Today we’d like to introduce you to Rossi Corcoran.
Hi Rossi, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born and raised in Lima, Peru… Food has had a giant influence on my life since I can remember. From restaurants to catering and even bake sales; I have enjoyed every moment of it. The kitchen is my true home. I have worked very hard to maintain a sustainable kitchen. I focus on buying local and using plant-based ingredients, while also limiting waste.
The idea of “Papapa’s Catering” was created after a dream I had about my grandfather in 2011. In that dream, he told me how I needed to be persistent in life and follow my dreams. “Never give up, and whatever you do, do it with your heart”. I take that phrase with me everywhere I go.
Papapa is a sweet way to describe grandpa in Spanish. I have dedicated the name of my company and all of my culinary achievements to the wonderful human being that he was.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Definitely not smooth. The biggest one: This industry is denominated by men, no matter what people say. As a female, I had to act like a “man” in the kitchen. I always had to prove that I belong there.
And you have to earn your spot in the kitchen. If you wanna get promoted and go up the ladder, you have to act like you are already in the position without asking for recognition. It’s an extremely eccentric world!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’ve always worked in restaurants in San Francisco, CA. I’ve been in the industry for over 20 years. I started my own catering company after graduating from Le Cordon Bleu in 2012. (Feel like forever ago). But I’ve always worked for a restaurant and then later on I moved onto the corporate world.
After moving to Florida in 2020, I decided to give my catering company all my love but I had to start from ground 0. I didn’t know anyone. My husband and I moved to Florida due to his job, I quit mine and we decided to go for it and start a family. The pandemic lasted so long that I couldn’t get my business going. Tough times for sure. I started making lunch menus for my community and some events here and there. Then people started to reach out. Pretty much some small gigs here and there. Small Covid wedding, bridal shower. Farmers market. Then I got pregnant with my second and it was very hard to keep up with the business. I had 2 under 2!
Then one day, I decided that I needed to get out there and just do something with my catering business. I started doing the menus for dinners and people loved it! I had great orders, I’m still managing that. Then someone reached out and asked if I would be interested in taking over the lunch program for a private school and they used to buy McDonald’s and Chick-fil-A. I was so surprised that kids eat that for lunch daily! So it was a no-brainer!
So I’ll be starting that at the end of August. I’m super excited! Living in CA thought me a lot of different things. One of them is being sustainable and eco-friendly. I created my little garden in the back of my house. I grow my vegetables and herbs. I teach my boys the importance of repurposing food and we feed the compost together.
That’s my passion right now. To teach people the importance of food. We are what we eat. Is as simple as that. I’m not vegetarian but I believe in sustainable and the farm to fork movements. Healthy eating. You don’t need to starve yourself to eat nutritious and delicious food. In a way, you can have it all!
I love that I got the opportunity to teach children all these things that I’m super passionate about. I’ll be able to have a garden and grow fruit and vegetables with them and use them for their lunches.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
I don’t think you just go and find one. I think your mentor finds you. There are a few people in this world that have that capacity in them. To lead and teach.
I believe in the “word-to-mouth” way of networking. You have to be able to share your story with others. That’s what works for me.
Pricing:
- Chicken, vegetarian, vegan, and pork dishes are $10.
- Lamb, beef, fish, or seafood is $12 a dish.
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.papapascatering.com
- Instagram: @papapas.catering
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/papapas.catering?mibextid=LQQJ4d
Image Credits
Rossi Corcoran
