As the popular tee-shirts sold on the island say, "Do what you like, like what you do."
...and that's why I am a caterer. It's simply what makes me smile.
I was born and raised in Ohio. I started out years ago in the restaurant business; I've
been a waitress, bartender, restaurant and bar manager... and one day my best friend of many years informed me of a job
opening as a Banquet Manager at the place she worked and said I'd be "perfect" for the job. She knew me better than
anyone and knew I loved to cook and entertain... She was right, this was a whole new world for me! The rest
is history:
I worked as the Banquet Manager for several years, overseeing the design, set, and execution of both
corporate and social events, including all of the weddings, in a hotel location with 40,000 sq. ft. of banquet space.
Through my attention to detail and flair for unique design, I gained accountability for the exclusive catering needs of our
primary corporate client. At their request, the General Manager developed a position expressly for me, making me personally
accountable for about 3 million dollars of annual catering revenue. About 90% of their events were off-premise catering;
250 people under a tent for example, and I became a very skilled list maker and fine-tuned my organizational skills.
I started doing private catering work on the side for friends and family, and word of mouth got around.
Before I knew it, I had a little home-based catering company going and it was growing by leaps and bounds. I invested
in equipment, hired some help, and managed to run the business from my home in addition to a full time job.
When the company I was working for sold, I moved on to a position in Catering Sales at a hotel
with over 80,000 sq. ft. of meeting space. I planned corporate and social events, and had the opportunity to take part
in some amazing social galas. The property was gorgeous and the clients top notch, so I was afforded some unique social
catering experience. Even though I loved this position, the Mid-West winters were starting
to get to me.
Driving home one night in an ice storm, watching semi trucks slide sideways down the highway in front
of me, was pretty much the last straw. My husband and I'd talked about making the big move many times before, but I
decided for the both of us that the time had finally come to just do it! I quickly obtained a position at a Southwest
Florida resort as the Food and Beverage Director, and we packed up the kids and the pets and made the move.
All was well until the hurricane of August 2004 wiped out the resort at which we were employed!
Forced to re-group and refocus our plans, I eventually landed at a very large, local 4-star resort as a Conference Service
Manager, where I focused on serving upscale clients for a year and a half. Planning conferences, conventions,
and retreats for corporate clients helped me to establish relationships with local vendors, learn more about current
trends, and above all reinforced the love that I have for being self-employed and able to focus my attention on
my clients as I see fit... which is how I will remain.
My family and I have been here since February of 2004, and are grateful every day that we'd
not waited a day longer. We wake up each morning to the sun shining, the beach is 5 minutes from everywhere, and we
have an opportunity to meet people from all over the world as we provide them with "Exceptional Events".
Don't be surprised if you see my husband of 14 years hauling my equipment, or one of my teenage sons
doing dishes at your catered event... we are a team, supporting each other in everything we do, all the while enjoying
the opportunity to provide someone else's family with the foundation for a very memorable special event.
Thank you for your consideration, and I do hope to be of service...
