Danvers Catering Company Owner Creates Connection Amid Chaos

BEVERLY, MA – Colleen Boland achieved what she said was a "lifelong dream" in February when she took over Fresh Food Catering of Danvers after three years working for the company.

Over the next 10 months, the Beverly resident and Endicott College graduate turned what could have been a nightmare as a new small business owner amid the coronavirus health crisis into a continually evolving mission to stay connected to her customers and provide them with the food that makes them smile, while keeping her own new company viable in a drastically different landscape than she could have ever imagined.

"I was looking forward to making it a company of my own, changing it, pivoting in certain ways and doing some new things," she told Patch. "There is enough to learn starting a new business as it is. Putting this into it too added a whole lot of new things as well."

With a spring full of graduations, weddings and other occasions that typically mark a caterer's busiest season of the year postponed or canceled, Boland said she first began hosting video cooking shows to keep herself motivated and provide an outlet for customers scared and isolated during the spring stay-at-home order.

"It was a way to say connected to people and hopefully do something good for people in a time of uncertainty," she reasoned.

Over the summer, she got back to the business of catering in a way that hardly resembled the 100-person weddings and function room parties she envisioned when she took over Fresh Food Catering.

"I tried to comfort everyone who had booked through me and let them know that I'd be there for them when they were ready," she said. "Some things ended up happening this summer — just in a different capacity. Maybe a little smaller. Some of the events turned into on-site delivery with boxed lunches or breakfasts. Some were postponed to a future date.

"People changed their own plans with some waiting until the weather got nicer so they could do a small thing with people outside."

Boland's efforts did not go unnoticed.

Whether it was consulting with clients to make their dream house party a small backyard get together they will still always remember, or through helping charities on the North Shore make sure they had the food they required to serve a population in need, Boland's work earned her multiple nominations as a Patch 2020 Beverly Business of the Year.

"I was very impressed with her positive attitude and adherence to ever-changing protocols and, of course, the delicious food," said Gail Coming, one of those who nominated Boland and Fresh Food Catering for recognition. "I've seen her around the city donating her time and food to school faculty and homeless shelters. She deserves praise and support for her wonderful food and its presentation, as well as unselfish donation of time and food for those finding themselves in tough situation presently."

Boland said her goal was to keep herself upbeat and looking forward through finding out what she could do for her customers and surrounding community.

"I tried to make things personal like going virtual and inviting people into my home while I cooked," she said. "Here I am too. Doing my own thing just like you are. It was about keeping things going and trying to stay relevant through continuing relationships with people."

The adjustments were considerable. Instead of larger, more cost-effective orders for big events, she said she had to target exactly what she knew she would use and how much of it she needed to make sure none of it went to waste.

"There is a lot to think about," she said. "It's more business-to-business, smaller ordering. Changing the way you store food, purchase food, look at food.

"You have to be a lot smarter with the budget and really stay in tune with what people are looking for and doing."

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For Thanksgiving, that meant developing a menu of side dishes customers could order to go along with the traditional bird. In January, she said she plans to offer a pick-up or delivery dinner option to help ease the burden on parents juggling remote schooling and working at home.

For the Christmas season, it means creating smaller, specialized options for those who may not be able to enjoy the usual gatherings of friends and family this year due to the virus surge.

And who may be a little down because of it.

"Let's say you are by yourself," she reasoned. "You may be saying: 'Oh man, this is tough not getting to be around other people.' But maybe you can be? Maybe get the same meal as someone and eat it together on a video call?

"It's maybe something simple, and easy, and maybe silly. But it's something to do together even if you can't sit around the same table this year."

Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza

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