Jordan Catering is using 2009 to grow, adding a Darien location and extending its reach from the north side of New Haven County south into Fairfield County, Westchester County, N.Y., and New York City.
Jordan Catering was founded in 1979 by Debbie and Jeff Rapoport.
“We”™re husband and wife partners,” said Jeff Rapoport. “We met when we were 10 years old in Waterbury. Prior to Jordan Catering, we had both been working on and off in the restaurant food services business and as a result accumulated some great experience.”
The Rapoports have moved all over the country, garnering food experience in Boston, Atlanta and New Orleans as well as in Connecticut. They have been based in Cheshire now for 30 years.
“We started with a little deli and restaurant,” said Jeff. “We were the Eatery Delicatessen and Restaurant.”
Debbie said the catering began as a backroom operation.
“We did the catering really as an afterthought, but it really took over and that”™s why we ended up closing that restaurant and opening up the catering business,” said Debbie.
The new location in Darien is located in the same building as SBD Kitchens on Post Road in Darien.
“We”™re here and we”™re talking to clients,” said Debbie. “It gives us more of an opportunity to meet with them in an environment that”™s closer to their home rather than coming to Cheshire. We spent a lot of time traveling down here to go to individual”™s homes, offices and hosting tent weddings.”
“We”™ve been growing every year,” said Jeff. “We always have the intent to expand and grow. We”™re looking to expand into a multigenerational business. We needed to expand sales.”
According to Jeff, the idea of a satellite location began as a sales desk in Fairfield County flower shops; then they decided on a separate facility that would serve as a food preparation and office combination.
“From there I think we can reach a 60-mile radius comfortably,” said Jeff. “It will extend us to the west and all of Fairfield and Westchester Counties and Manhattan.”
According to Jeff, previously Jordan would go into Westchester and New York City only half a dozen times each year.
Jordan has also opened its first restaurant since its inception, Wind Stone Tavern in New Britain.
“We feel that we have a good base there to expand from,” said Jeff. “We had planned to expand before the downturn, and we considered holding back and holding off for a period of time, but decided that financially we were sound enough to carry the risk during this slower time. We felt that we”™d be super well-positioned when we came out if this bad economy.
“Even in this bad economy our volume is up over last year,” said Jeff. “I think the industry is a little weaker, people are cutting back and certainly partying and catering budgets are smaller than they have been in the past. I think people are being more selective about who they pick to do the job and I think our sound reputation and the confidence our staff is able to communicate to the clients is the deciding factor. Although we”™re not up as much as we have been in past years, we are up.”
“Sales are up, but people are looking at events a little bit differently,” said Debbie. “Looking maybe not to do as much as they did before, but people who are having weddings are having weddings. I”™m finding they”™re still spending the dollars and it”™s still the one-time celebration. Yes, definitely corporations will cut back on some of their entertaining, but they still need luncheons and they still need qualified people.
“The social and the corporate are both important elements of our business,” said Debbie, noting
corporate events can lead to private jobs and each becomes essential to the other.
According to Debbie, that is why the A-game needs to be brought to each event, because you”™re always being scouted.
The Rapoport”™s have also decided to pay themselves less in order to carry as many employees as we possible.
“We want to be well positioned when this thing is over,” said Jeff.
The Fairfield location has added executive chef Joe Jenkins to the Jordan roster.
“We have also hired two event planners who both know the area and the people,” said Debbie. “Just having that familiarity for the company will be really great.”
According to Jeff, Jordan Catering has about 70 full-time employees and about 80 part-time.
“We did have to lay a few people off in January and February, which is not atypical, but we”™ve brought those who were laid off back,” said Jeff.
According to Jeff, the future expansions of Jordan will be done through exclusive venue management and stretch deeper in Westchester and the Hudson Valley.
“Because we”™ve added these two projects this year we”™re looking to digest, let the economy improve, and over the next five years add more venues and maybe another satellite and retail food location,” said Jeff.
