Act 3 Catering

In 2007, they heard about an old canteen building in Tukwila owned by a local family. They bid on it and were selected. "I think the family liked the idea that another family would have the building," says Sales & Marketing guy Bill Riordan, who has worked in the food industry for over 25 years. They put in a state-of-the-art commercial kitchen with everything they needed: plenty of cold storage, vegetable storage, freezer space, a Wok, smoker, huge kettle for soups and stews, grills, ovens; the list goes on. At the front of the building they created display areas where guests can look at table/linen set ups. There's a full office with conference room. There are three areas in the back where items can be loaded/unloaded from their fleet of vans and trucks. There are rooms filled with their own display items, linens, plates, glassware, serving pieces. "We've got everything right here," says Bill. "We can really do anything for anyone."

Working to strategically grow their business, Terri and Chuck hired Bill in 2010 to connect with venues and market the catering firm. Located in the south end, they have agreements with The Attic, The Hansen Place and Laurel Creek Manor in Sumner. In Redmond, they work with Clise Mansion and in Bellevue Robinswood House. They've also begun working with venues in Bonney Lake, Puyallup, Lakewood, Roy, Auburn, Normandy Park, Seattle, Maple Valley, Woodinville, Issaquah, Sammamish, Mercer Island and now Snohomish. Some venues are unusual, like the Future of Flight Museum in Mukilteo, the LeMay Family Collection (vehicles) in Tacoma and iFly indoor skydiving in Tukwila.

Events break down about 50/50 between weddings and corporate events, with over 130 weddings annually. They cater breakfast, brunch buffets, sit-down events, stand-up receptions, outdoor barbecues, birthdays, anniversaries: basically every type of event. In addition, they do a nice business with brown bag and box lunches. They'll drop off the food and high-end disposable dishes and glasses or provide a full-catering service, and arrange rentals of tables, chairs, tents and other equipment they don't have, as well as coordinate flower arrangements. Their liquor license allows them to provide alcohol and bartenders. Making the planning process and the event itself simple and seamless for their customer is their goal.

But what would any of this mean if there weren't good food involved? Chef Greg Shaffer (pictured at left) has been with Act 3 for a little over a year and has sharpened their focus on homemade items. "In catering, you can't make everything from scratch," says Greg. "But we do as much as we can." They also use as many local companies as possible like Cucina Fresca and Tim's Chips. Greg grew up in Bellingham and moved to Seattle in the early 90s, cooking through college. After graduating, he attended the Seattle Culinary Academy at Seattle Central Community College. He worked for Schwartz Brothers for nine years and the BluWater bistros for seven years. "Catering's been really fun," he says. "In restaurants, you're dealing with things shift by shift. With catering, it's more focused on organizing and planning. You're also not so locked into "a" menu; you work with customers to create something just right for them."

Menu items are mouth-watering: prosciutto wrapped prawns with fresh basil and gorgonzola dip; fresh seasonal fruit kabobs with key lime and coconut dip; garlic and peppercorn-mustard-crusted mini lamb chops; house-smoked salmon with herb cream cheese; fruit crepes filled with seasonal berries; chicken Marsala with mushrooms; filet medallions with wild mushroom demi glaze; vegetarian pot stickers. Desserts include cheesecake, tiramisu, strawberry or creamsicle shortcake, layered chocolate mousse and more. They also bake wedding and specialty cakes, frosting them with Bavarian cream.

"I'm very impressed with the fact that Terri and Chuck have always committed to doing things the right way; no short cuts," says Bill. At the end of the day, this family simply wants to offer great service, family hospitality and excellent food at affordable prices.

Connie Adams/March 2012

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