman’s culinary journey began at age twelve, washing dishes at his mother’s restaurant in Los Angeles’s San Fernando Valley. There, he learned the unglamorous yet essential foundations of hospitality while discovering the vital role restaurants play in building community connections. His growing curiosity about beverage led him into specialty coffee, where he served as opening beverage and front-of-house manager at the acclaimed Sqirl, and later as opening business development manager at Bar Nine Coffee Roasters.
In 2014, Alejandro met Gary Menes of Le Comptoir and joined the team as an apprentice for the restaurant’s first day of service at Hotel Normandie. Rising through the ranks to sous chef, he helped guide Le Comptoir to Michelin one-star recognition in 2019 and 2020. After departing in 2020, Alejandro served as executive chef for Grupo Palmares, launching their flagship Terraza Cha Cha Cha in Los Angeles to critical and popular acclaim in 2021. Following successful consulting work and the creation of his own concepts—Fabby’s Sandwicherie and Fabby’s Bistro—Alejandro joined Steve Fortunato in 2024 in LA and lept at the opportunity to pursue Steve’s vision of transforming roomforty from high-end catering into an immersive, intimate dining experience nestled in the Redwoods of Santa Cruz.
Alejandro’s approach to hospitality blends technical precision with deep respect for community and craft. His diverse experience across coffee, fine dining, and concept development reflects a commitment to elevating every aspect of the guest experience while honoring the foundations he learned in his mother’s kitchen.
Spaces will be limited.
The experiences, unforgettable.
December 6th
Full Table
December 13th
A bountiful 8 course meal showcasing food picked, plucked foraged and caught from Santa Cruz County. Paired with alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. This intimate communal tasting menu will serves as the journey not the destination of your evening, the destination is human connection.
NOVEMBER 22ND
Full Table
DECEMBER 22ND
Full Table