Your Table Is Ready Catering
Published 9:00 pm Sunday, December 17, 2006
What: This business takes care of it all: box lunches, buffets, sit-down dinners, cocktail parties, birthday parties and want-to-have-a-party parties. The catering company creates custom menus for events from a few dozen guests to more than a thousand. The staff can provide setup, decorations, wait service and cleanup. “We can take a square, empty room, turn it into a party and back to a square, empty room,” said the owner, Michael Young.
Owner: Young, 38, got started in the restaurant business waiting tables and mixing drinks. He attended culinary school, worked as a wine buyer, rubbed elbows with celebrity Food Network chefs and cooked at fine dining restaurants, including Aqua in San Francisco. Young also owns Olives Cafe and Wine Bar, a downtown Edmonds restaurant specializing in Mediterranean fare.
Location: Operates from a 1,400-square-foot commercial kitchen across the street from Olives.
Employees: One full-time catering director and 10 part-time staffers. Finding employees to work an event can sometimes be challenging since wait staff can’t depend on regular hours. The company employs a handful of folks who like the side income, and it also draws workers from Olives. Young pulls on his chef’s coat when needed, too.
No romance: Forget the romantic notion that running a catering company is something anyone with a flair for food can handle. This business requires hours of behind-the-scenes work, including writing event proposals, meeting with clients, planning menus and coordinating staff. The owner works about 75 hours a week handling both businesses, and his catering director can work just as much during busy periods. “You don’t have free time,” Young said. “When other people are celebrating, you’re working.”
No cubed cheese: Young, who describes himself as a Type A personality, expects a lot of himself and his staff. The company opts for quality local ingredients and sophisticated presentation: no farm-raised salmon or grocery- store-like cubed cheese here.
An unusual request: One couple wanted a rotisserie lamb twirling on a spit near where they were married. “I took that gig just so I could say I did it,” Young said.
Notable: Before purchasing the catering company last year, Young’s restaurant sold hors d’oeuvres platters and box lunches. He discovered an untapped market in the area for a quality “grab-and-go” lunch, and this remains a steady source of business.
Quotable: “You pay us to do the worrying for you,” Young said.
More information: www.yourtableisreadycatering. com or 425-775-2285.
