No reason to hassle and fuss over extra people coming for the weekend or holiday. You can leave the cooking up to the catering specialists at R & D Foods.
The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
by Judy Swanson, The Quill Staff
No reason to hassle and fuss over extra people coming for the weekend or holiday. You can leave the cooking up to the catering specialists at R & D Foods.
Since Rhonda and Delbert Kreps began offering catering service at their La Harpe grocery store four years ago, their business has grown forcing an expansion.
As the catering demand increased, working around the bakery department, the deli department and the fresh baked pizza department became more and more of a problem.
More space was needed so she could acquire better equipment for cooking. Rhonda had been using hot plates and the bakery ovens.
A new room on the west side of the existing building complete with a new commercial stove, refrigerator, oven, and more work area for food preparation. The room also has an outside door for easier loading.
"It's amazing how fast water boils on this new stove," Rhonda laughed.
Rhonda, with the help of Rita Siegworth, Rita Bennett, Wilma Williams and Barb Link are kept busy, especially during the months of April through August with weddings, graduations, family reunions, class reunions and holiday parties.
Rhonda said that September and October are usually slower, but in November and December the pace picks up again. They prepared for 25 events in August alone this year.
The new room also has a "wrapper area" that they use to wrap Christmas candy and salads for the deli department that are made in their kitchen.
R & D Foods catering service is now even better prepared to help you with your meals around the holidays. Rhonda said they have prepared for occcasions with as few as 10 or as many as 350, but they are not limited to that number.
She said they have also catered more than one occasion in a day.
"One day we were in Georgetown (outside Macomb), then went to the Country Club in Blandinsville and on to a wedding in Burlington, that evening. It was a busy day," she said.
Rhonda does most of the cooking and she is often teased that the new room should be called "Rhonda's Kitchen." But Rhonda insists that it is her good staff that has been a tremendous part in the success of their catering business.
"We already have several bookings for next summer, but we still have openings in December for holiday get-togethers," Rhonda reminds.
Whatever your occassion, R & D Foods is ready more than ever to meet the challenge. And it's nice to know, you can find it in La Harpe.