Cherished Occasions Catering

By Dr. Marrissa Dick - Photos by Santana B. Photography

Scripture frequently mentions food in various contexts. In eating our daily bread, God encourages His followers to nourish their bodies and souls with nutritional and spiritual food. One way people can gain that nutritional food is through catering. The responsibility of a caterer is to prepare, deliver, and serve bulk meal orders to clients for special events such as conferences, celebrations, weddings, birthdays, and baby showers. People who need assistance with making their celebration a cherished and memorable event often seek outside help. One caterer frequently sought after for her nutritional value and creative ambiance is Theresa A. Graves, owner and founder of Cherished Occasions, Incorporated.

Read as Theresa shares how she overcame homelessness to establishing herself as a sought-after catering entrepreneur.

“I have been cooking for a very long time, especially since I am the mother of four children. I had to cook because it was too expensive to go out to eat, so cooking was something I had to do. Everyone from my grandparents, my dad, and my mom cooked, so I was fortunate to learn how to prepare good food from scratch. When my children were younger, they would bring friends home to eat, and they would always show up around dinner time. We were always asked to bring extra dishes during the holidays, I thought because I had a larger family, but that wasn’t the case. I noticed that every time we brought a dish, they were the first to go. It didn’t matter what type either. It could be my homemade yeast rolls with honey butter or one of my baked goods; it didn’t matter. Then someone asked if I would cook for their event. I was hesitant at first, but then I realized if I could cook enough for my children and the neighborhood kids, all I had to do was think of the event as though I was cooking for a large family. I was already doing it without realizing it. From that one event where I had cooked for 20 people soon turned to 50 people, and the next one turned into 100 people, and the rest is history,” Theresa shares.

So how did a single mother of four become a well sought-after caterer? Theresa says, “I can truly share that starting Cherished Occasions was not easy, especially when you have four children with four different personalities to deal with. This business is a second chance at life for me, and it is also a legacy for my children. I am an African American woman who struggled with domestic violence and lived in a domestic violence shelter twice. You know, being homeless gives you a different type of drive. I mean I had four children, so I had to figure out how I would provide for them. They looked to me for safety, shelter, and food. When I tell you all of that was motivation enough to make me get up and make it happen. You know Romans 2:11 says, “For there is no respect of person with God.” If God can take me from homelessness twice, give me a wonderful and supportive husband, Lou, take care of my children and give me a catering business, then anybody can do it. He is still the same God. What He did for me He can do for you, too.”

“If God can take me from homelessness twice, give me a wonderful and supportive husband, Lou, take care of my children and give me a catering business, then anybody can do it. He is still the same God. What He did for me He can do for you, too.”

Theresa, who is a native of Greensboro, realized for Cherished Occasions to be successful, she needed to refine how she organized her business. By accepting advice from her team and mentors, she soon realized that she needed to become a better listener, possess good energy, accept responsibility, and work through adversity. It suffices to say that Cherished Occasions has cultivated these essential elements. She shares, “I’ve been very fortunate to have all my children working with me at some point and time - - they don’t have a problem pitching in. Cherished Occasions was born out of necessity so it has always been hard work, but we have persevered and made it happen together. You must have good energy in your business. Energy is neither created nor destroyed, it’s simply transferred from person to person, so we try to make sure that we always have positive energy, especially when cooking.”

Theresa says there were some mistakes made, and they still have some challenges, but says they have all been neccessary. “My own son who had been with us from the beginning had to walk away from the business because it was too much. I was too much! I had to learn how to talk to my people. I’m used to multitasking, so I expected everyone to operate like me. I expected everyone to have my mindset, my heartbeat, my pulse, and my work ethic, but that wasn’t happening. I didn’t realize that I was causing my children stress, so their way of telling me that I was causing them stress was to tell me, “Mamma I quit”! That’s how I knew I had to change things. I had to learn how to talk to my children as adults and employees and listen when they voiced their opinions.”

Theresa shares she had to come out of mamma mode and go into employer mode. She had to learn how to switch those hats and found support from her husband, Lou. When things became tensious with her children as employees, they often reached out to him for assistance. It was then Lou realized he needed to step in and offer support. “Hey baby, listen I know you want to do this, but you have to listen to your team. You have to hear your staff. You’re working them to hard and you’re not working smart. Let’s see if we can do this differently,” Theresa states how Lou helped her. “How can I not listen to that advice, especially since he has over 26-years of restaurant experience.”

While Theresa attempted to operate Cherished Occasions solely by herself, she was wise enough to embrace God’s support. “I listened to my people; I listened to my mentors, and now I understand how important communication and listening are to having a successful business. I’m also grateful that I have my church community, too. I have a spiritual mentor, a business mentor, and I have a Sista Girl who checks me when I’m out of place. It’s important to have people in your life who care enough about you to tell you the truth and help you look at things from a different perspective. When you have a client down on the books, they don’t want to hear that life showed up. For example, my sister passed away on a night we had a catering event. We were very close, and I was devastated. I just wanted to give in to my emotions, but one of my mentors told me there’s nothing I can do for her now. I decided to channel that energy and make that event happen for her. In doing so, my work ethic went to an entirely different level. Now I don’t see excuses. If I can get through that, I know I can get through anything.”

There are many catering options available for people to choose. What makes Cherished Occasions stand apart? According to Theresa, “You know I don’t think people realize that they eat with their eyes, first. It’s that initial introduction to the food that makes your tastebuds water. We specialize in Soul Food cuisine and decadent desserts. I believe our black excellence makes us stand out, too. People don’t expect black businesses to be punctual, professional, or have staff with pleasant attitudes. I knew I wanted to show the world that Cherished Occasions is different,” she says.

It was important for Theresa that her brand didn’t look like anybody else; She says it was equally important that her food didn’t taste like anybody else’s either. “We are not your ordinary caterers because we have persevered through some adverse conditions to honor our obligations to our clients. These moments include catering for a wedding when a tornado came through Greensboro in 2018. The wedding was not canceled, and I kept thinking about how we were going to pull this off with no power. The only lights that were working were the chandeliers, and those were running off a back-up generator. Soon I heard a voice say, “Trust Me” and I said, “Okay, God”, He showed up for us and we rocked that wedding out for 100 guests! When we think God is saying no, it’s not Him saying no, it’s the devil trying to keep you from where you’re supposed to go. To me, adversity just lets you know you’re close to where you’re supposed to be.”

Another thing that makes Cherished Occasions stand out is their ability to prepare nutritious Soul Food. Their clients rave about their macaroni and cheese, and their honey butter is made from scratch so when you put it on cornbread, it’s just a party in your mouth. Their roasted and fried chicken is often a big request, along with mashed potatoes and green beans. They’ve also added a delicious vegetable medley to their menu. “We’re tickled when people who don’t eat vegetables compliment us on that dish,” Theresa says. They also have infused water for people who don’t like drinking water. Their desserts are very good as well. “The way we make our peach and apple cobblers with a caramel shot takes those desserts to the next level.”

Theresa says that when a room goes from chatter and laughter to the sound of forks scraping plates until they’re empty, it is all worth it. That’s love to them.

So, what can we expect from Cherished Occasions in the future? “I think I’m happier about where we’re headed because we know the future is bright for us. Like the song says, “Your future is so bright that you gotta wear shades” that’s where we are. Due to COVID-19 we had to restructure some things, which really worked out for our good. From adversity came Cherished Occasions To Go, and we now offer private and more intimate parties. I am very fortunate that my husband has been there for me this entire time, never taking a paycheck. He sacrifices his time off to help with the business and is right there with me in the trenches, shoulder to shoulder,” Theresa says. Her advice to those who may follow in her footsteps is to believe in yourself and trust what God has given you. “You must be willing to think outside of the box and not be like everybody else. Cherished Occasions invokes happy memories. The Word of God shares in Ecclesiastes 9:7, “Go eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do,” she says. It is clear that Cherished Occasions has received God’s stamp of approval".