Meet Megan Wilson-Brent of The Perfect Pear

Today we’d like to introduce you to Megan Wilson-Brent.

Megan, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I am most definitely, “restaurant people”. After many years working in restaurants and catering in South-Western Virginia, I knew a catering company was in my future. I declared if I ever worked that hard, again, I would be the owner of the business.

The Perfect Pear started in 2008, as catering only. After about three years, there was a push for lunch service. The opportunity arose to move to our current location. Here we are, at 922 Carroll Street, seven years later!

While catering pays the bills, we have an amazing lunch and Sunday brunch following. We are open to the public Sunday through Wednesday 11 to 2. We offer the restaurant space for private events, bridal and baby showers and rehearsal dinners.

I am most proud of the relationships I’ve built with clients over the years. More often than not, if we cater a wedding we also host the baby shower and birthday parties that follow. My customers become friends and family. Makes the 90 hour+ weeks worth every minute!

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?
I always make the joke that whoever wrote the quote “do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life” was, clearly, never in food -service. As any restaurateur, chef or line cook knows; it’s 24/7. You’re all in, or you fail. Failure has never been an option. That being said, I work a lot of 100 hour weeks. When I miss out on things like birthdays and sometimes life in general, I remember I could be at home twiddling my thumbs. Being busy is a wonderful problem to have!

So, as you know, we’re impressed with The Perfect Pear – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Owner presence and a demand for quality and consistency are of utmost importance. In addition to the pride I have in relationships with my customers, I am present at The Pear. I have a great staff. (All five of them!) We work side by side. I’m not in an office with my feet kicked up, giving orders. I’m at the sink washing dishes and on the line cooking your lunch.

I’ve never borrowed money from my business. I would make lists of the important things we needed for catering and slowly buy what we needed as business increased. The day I opened for lunch service, I had spent the bulk of my savings on my first food order. I took a deep breath and decided we would be a hit. I think it’s a bit hypocritical to expect others to believe in your success if you don’t.

I am always open to constructive criticism, but I learned early, you have to do what works for you. Most people don’t realize the high costs and thin profits of food service. It is a labor of love. Emphasis on labor!

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
The Perfect Pear has seen many special awards and recognition. The beauty of food is that there is always something new to learn and so many talented teachers and chefs.

For the last year, I have had the honor of my own cooking show on Comsouth Channel 100. As popularity increases, I’m at the point where we are finding sponsors, in hopes to make it even more successful and bring more attention to the restaurant.

A cookbook and marketing for our famous pimiento cheese and salad dressings is definitely on my radar! Late Spring, I hope to offer pre-made salads, sides, and casseroles to our guests that don’t have time to dine with us. Ultimately, I’d like to be a full-time restaurant and do away with full-time catering.

Contact Info:

• Address: 922 Carroll Street Perry, GA 31069
• Phone: 4782247327

Image Credit:
We Do Photographs, Megan Brent

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