Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandon & Kristen Manis. They and their team shared their story with us below:
The business started with a joke! Kristen was in her fourth year of wedding coordinating, and Brandon agreed to tag along to assist her in an event tear-down. Kristen expressed how frustrating finding an available caterer for that wedding date was. With Brandon’s passion for cooking and kitchen background, Kristen Joked and said, “We should start a catering company,” to which Brandon laughed off. Later that evening, Brandon said, “Let’s do it!” Hesitant and nervous, they put the last of their money into building and launching this idea. Within one week, they had all of the licenses they needed and, within a month, a commercial kitchen space. In their first month, they signed on 40 clients to cater their weddings and events and, within the first year, had over 200 bookings! The most important thing was to stay personable and provide quality food while not breaking the bank. Manis & Co. Catering has been going strong for over three years!
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Year one was the hardest. Connections in the wedding industry have helped a lot, but catering is a whole different beast than your typical food business. It’s not for the faint of heart. We look back now on that year and how much we learned. It’s what pushed us to be as good as we are now. In year two, we had a 100% satisfaction rating, and we hope to repeat that in year three as well.
As you know, we’re big fans of Manis & Co. Catering. What can you tell our readers who might need to be more familiar with the brand?
Manis & Co. Catering specializes in Italian, German, and hand-cut beef on our catering menus. We are full-service, which means we supply all catering supplies, servers, China, food, etc. We are dedicated to personability with our clients. There are only a few clients that the owners have yet to speak to. We also take pride in paying our staff one of the highest server rates out of any catering company in the area. We donate a portion of all of our sales to The E.T.C.H., who saved our son’s life during a major stroke when he was a baby. We owe them everything!
Do you have any big plans?
Expansion! This year, we have already invested in fleet vehicles to streamline travel and organization. Up is upgrading equipment; hopefully, a new kitchen will be installed sometime in the next few years!
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.maniscompanycatering.com
