Meet Marsha Rushing of Chef Mello Catering Services

Today we’d like to introduce you to Marsha Rushing.

Marsha, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’m a Chicago native that transplanted here to Atlanta in 2007 with ambitions of going to law school following the steps of the successful members in my family. I attended Georgia State University and graduated with Honors receiving my Bachelor’s in Political Science, and I was like, “What now?”

At an early age, my mother instilled independence, education, and a business mindset in me and my siblings. From selling candy door-to-door to having lemonade/pizza stands parked right in front of the playground, we were the kids in the neighborhood making money. That hustle for a better life eventually led me to Atlanta.

As far as I could remember, I was always curious about food and how I could replicate what I had just tasted. It wasn’t until I moved in with my grandmother as a teen that I was able to explore my culinary skills. I would be in the kitchen with her whenever she cooked, trying to soak up as many recipes as I could. Granny Ma always used fresh produce, herbs, and spices, and that’s something that I heavily implement in all my dishes today.

After college, I knew that I wanted to be an entrepreneur but struggled with which avenue I would go down, so I worked in the corporate world as an Executive Assistant for a few years until I figured out a plan. For the longest I would cook every day and post my recipes and step-by-step videos on Instagram, garnering lots of positive feedback. I then began creating content for YouTube but always made an excuse to why I wouldn’t execute. I procrastinated so long, and it wasn’t until my good friend, Mo who was a chef passed away in 2020 that I decided to finally follow my dreams in the culinary world.

I decided to create a page solely dedicated to my cooking, thus creating the moniker “ChefMelloATL”. I created my own logo and began marketing myself as a caterer, personal chef, etc. I had less than 100 followers on my account when I seen that a celebrity needed a chef for a private dinner. I quickly responded and was shocked when I got the reply that they were interested in the pictures I sent, and the rest was history.

I began getting traveling gigs and getting bookings all over the place from hundreds of clients. I had it in me all along, I just had to take a step out on faith and began taking the necessary steps to transition my life from a dream to a reality. I know this is just the beginning, and I am excited for what the future holds for Chef Mello Catering Services.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road has had its struggles, but they are mainly things I have dealt with personally. Over the last year, I have battled with bouts of social anxiety, and it did begin to affect the business. In this industry, you need to have a team of like-minded people that can help execute larger parties, and with any business, your network is your net worth. I have been reaching out to local and upcoming chefs and I’m excited to work with other talented people in the industry.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Chef Mello Catering Services?
Chef Mello Catering Services is based here in Atlanta but also accepting out-of-town bookings. I am a private and personal chef that provides weekly meal planning, grocery shopping, and catering for special occasions. I also offer many different packages that include: Date Night, Tastings, Birthday Parties, Brunch Specials, and even offer Payment Plans. What sets me apart is that I am self-taught, excellent customer service, and relatable. As a service provider, I take pride in listening to exactly what is trying to be accomplished with the client, and I execute accordingly.

I am most proud that I built this business from the ground up and have been able to keep a consistent platform of sustainability.

As far as Chef Mello Catering Services, I would want the readers to know that the hype is real, and I would love to be their top choice for providing catering needs. I can be found on Instagram: @ChefMelloATL and on Yelp: “Chef Mello Catering Service”. 2023 will roll out my new venture in the food truck arena, so stay tuned!

Also, I want anyone out there reading to know that it doesn’t matter if you have a large following on social media, the talent will speak for itself.

How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
As mentioned, I am open to collaborating with other upcoming chefs in an effort to build a team of culinary hustlers. Support comes in all forms, referrals, bookings, reposting, and leaving reviews on YELP. Also, follow my chef page where it all began @ChefMelloATL!

Thank you!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ChefMello.com
• Instagram: ChefMelloATL
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/chef-mello-atlanta?osq=chef+mello

Image Credits
CrysFly Adams