Today we’d like to introduce you to Elizabeth Parris.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I picked up my cooking skills as a child in New York. While growing up, my father was a butcher that also managed a few of the Key Food Stores. I guess in a way, food has always been a key part of my life; even before I realized what it could do for my future. Every few days, we would go food shopping as a family and make meals together. I just liked having fun in the kitchen with all of my loved ones, and of course, it made me happy to reap the benefits of my hard work afterward. When I moved to Virginia with my husband, our neighbors had cattle and grew vegetables. They would occasionally bring their harvest over and I’d cook and host dinner parties.
After a few times of having people over, I noticed that there would be random jars with money in them around the house that we did not contribute to. A friend had told me, “I think you got something here if people are just willing to leave you money for cooking for them!” I could not believe the amount of genuine love I felt at that moment. From then on, we made use of the acre of land we lived on by having backyard parties. We’d set up tents and tables in the backyard, and most of the neighborhood would come over as I cooked each time. Between the music, games, friendly conversations, and of course, the food, I’d hardly ever see a sad face at our parties. Every year, about one hundred to one hundred and fifty people would attend this event. That was when I first got into catering.
I did not have much of a staff, but I thought that I should give it a try since there seemed to be a demand for my services. My husband and I then moved to Georgia to better suit our day jobs, and then followed the birth of Zil Catering. As the business did more and more events, word of mouth helped it grow and develop. I used being a nurse as a networking platform by bringing samples to work. Showing people what I could do first hand gave our fanbase a stronger core. I was determined to get the business in a position to where the phone is always ringing. They’d actively follow the Zil Catering social media pages since they knew me and how much I put into it. Ever since my team and I have continued to make connections and cater to many types of events.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The road has been a blessing, but it is not always easy. Staffing tends to be difficult. I’ve had times where I was booked a large event, but members of my team weren’t available at the time. It creates pressure for the present staff since they are tasked with taking on an even bigger workload while staying on schedule. A bigger struggle in running a business is finding the balance of knowing the worth of our services and finding a reasonable rate for the client’s requests. Some people got so used to our low fees when we were just starting up, that they would try to underprice us once we grew the brand. Keeping clients happy can be difficult when they do not realize the cost of running a business. Fear of breaking up relationships can lead to tricky or unfair negotiations. We also faced adversity when we were based in a shared kitchen. Between stolen equipment, ingredients going missing, food being left out of the refrigerator, and even entire trays of food disappearing, having our meals prepared on time often got sabotaged. So, as if keeping the team prepared for upcoming events wasn’t tough enough, every other job came with a frantic search for all of our belongings when we believed we had them in order. Thanks to us purchasing our own kitchen in Winder, we have space and stability to do our work. It is way more fun in the kitchen now; there is always positive energy and smiles spreading throughout it.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
A signature trait of Zil Catering is giving the option for our customers to have personalized menus. Even though we have a menu on our website, those items are not the only meals we serve. Giving our clients the opportunity to have their desired dishes also sets us apart from most companies. We would hate to ruin a party because everyone’s cravings were ignored. Everything we serve is made from scratch, and typically the food is in the fashion of sophisticated southern. In fact, we have a dining table inside of our kitchen in Winder. We host cooking sessions where people are welcome to come learn recipes and techniques, and then we all enjoy our creations together. We’re proud of how well we connect with the people at the events. Getting along with customers on a personal level can be the deciding factor of how they help the business in the future. Which makes us proud to be able to cook diverse meals. Satisfying the clients with food from different cultures brings us joy because they can experience something new or embrace something familiar while they’re having a good time. I just love the looks on their faces when they see food that catches their attention and makes them ask, “and what is this?” The goal is for them to reminisce about our meals after they have left the event. Getting tagged in social media posts that praise our business keeps us always wanting to keep pushing ourselves to the next level.
What were you like growing up?
I was an adventure-seeking child. I liked going to new places and having new experiences. Growing up, I wanted to be an architect. The thought of creating a design and seeing it through to its completion was fascinating and fulfilling to me. It was not until my daughter had a febrile seizure that I felt a calling to get into nursing. Catering was never in my plan, cooking has just always been something in my life that I enjoy. Then, as I got more into it, I felt the fulfillment I used to imagine I’d receive as an architect. Every time I had a men, I saw it through until the client enjoyed the plate.
Pricing:
- Salads: $55 (Serves 10, accompanied by house made dressing)
- Soups: $70 (Serves 10)
- Sandwiches: $50 (Serves 10) ; $75 (Serves 20)
- Hors D’Oeuvres: From $50-$100 (Serves 10)
- Glazed Chicken Wings: $135 (Serves 10)
- Entrees: From $100-$120 (Serves 10)
- Sides: From $55-$80 (Serves 10)
- Sweets: From $60-$70 (Serves 10)
Contact Info:
- Address: 138 West Athens Street
Winder, GA 30680 - Website: http://www.zilcatering.com
- Phone: (1) 800-553-8048
- Email: zil.catering@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ZiL.Catering/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZiLcatering/
Image Credit:
Carrie Jean Photography, Elijah Miles
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