Outdoor Kitchen: SLO Based Cattaneo Brothers celebrates 75th Anniversary 

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Running a family business has always been about celebrating legacy and community for Katelyn Kaney.

“It all comes down to staying true to who we are and dedicating ourselves to that same love and care,” Kaney said.

As the owner and CEO of Cattaneo Brothers, based in San Luis Obispo, Kaney works to ensure her family business not only produces the best quality jerky-based products but also maintains a dedication to the legacy the company has built as it celebrates 75 years in business. Kaney, who runs the company with support from her sister, Kim Frederick, plans to mark the momentous occasion with a year full of specials and shout-outs to the company’s storied history.

Cattaneo Brothers specializes in beef jerky but also offers an expansive catalog of goods, including turkey jerky, beef sticks, and sausages.

“Everything made here is hand-done and small-batch, from the seasoning to the use of high-rack drying versus the use of ovens,” Kaney said.

All the savory snacks are handcrafted from the highest quality ingredients with a focus on making authentic and healthy products. Kaney feels that the reason the company has been able to maintain a consistent quality is due to the closeness of the crew that makes the goods.

“Everyone on this team is family, and you can tell in the way everything is made and even sold,” Kaney said.

That familial connection is also a literal one for Kaney, who at the age of 24 inherited the business from her parents, who acquired it in the late 1970s. Similar to her parents, Kaney attended Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo while working summers at Cattaneo Brothers helping with various tasks.

“Sometimes I would be at the front desk with my father, other times I would be helping my mom put together our special holiday baskets, and other times I would even be on the jerky line helping mix the seasoning and packing the products,” Kaney said with a laugh.

Now, as the head of the company, Kaney is aiming to continue retail growth without sacrificing the identity of the company.

“It’s a difficult balance,” she said, “but it’s something that I actually get to practice in the celebration of our 75th—we will be bringing back a lot of legacy flavors and promotions that we hope to have out alongside growing representation across the state and beyond.”

In the end, Kaney sees the best path to growth in the generational sharing that she’s experienced through running the company after her parents.

“One of the things I’m most proud of regarding Cattaneo Brothers is that our products are a reflection of the company’s own legacy and my own family history,” she said, “It’s passed on from generation to generation in SLO before becoming part of the town’s legacy throughout all of California—something I will always be proud and honored to be a part of.”