Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeff Cousler.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Jeff & Danielle Cousler started the A Thyme Savor catering business in 2006 at Beau Rivage Golf and Country Club in Wilmington, NC. We leased a 2000sf commercial kitchen off of the upstairs banquet hall. We did mostly weddings but also club member events and golf outings. We were there for 4 years. From there we moved to Carolina Beach at a restaurant bar called black horn. There we did approx $60k renovation to the kitchen including installing a hood system and walk in cooler. We operated at this location for a little less than a year doing both catering and restaurant/bar in a 5000sf building. After discovering that our accountant had not paid our taxes for 2 quarters we were forced to shut down and close our business and shortly later filed for bankruptcy. In 2011 we rented a unit in a strip mall approx 1800sf. where we began to rebuild our catering business. After about 4 years into this location we rented another unit adjacent to our existing unit to set up our offices and tasting rooms. From this location our business grew from $250k per year in revenue to a little over $800k in revenue over 9 years.
In 2019 we were able to take an SBA loan out and purchase the land, buildings and equipment of a catering/ restaurant business called Bon Appetite which we changed the name to Savor Southern Kitchen but retained the same name for our catering business A Thyme Savor Catering. Now we had the ability to grow our catering business like never before. With the help of 2 of our long-term employees Liz Brown (catering director) and Brad Hagler (Executive Chef) of 10 years, we have evolved to be Wilmington’s premier and most respected catering business and recently voted best breakfast for Savor Southern Kitchen. Revenues today are over $3 million per year and we now have plans to expand by building a new 5800 sf catering kitchen and new restaurant. Much of our success in attributed to our long term employees and the quality of work they put out. We pay more than the average and it translates to a better business for company.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Covid, Covid, Covid
This was something we were really not expecting to happen, especially after only being open in the new location for about a year. We were able to keep 90% of our staff working part time and paying them with the money we got from PPP. We would do a farmers market on the weekend while our resturaunt was closed. We sold baked goods, produce, and whatever we could do to try and make a buck. We even sold wine with a free roll of toilet paper. LOL
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
My wife Danielle started the business while I was still partners in a telecom business called Protell consulting. I have a business degree and would work parttime for the catering mainly doing the books and payroll and some events.
After dissolving the Protel business with my partner I then began to work for a contractor for AT&T doing design and engineering while still doing the catering part time. Jeff finally came on full time to the catering in 2009.
Danielle has a career in the restaurant business from her family owned restaurants in Marlboro Massachusetts then moving to NC where she was catering director for Michaels seafood restaurant in Carolina beach for 3 years just before starting the catering business. She was also a personal chef for many years.
So Danielle is the chef and Jeff would be the business side of things.
What really sets us apart from other caterers and breakfast places is that we use fresh local ingredients and most everything is made from scratch. We don’t use any processed foods.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.athymesavor.com
- Instagram: athymesavor
- Facebook: Thyme Savor Catering
