Today we’d like to introduce you to Ruby Colon.
Hi Ruby, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started my company on my own. I was working as a sales executive for an event venue. I’ve always had a thing for cooking but never pursued it because it wasn’t my family’s idea of a successful career. I learned so much working for the event venue, it expanded my knowledge and network. One day upon working in the office, one of the salespeople who knew about my love for cooking asked if I was interested in cooking for a small 40 guest party. I was surprised at the request because it sparked interest, but it also struck fear. I played with the thought literally for entire hour, trying to think how I was going to pull off catering (something I’ve never done before) successfully. Meaning in proper and exact cooking times and temps, quantities, preparation, and all the other aspects that I wasn’t trained or experienced on. At times I like to think as myself as a risk taker, but I knew I had to do my homework so that everything was done correctly. I decided to reach out to local chefs that were in need of help in the kitchen so that I can learn all that I can. I worked for free for an entire month, in that month I decided to take on the client so I prepared her a meal based on her selections, and BOOM! She was my first client, I was so excited. That with the same deposit she gave me I used it to buy my first set of chafers (food warmers), which I still have till this day.
I continued to work for others building my portfolio of experience, and let me tell you something it was so challenging. Literally blood, sweat, and tears from all the lessons learned, trial and error helped me develop resilience and confidence to push forward. Even though my family didn’t ever praise being a cook as a career, it never steered them away from showing me the true soul in the kitchen. From my grandmother to my mother to my stepdad were all huge influences in my cooking style. Not only the love of food was embedded in me but how to tie in music along. Being in the kitchen with my favorite tunes in the background is my escape to another world, like a training arena. You become so acquainted with food ingredients that you develop gratitude and appreciation for everything, making me also become more conscious of other things that affect our surroundings such as food waste. Being in this field of work has brought me so much joy and the best part of it all is when I connect with my clients. Many of them have seen my growth journey and continue to support along with their empowering words. I look forward to bringing my brand and flavor to different concepts with events and businesses.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Honestly, it really hasn’t, but it has been a fulfilling one. Not going to culinary school or business school definitely made it a huge challenge to progress. Not knowing if I was pricing correctly or even if I was buying the right amounts for the events taught us valuable lessons. But these lessons needed to happen to get to where I needed to be.
As you know, we’re big fans of Latin Raices Catering LLC. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
We are a local small catering firm bringing fresh ingredients and homestyle flavors to your plate. Our energy and vibes at events are family-oriented. Each dish is catered to with love and soul to bring you back home. At the moment we provide catering: buffet-style, family-style, and plated. We will soon be featuring our small tapas menu in local bars around Orlando. We are also planning on branding our empanadas for wholesale for cafes. Puerto Rican cuisine is our background, but we also specialize in Caribbean, Italian and American style.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
I have had many mentors but two specifically stand out Chef Mira from “Breaking bread with Mira LLC” is my go to Mentor mom. I have worked for her countless of times and she has helped me develop the discipline needed to grow in the kitchen. She has empowered me to go after things that fear has tried to push away. I am truly grateful for her. My second support would have to be Duane from Levans Catering, he was one of the first business professionals that I had met in the same field that I was going after. With 30 years of experience up his sleeve, you better believe I learned a WHOLE lot! If I was in a pickle or short on something, he came through like nothing. I owe a lot to these two individuals. My business associates, friends, personal friends and loved ones also continue to show love and support. I am happy to have them in my life.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@latinraicescatering.com
- Website: www.latinraicescatering.com
- Instagram: Latinraicescatering
