|
Carol’s
Girls Catering Owners: Kathy Hillard and Susie
O’Connor “People know we have good food at reasonable prices,” says Kathy Hillard, co-owner with her sister Susie O’Connor of Carol’s Girls Catering and Banquet Room in Deming. Hillard is not new to the food business by any means. She owned and operated a locally renowned restaurant, Carol’s Coffee Cup, formerly at the site, for 14 years before opening the catering business. Carol and Bill Vander Yacht, Hillard and O’Connor’s parents, opened the restaurant in 1974. It was a much-frequented spot for local diners and for skiers on their way to Mt. Baker. Hillard worked there 13 years before owning it herself. “Mom and Dad really took the community under their wing. The people here hated to see it close. We named the catering company in honor of Mom and the restaurant she and Dad loved,” Hillard remarks. Before going into this business with her sister, O’Connor owned her own catering company, the Baker Girls. She ran it out of a restaurant in Bellingham and was looking for her own kitchen. When Hillard found operating the restaurant was too demanding, the two joined forces in February to open Carol’s Girls Catering and Banquet Room. “I had the restaurant on the market for six months. Susie and I wanted to work together and I wanted to do something different. My husband said, ‘Why not keep the restaurant and use the kitchen for catering?’ I thought, ‘Why not?’” Hillard relates. They have about eight on-call employees that are friends and family. Their mother is the main employee and cook. O’Connor says they cater weddings, reunions, business meetings and conferences, family dinners and “anything people get together for.” “In June we have an 80th birthday celebration. We had a Valentine’s Day banquet,” she reports. Also, Carol’s Girls has received numerous calls already for spring and summer events. “We offer good home-cooked food at a reasonable price. We don’t offer the really elegant, fancy food — there’s a market for both kinds of catering,” Hillard states. O’Connor says she enjoys catering reunions most of all. “People are in such a good mood, and there’s not the underlying stress people sometimes feel at weddings. We did the 1960 reunion for Bellingham High School; 300 people showed up,” she explains. “We are easy to work with, flexible and work with people to give them what they want. We just have to get people to realize the catering business is here,” Hillard remarks. Both sisters said word of mouth is the best advertising for their business. “We really like to serve people and make them happy. We’ll treat you like family and make sure that no one goes hungry!” exclaims O’Connor. Neither Hillard nor O’Connor wants their business to get so big that they don’t get to cook or serve. Future plans include enlarging the banquet room. The room seats about 40 people in the winter and 60 in the summer with the deck area open. — Patricia Rathbun
Bob & Vern’s Owner: Lenora Larisch Lenora Larisch’s new business is going to the dogs — but that’s not so bad. Larisch’s dogs are the namesakes for her business, Bob & Vern’s Excellent Canine Cookies. Bob is a yellow Labrador retriever and Vern is a black Lab. Larisch “likes hanging around them — that’s one reason I started this business!” she says. Although the business name has a whimsical touch, Larisch isn’t in it to play. “I want this business to be serious, so I’m doing everything to convey that,” she remarks. The homemade dog treats she makes come packaged in a Ball-brand glass jar, with a tennis ball attached to the top for a lid. The tennis ball is what makes the cookies unique, she says. “There’s hundreds of brands of dog treats and cookies out there, but the tennis ball makes it different from the rest. It’s like getting a prize in the breakfast cereal,” Larisch emphasizes. Larisch bakes the cookies at home and currently sells them to retail stores that carry pet products in the area, including Doggie Diner in Fairhaven, Cenex Country Stores and Bailey’s Bath House in Bellingham. She uses a basic recipe and adds different ingredients for slightly different flavors. Sometimes, she varies from the round shape to something suitable for holidays, such as Easter bunnies. “The peanut-butter cookies are probably good for dogs’ coats, but I sell them as a treat, not a nutritional boost. Just as a human would eat Ben & Jerry’s ice cream as a treat for themselves, dogs can eat Bob & Vern’s Canine Cookies,” she explains. Of course, starting any new business comes with pitfalls. Larisch describes how one day Vern ate half the cookie batter. “I thought, there goes the profit margin!” she says with a laugh. Larisch graduated from Seattle Pacific University in 1999 with a degree as a family-consumer-science specialist. The degree program included several business and marketing classes. She wondered at the time why she was taking those particular classes. Now those classes are paying off for her. She worked at the Ferndale Haggen’s store before starting the dog-cookie business. She wanted more time to spend with her family, so she quit. “I like being at home for my teenage son and, of course, my dogs,” she states. Larisch’s long-term goal for her wholesale business is to have the canine cookies selling in every major city along the Interstate 5 corridor, from here to Los Angeles. She plans to have by May a Web site that will list retail stores where the treats can be purchased. She also wants to tweak the packaging. “The sky’s the limit. I want Bob & Vern’s cookies to eventually be in the big-name pet stores, like Petco and PetSmart,” she says. — Patricia Rathbun
La Bonne Maison Owners: Edward and
Annie Magnon The opportunity to experience the delights of classical French cuisine awaits you when you visit La Bonne Maison. Owner and chef Edward Magner has organized his menu with selections to please every palate. This new establishment is located in a charming house on the southwest side of Blaine. Floral images decorate the walls, crisp linens adorn the tables set with sparking glasses and silverware. In the main dining area, tables are arranged to allow for intimate dining. A comfy sofa and chairs provide a waiting area. There’s also a private dining area for a dozen guests should you want to celebrate a special occasion. The well balanced, a la carte menu offers tempting selections such as Soup a l’Oignon Gratinée (that’s French onion soup), Thon Tartare (fresh raw ahi tuna marinated in olive oil and lemon), Crevettes Provincale (prawns sautéed in white wine, tomatoes and garlic), Medallions de Boeuf au Poivre and much more. Entrées are reasonably priced at $10 to $14. For dessert, savor such delicacies as Créme Brulée or Grand Marnier Soufflé. “There are a lot of retirees moving into the Blaine area, especially at Semiahmoo,” says Magner. “I find our clients prefer smaller servings, with 3- to 4-ounce portions of meat.” That explains the reasonable prices. The 22 selections on the wine list range from $15 to $38 per bottle. Magner says several clients regularly bring wine from their own cellars. The corkage charge is $10 per bottle. Originally from the Bay Area in California, Magner apprenticed under chef René Fueg at Chez Michel in San Francisco and further developed his culinary skills at the Hilton in Reno, Nev. He and his family moved from Reno to Blaine in 1990 when he accepted the position of executive chef at Resort Semiahmoo, a post he held until 1998. Magner is the immediate past-president of the Blaine Chamber of Commerce. His decision to open this new venture, which introduces classical French cuisine to the region, is based on his observations of the local market. “There’s growth to the west of Blaine in the Semiahmoo area. New people are moving here. Several new businesses have opened recently and we are no longer as dependent upon Canadians to maintain our economy,” he remarks. Magner says he’s noticing a new trend. Folks are stopping in for delicious desserts, coffee and, perhaps, a glass of his 10-year-old Tawny Port ($8). In the next few months he will to open the restaurant for lunch Mondays to Fridays. Dining outdoors will be possible in warmer weather. Within a year, it is his goal to build a new restaurant, a dream currently under exploration with a group of investors. La Bonne Maison is open Wednesday to Saturday from 5 to 9 p.m. Reservations are recommended. Phone 332-6178. With his wife, Annie, Magner owns the popular Annie’s Place Deli in downtown Blaine. — by Claire Hurley
|
||