Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jonathan Preskow, Founder of JP Fine Foods Inc., located in Concord, Ontario, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
JP Fine Foods is a boutique catering company operating out of Concord,
Ontario. Our vision is “our promise of excellence from phone call to finish
line." We cater all over Toronto and the GTA, helping private and
corporate clients bring their event visions to life. Our customers come to
us needing everything from catering for a corporate product launch to
board meetings, weddings, private celebrations, and more! Additionally,
we’re launching a new Tasting Season from January to March this year,
highlighting the fresh and innovative flavors in our food paired with our
new wine selection available to us by our new Ontario based winery
partner, Colio.
Tell us about yourself
I am the founder of JP Fine Foods, formerly Jonathan Preskow Catering,
which started in 2006 out of my mom's kitchen. The foundation of the
company stems from a love of creating memorable experiences for our
customers. Helping clients craft those memories that last a lifetime is
what still motivates us every day! We have created and maintained long-
standing relationships with our customers, who in turn treat us like
family. Over the years, we have grown out of our physical workspace,
expanding three times thus far. We have put together a phenomenal
team of 6 talented individuals who are helping us grown into our niche
market.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I would say that my biggest accomplishment career-wise today is
bringing together this current group of people in our workspace who all
have the same goal, which is to create events that exceed our customer's expectations. Also, we are able to cater hundreds of events a
year, spanning from intimate dinners of 6 to large corporate galas of 500.
Never did I ever think we would grow into the company we are today
from when I started doing everything on my own!
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
The hardest part of being a business owner is letting go and giving
someone else the reigns, delegating. I’ve been so used to taking care of
everything on my own, it’s going to take some time to get out of those
habits and change that mentality. We have many capable people under
our roof now! Being able to let go is difficult, but it also has given us the
ability to grow and move forward as a business.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Be ready for the work. Hard work! Owning a business is a grind
sometimes. You must be ready to work and sometimes work
harder and longer than anticipated to bring your vision to life. - Trust and verify. Trusting in others is key. It doesn't mean giving
them all the freedom in the world. You must trust that they will do
what is needed, and you have to be there to hold them
accountable for their actions. - Have fun. At the end of the day, you will spend more time
working in and on your business than anything else. If you can't
have fun while you are doing it, then what's the point? Put in the
hard work, trust others, and have a great time doing it.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.jpfinefoods.ca/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JPFineFoodsCatering
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jpfinefoods/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/jpfinefoods/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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