Today we’d like to introduce you to Kimberly Adams
Hi Kimberly, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My career in hospitality began as so many do – I waited tables when I was in college down in Charleston. After moving back to Greenville I worked in the computer industry for a couple of years, but when I had children and wanted to stay home with them during the day, I went back to waiting tables. Fast forward a few years and a few children later, and I was waiting tables and managing at a downtown restaurant. When a position in event sales opened, I threw my name in the hat and spent the next seven years as the top-performing event specialist. I had accidentally stumbled into my passion and haven’t looked back. I managed the event rentals for the Upcountry History Museum for a few years before and opened my own wedding coordination business, Girl Friday Event Coordination. I then moved to CHEF360 Catering and began growing the catering sales. With the exception of two years with The Improv in Raleigh, NC, I’ve been with CHEF360 Catering since 2014 and am now the General Manager. In 2023 I became the adjunct instructor for Greenville Tech’s “Become and Wedding Planner Class” and am working on expanding the program with more classes offered. It’s been an incredible ride!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The road is never smooth, but it’s also never boring! The market/economy crash in 2008/2009, Mother Nature, and the pandemic have hands-down been the most challenging periods of my career. When the market crashed, weddings suddenly became backyard affairs or budgets were cut by 3/4; corporations stopped hosting events and throwing holiday parties; pharmaceutical sales reps were no longer allowed to host events – it was tough to convince clients of the value of products. I’ve had a tent completely destroyed by wind shear and had a concussion after a tent support fell on my head. I had to turn a venue into a Red Cross relief shelter after Hurricane Irene in NC. The pandemic tested all of our ability to pivot and get very, very creative. Days were spent reassuring clients, figuring out how to take care of our clients without violating mandates, and how to keep staff employed if possible. At CHEF360, we began holiday meal deliveries. I spent 2020 dressed as the Easter Bunny, a turkey, and one of Santa’s elves. Even though challenges are unavoidable, many times they show us what we can do to push through.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
When I began in Sales at CHEF360 Catering, I had already established a successful career in event sales and as the owner of Girl Friday Event Coordination. However, at CHEF360 Catering, Executive Chef and Owner Peter Collins gave me free rein to make changes and create policy for the company. With his support and an incredible team, CHEF360 Catering is now a million dollar-plus company. At CHEF360 Catering, it has always been the goal to be client-driven and I preach it daily. When we focus on the client, everything else – the money, the reviews, the “status” – falls into place. The culture at CHEF360 is one of family, regardless of how dysfunctional. 90% of our furloughed team returned after the pandemic, which is unheard of in this industry. We support each other, our clients, and our community and because of this, consistency and exemplary hospitality are the norm. Two events stand out as my “most proud” moments. During the pandemic, CHEF360 did not have ONE SINGLE upset client and did not issue ONE SINGLE refund. We worked with out clients to find resolutions that worked for everyone. We reacted to our clients the way we would want to be reacted to and it showed. The other incident would be winning the “Small Business of the Year” award from the Greater Greer Chamber of Commerce. To think that our little “pop and pop” shop would received that recognition was incredible and a testimony to what we do. So many things set us apart from others, but the biggest is that we want to learn our client’s stories. The entire CHEF360 Catering team wants to know why a client is hosting an event and what we can do to bring their specific vision, menu, and expectations to fruition. It all comes back to hospitality. Crazy enough, I’m also still shocked that I teach at Tech. That has absolutely been a highlight of my career and a completely unexpected twist.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
People may not know that I’m a proud nerd (think marching band and grammar police) and even though I own amazing shoes, I’d much rather be barefoot. There was also the fact that I died for a hot minute in 2017, but that’s a long story.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.eatchef360.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eatchef360
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eatchef360
