A Timonium caterer is moving into bigger digs so it has more space to hold events -- and its owner is dreaming up a concept inspired by the Food Network's "Iron Chef."
Chef's Expressions is taking over 3,500 square feet of space from a former bakery adjacent to its office in the Timonium Commerce Park. The new space at 9524 Deereco Road will give it nearly 10,000 square feet by the end of the summer.
The expansion will allow Chef's Expression to host cooking classes, train staff and hold events in its current kitchen. These events would include cocktail parties and tastings for prospective clients.
Chef and owner Jerry Edwards also envisions using the space to hold an "Iron Chef"-style kitchen stadium outfitted with closed-circuit flat-screen televisions that will allow clients to see the chefs at work. The goal is to great a "high-tech fashionably designed catering space," he says.
What does Edwards like about the neighborhood? It's four minutes from his house and just 30 minutes from downtown, making it convenient for clients.
Edwards is also talking to an interior designer about making the Old World Tuscan-style event space look more contemporary. He plans to spend $150,000 on the move and renovation.
The 29-year-old company employs 14 full-time workers and up to 80 part-time workers. Edwards expects to pull in $3.2 million in revenue this year, with about two-thirds of the business coming from weddings and the remainder coming from corporate events.
Source: Jerry Edwards, Chef's Expressions
Writer: Julekha Dash