Costco Connection - June 2007

Caterers are
a unique blend of
talent, passion

BY WILL FIFIELD

IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A DISASTER. One beautiful spring evening four years ago, Evan Williams, a Costco member who runs Evan Williams Catering in Lawrence, Kansas, was about to serve tenderloin to 130 people at a formal dinner when tornado sirens went off.

“We were on the third story of a very nice facility at the University of Kansas,” recalls Williams. “Though the tornado was on the outskirts of town, everyone in the building had to be evacuated to the basement, and many of the guests that evening were elderly.”

Hoping she could still salvage the evening, Williams pulled the meat out of the oven so it wouldn’t overcook. When the sirens stopped, everyone made their way back to their seats. As the first plates were brought out, the sirens went off again.

This happened three times.

Welcome to the world of catering—an industry calling for equal parts entrepreneurial spirit, endless energy, a strong desire to please people, a good poker face in stressful situations and a well-stocked bag of tricks, all of which get tested by occasional tornadoes (literally and figuratively). Caterers are the ones behind that great wedding feast, the memorable birthday party and other special events. And they’re definitely a special breed, as we found from talking to a dozen Costco members across the country who make a living in the business of gourmet on the go.

Donna Billman, of Donna B’s Gourmet Cookies and Bakery Boutique in Laguna Niguel, California, specializes in baked goods. Her catering business supplies everything from wedding cakes to cupcakes to cookies in the shape of corporate logos.

A passion for food

Catering is a rapidly growing segment of the food-service industry. According to catersource magazine, catering is a $16 billion business. The National Restaurant Association estimates that mobile catering, one niche of many in the industry, will reach $980 million this year. What these numbers don’t convey is the many different directions in which catering is growing.

Some caterers host events for every occasion at their own facilities, as well as cater for clients off-premises. Some create intimate, elaborate, several-course meals, elegantly served in their clients’ homes. Some restaurateurs run catering businesses through their restaurants. Others, such as David Biber and Michael Todd of Two Guys Grilling ( www.twoguysgrilling.com) in Dana Point, California, focus on specialized cuisine, which in their case means “California Q,” their own brand of grilled food cooked with a smoker and a grill. There’s a caterer for every occasion and virtually every personality.