Happy Saturday! On to Day 8! Get ready to get hungry, while we learn more about Crave Catering! Enjoy… 

Photo by Leah Verwey

Champagne: How long have you been in business? How did it begin?

Crave Catering: Crave Catering has been exclusively catering off-site since 1997. It all began with a free-standing culinary stand at the Farmers Market at PSU. Folks began to crave our food more than one day a week, creating a demand and yielding a small, family-owned restaurant serving the greater downtown Portland area. That wasn’t enough; our customers began to ask us to bring them our delicious food at their special events, boosting the little restaurant into a full-time catering business. Now, we’re proud to cater at just about any kind of event and any kind of venue.

Champagne: What’s your specialty?

Crave Catering: Simply put, crafting mouth-watering food out of a symphony of local ingredients. We partner with farmers and merchants within 100 miles of our kitchen as much as possible, which means the ingredients are fresh, crisp and locally grown. It’s important to us to not only create delicious cuisine but also give back to our planet and our community at the same time.

Photo by Powers Photography

Champagne: What’s your favorite food?

Crave Catering: Our favorite food is the kind that is grown by our friendly farmers; the kind that tastes best on its own because it’s that fresh and that tasty; the kind that is in season so it’s at its peak of freshness and perfection. Overall, we’re a bunch of foodies who simply enjoy a range of cuisine from all over the world: French, Northern Italian, Nuevo Latino and pretty much anything that presents something new to our tastebuds.

Champagne: What do you think is key to a successful event?

Crave Catering: The key to a successful event is hiring professionals to handle everything for you, from planning to cleaning up. Sure, you can save a dime by doing a few things on your own, but it may cost you your time and your energy while also shifting your focus from other important details of the event. We make it look easy because we’re experts, but you’ll quickly find it’s hard work and best left to those who have the know-how and the right equipment to get the job done right.

Photo by Powers Photography

Champagne: How would you describe your ideal client?

Crave Catering: The ideal client is someone who is passionate about food and passionate about where that food is sourced. We love to work with those who share our joy of cuisine, but also love to work with folks who are open to suggestions and will confide in us, sharing their most detailed visions and dreams so we can better make those come true.

Photo by Leah Verwey

Champagne: What do you think someone should look for when hiring a caterer for their wedding or event?

Crave Catering: The things to look for when hiring a caterer would be first, responsiveness. Is the caterer quick in returning your calls and sending a requested proposal to you? Do they listen to your vision and needs and appropriately reflect that back to you? If not, seriously consider how that will transition to the day of your event. When hiring a caterer, also consider the length of time they’ve been in business and even ask for references to other folks who have used them for similar events. It helps to hear outside perspectives and will generate more confidence in your decision.

Photo by Leah Verwey

Champagne: What do you do, when you’re not doing what you do?

Crave Catering: Other than out learning more about the culinary world and local farms, we’re also out playing when we’re not an event. We all share a love of this region and enjoy exploring it, whether it be snowboarding, hiking, camping with our families and dogs, gardening or just trying a new restaurant. All in all, we stay entertained and happy.

Photo by Leah Verwey

Champagne: Is there anything else you’d like our readers to know?

Crave Catering: Well, for starters, you can check out our website for menus and follow our blog, or give us a shout at 503-224-0370

There are also a couple of things many people don’t know we do and one is catering to film crews. We’re one of the only caterers in the Portland area who has a mobile kitchen where we can tag along as films and commercials are made, feeding the hungry crew a large variety of hot food along the way. This requires a tenacity for planning ahead and a flexibility to squeeze into any location, which makes us experts at off-site catering for any type of event or venue!

The second thing is fairly new. We continue to push ourselves to be more sustainable each year. Our owner, Mark Lopez, owns some land in Southwest Washington and has begun to grown many of our ingredients. Now that’s fresh: picking them off the vine on the way to work!

Photo by Powers Photography

Champagne: Thank you, Christine, for sharing more about Crave Catering with us! Make sure to check out their website and become a fan on facebook!

Day 7 of 30: Pro Djs Oregon
Day 6 of 30: O’Brien Event Rentals
Day 5 of 30: Lauren Brook Photography
Day 4 of 30: Fleur:ology Wedding + Event Floral Design
Day 3 of 30: Pure Space
Day 2 of 30: Celebrate Life Photography
Day 1 of 30: Paper Bloom
Last year’s 30 days of vendors
What is 30 days of Vendors?

We look forward to seeing you again tomorrow! Thank you for stopping by our blog! Happy Planning!

Cheers,

Mandi, Rachelle & the Champagne team

P.S. Oregon Bride Magazine just opened up the voting for this years “Best Of” issue. Make sure to go vote for your favorite wedding vendors!! We appreciate you all helping us win “Best New Wedding Vendor” last year! We’d love to win best planner this year- one can dream! : )