NEWPORT NEWS — Michael Rapier was pursuing his English degree at the University of Virginia when he started working at the college’s food service department.
Now at 66, he is still in the catering business and plans to open a restaurant.
“One of the reason I like the catering business –– I like to do a variety of things,” Rapier, a Newport News native and graduate of Denbigh High School said.
Encore: A Catering Business opened in 1999 as a repeat performance of Rapier’s first business venture: Tuxedo Beach, a catering service and restaurant for formal or relaxed events which played off the name of the TV show, China Beach.
Rapier and his business partner, Nancy Gray, ran Tuxedo Beach for nine and a half years and afterwards, Rapier decided to open up his own catering service, Encore.
The catering service specializes in “an eclectic mix of items” and his clients include corporate business and the city in addition to serving wedding receptions, high school graduations and lunch deliveries on the Peninsula, Rapier said.
He leased the kitchen at Mulberry Inn for 18 years but after the new owners came in and he could not get a longterm lease, he moved to the old El Rio Mexican restaurant off Warwick Boulevard next to Port Arthur in May 2017.
Since then, Rapier has leased the building’s kitchen and does the catering off-site. Once he gets finances in order, he plans to open a restaurant with lunch Monday through Friday and events for the evenings and weekends.
“We’ve been in the area all this time and we have a good reputation,” Rapier said.
The Encore: A Catering Service restaurant is expected to open before the end of the year.
Always be informed. Click here to get the latest news and information delivered to your inbox
https://wydaily.com/local-news/2019/07/05/local-catering-service-takes-over-former-mexican-restaurant/ 2019-07-05 08:07:00Z
0 Comments:
Post a Comment