Photo courtesy of L.A. Catering
‘Catering’ to a New Audience
For-profit catering endeavors help nonprofits feed more people in need
Should you encounter a make-your-own-s’more station at a catered event, you may feel a twinge of guilt for indulging in one or two or three of the gooey, sugar-laden treats.
If you do, take heart: That messy amalgamation of graham crackers, marshmallow and chocolate bar (or peanut butter cup, if you’re in a daring mood) may be helping someone less fortunate get his or her next meal.
You might know Godman Guild and LifeCare Alliance from their nonprofit work in Columbus. Among other things, Godman Guild provides educational and employment training for those in need, while LifeCare Alliance is best known for its Meals on Wheels program. But these organizations have something in common besides their dedication to the underserved: They both operate high-end catering companies.
The idea of a nonprofit having a for-profit arm like a catering service attached to it might seem unusual to some, but it’s part of an idea that has been growing since the 1980s. It’s dubbed “social enterprising,” and the idea is to generate revenue while also serving a social need.
The revenue from social enterprising efforts fills in gaps left by inadequate funding and, in the case of the above groups, it allows them to sustain and expand the services they provide to the central Ohio community.
Photo by Garth Bishop
‘Catering’ to a New Audience
L.A. Catering arose out of LifeCare Alliance’s need to feed. Twelve years ago, the organization was faced with a dramatically rising need for the Meals on Wheels program due to an influx of senior citizens in the area, and needed some way to meet those needs.
“We’re up 50 percent on the client list since 2009,” says LifeCare Alliance CEO Chuck Gehring. “You have to figure out how to pay for that, or have waiting lists. We don’t want to have to say ‘no’ to someone when they’re in need.”
LifeCare Alliance was accustomed to cooking for large groups, so catering wasn’t too much of a stretch. With industrial-size kitchens and a cooking staff already at hand, all the group needed was a plan.
“We serve basic needs programs, mostly very low income people,” Gehring says. “There’s an immediacy that you have to have the service. We’ve survived this long by catering, fundraising and all of the volunteers who work for us.”
Today, L.A. Catering has become a successful part of the organization, with its own staff complete with a head chef who trained at the Culinary Institute of America. While the main revenue source is generally corporate events, the company caters everything from small breakfasts to big weddings.
Its basic catering menu is diverse, boasting high-end options such as ahi tuna and steak, as well as simpler fare for more casual events. It’s also responsible for the above-mentioned s’more station, a signature item at many of its functions.
The goal is always the same: to provide healthy and delicious food that looks good as well as caters to the needs of the individual clients.
The company strives to use only high-quality ingredients, including making fresh bread products in its own kitchens. L.A. Catering is constantly looking for new event trends to keep on top of what clients might want. And while it has a set catering menu to show prospective clients, it is more than willing to customize and work with most budgets.
This year, L.A. Catering will provide enough revenue to pay for the meals of 300 Meals on Wheels clients for a year.
Photo courtesy of Godman Guild
‘Catering’ to a New Audience
Compared to L.A. Catering, Blue Bow Tie Food Services is the new kid on the block. Its catering arm launched Nov. 1.
Like LifeCare Alliance, Godman Guild found it necessary to generate extra revenue outside of grants and fundraising to better support its clients’ needs. With a full-service kitchen already on the premises, the catering business was a natural extension.
Thus was born Blue Bow Tie, which opened as a bistro in March at Godman Guild’s Weinland Park office.
“The goal of the bistro is to get nutritious, good-tasting food at an affordable price into the hands of the people that live here and come to our facilities,” says Ellen Moss Williams, Godman Guild CEO.
The next step was to break into corporate brown box catering before the full-service catering effort opened.
Many of the fresh ingredients Blue Bow Tie uses are from its community garden, as well as other local sources. The catering program started off providing box lunches for smaller corporate events, stretching its legs without going outside its capacity and resources.
Photo courtesy of Godman Guild
‘Catering’ to a New Audience
The catering business also provides a new place for Godman Guild to create employment opportunities for people in its educational programs.
“Our kitchen staff and servers will have the chance to grow into the business community and experience new environments, meeting other people,” says Wes Gibson, manager of culinary operations. “Blue Bow Tie can be a transitional job where one can learn the skills they need and go on to more permanent jobs.”
Aside from providing new employment and training opportunities, the revenue from Blue Bow Tie will go toward further subsidizing the meals offered at the Godman Guild bistro so it can afford to feed even more people. Leadership hopes it will also help cover administrative costs, such as maintenance for the guild’s four computer labs.
“The whole point is that we want to be able to help the community,” says Williams. “We have a camp for young people; our teen, post-secondary and work programs; and scholarships. We want to fund our programs without waiting for grants and contracts.”
Taylor Woodhouse is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
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