The Catering Company’s Denise Jerome

By: Lincoln Snyder

Published On: December 28, 2011

Denise Jerome took the long way around to a career in the service industry via chemistry and biology degrees and a stint in the white collar world until her dreams led her, her husband Robert, and a couple of partners to open a foodie shop called EuroMarket, which would later evolve into The Catering Company, where Denise is a managing partner.

If the Catering Company is one of the fastest growing caterers in a town already brimming over with talented caterers, they must be doing something right. Denise Jerome attributes much of their success to a strong business background combined with a ceaseless cycle of identifying and capitalizing on operational efficiencies. Denise is quick to credit her excellent staff and her Middletown location as key components to her business formula. During a difficult economic recession, the Catering Company is not only growing and planning a move to a new dedicated facility, they are also adding a service training program to enhance the customer experience.

Denise has certainly paid her dues as she struggled to grow her business. EuroMarket started out as a retail shop with two people in the deli. In order to survive in a changing market, Denise and her partners transitioned from a primarily retail EuroMarket to The Catering Company. Denise sold her home and moved in with her brother to minimize expenses. “I hit a wall and, as Dave Ramsey says, ‘became sick and tired of being sick and tired.’” Denise broke through that wall, and took The Catering Company from two-person shop that was operating completely in the red to turning a profit and eventually weighing in as the third largest caterer in the area with three locations, including offices in Middletown, at the Gillespie, and at the Mellwood Arts Center. They’ve recently secured exclusive catering for Persimmon Ridge, the 18-hole championship golf course. Currently, the Catering Company is serving over 185,000 guests annually at weddings, private parties, corporate lunches, galas, and social events. In 2010, Denise was honored with the National Association of Women Business Owners 2010 Woman of Distinction Award.

Denise is focused like a laser on the quality of her company’s product. She proudly tells me that none of their food is premade: everything from appetizers on up is made fresh daily in house by her chefs. She prides herself on the company’s hors d’oeuvres and says, “Our strong point is the flavor. I don’t want it to be the same as everyone else, so we make our own sauce for our hot brown quiche in phylo cups.” Their standout entrees include stuffed bruschetta chicken and herb crusted beef tenderloin for a carving station or a serving line.

The sales staff at The Catering Company leads the consultations with the customers and helps them navigate the shoals of budget and menu options while planning rehearsal dinners and receptions of all sizes and events, ranging from high society weddings to backyard barbeques. Many culinary laypeople totally underestimate the amount of carefully planned effort and skillful execution that pulling off even the smallest catering job requires. Planning and coordinating staff, hot food, cold food, layout, decorations, and timelines is a nuanced task that requires significant project management experience. Making sure that your customer is pleased enough with the outcome to perpetuate your business via word of mouth requires excellent communication and planning to insure that the expectations and arrangements are completely understood by both parties. In the twelve years they’ve been catering, The Catering Company has worked out the kinks, learned how to deliver freshly prepared food that displays and holds up well, and mastered customer service. louisvillecateringcompany.com