Here at the Seattle Metro Chamber, we have to 2,500 companies across the region and 13 different business sectors, from your favorite neighborhood restaurant to brands known around the world. We have started our new member feature program based on referrals. Please help us welcome Chef Taylor’s Catering as our next member feature and tell us who we should feature next!
Chef Taylor’s Catering solves all of your food and hunger needs. I provide quality catering, meal prep, and special food order services for the residents of the greater Seattle/Tacoma area. I feature delicious, home-cooked meals that are completely made with love. I personally work directly with each customer to build the perfect menu that suits their event or meeting. Reach out anytime!
What’s something you wish you had known before you started or grew your business, or before you chose your current career path?
I wish I had known to start sooner than I did! I worked for the King County government for 23 years. Although I love public service and the people I worked with, I wasn’t fulfilling my personal passion in life. I wish I had been brave enough to start Chef Taylor’s earlier. The work that I do now truly doesn’t feel like work because I’m passionate about it and I love when customers come back and tell me how much they enjoyed my food.
To what do you attribute your business’ success?
I attribute my business’ success to my ongoing passion for keeping the memory of my son alive. In 2016, I lost my oldest son (Jaseree, 21) to a domestic violence tragedy. Jaseree, my middle child, and I had always talked about opening a restaurant one day. When he passed, I went into a deep depression. I stopped working for a while and even stopped cooking for a while because I couldn’t see myself doing anything without him. One day something clicked and I figured out a way to incorporate my son into this business. My big-picture goal is to work with a local nonprofit agency that assists families of deceased children to host an annual banquet for affected families in Jaseree’s name. The event will be a chance for all of us to eat, remember, and highlight how important our children are. I can put my all into Chef Taylor’s because I know I’m working toward something great.
What does an equitable and inclusive regional economy look like to you?
For me, an equitable and inclusive regional economy looks like everyone is winning, with all races and genders having access to the same opportunities—including financial security, access to great health care, housing, education, etc. It looks like organizations are having hard conversations to break down barriers and change the way they solicit contractors, hire new staff, and reach out to small businesses to get services. It looks like all of us getting out of our comfort zones to take an interest in other cultures. It looks like work (a lot of work!), but at the end of the day, an equitable and inclusive regional economy also looks like true happiness and peace in this world, which we could all use a little of right now.
Thank you to Chef Taylor’s Catering for being part of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce network.
If you would like to learn more about how to be featured in our member features series, please contact Cori Lumens.