Welcome to Crumb Grabbings, a blog where I, Jim McMerty, the founder of Mintahoe Catering & Events, take a moment every so often to share a slice of our journey. Through these posts, I dive into the heart of the Mintahoe brand, reflecting on how it all began, where we stand today, and the values that have guided us along the way.
Crumb Grabbings isn’t just about business—though you’ll certainly find insights on that front—it’s also about the importance of family, the power of community, and the little moments that make life meaningful. Whether you’ve been with us for years or are just joining our story, I hope this blog offers you a deeper understanding of who we are and what we stand for.
Welcome, and read on.
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What’s It All About?
If I added “Alfie” to this question, how badly would I be dating myself?
Oh, my. I had to check and wish that I hadn’t. 1966 – but it was a great song – at the time.
I wrote Crumb Grabbings about our catering business in the earlier years and, no, that was not back in 1966 although it was a long time ago.
Mintahoe Catering & Events, Atikis Minnesota Private Aviation Catering, Authentic Gourmet BakeShop, Professional Food Service and Picnics Plus! make up our world today. In the beginning, it was Twin City Catering along with Picnics Plus!
Our world has changed. It is a long story, one that I will share a little bit each month, doing my best not to bore you but let’s talk about today, Mintahoe Catering Events and all of our companies are one glorious Family, working to do what we do, better than anyone else does it. Our success is great and it is consistent. And why does that continue to happen? Because of our Family. And that is “What’s It All About”.
And how do employees become Family? Well, most of them do so quickly as it does not take long to transition into our professional environment with people they enjoy being around. Ok, I get it. Every day is not filled with bliss. Naïve I am at times but not that badly. We have our moments. I do not have a lot of “isms”. One of my “isms” is that being angry is a natural emotion and acceptable but only for a day. Then it is back to our friendly Family mode.
One of our family left us last month. Juile DeStasio. She began working with Professional Food Service about forty-four years ago, moving with the company as it joined Mintahoe thirty years ago. Julie was always first through the door. When I arrived each morning, it was always “Good Morning, Julie.” “Good Morning, Jim”, with a smile from Julie. I should have smiled more often and maybe Julie would have delayed her retirement. But putting up with me for twenty years was apparently all that she could take. One of my Family and there are many.
But there are also family Family members. One of my first hires, almost thirty years ago, was Suzi McMerty Shands. I first met Suzi in August of 1969 when my wife and I walked into a room and this six-week old infant looked up at me, reached her arms out, kicked her legs, smiled and cooed. Ever been a goner? There was no way I was leaving that room without her coming with us soon. Could have been a coincidence but “Alfie” might have been coming from the radio as we drove home. Suzi graduated from St. Ben’s in 1991 (In case you are a Bennie or a Johnnie, I have played pool as Suzi’s partner at Sal’s) then moved to Phoenix. When she missed our twenty below wind chills, she returned to the Twin Cities and began working part-time at our catering business. Then it was full-time at the front desk and working events. Then it was selling, soon booking the first large event we had ever catered. Twenty-five hundred guests was a big deal for us at the time and she was a rookie. When we purchased Mintahoe late in 2008, Suzi was ready for more and became our Sales Manager, doing it very well. Now, Suzi and my younger son/her younger brother, Shawn, are Co-Presidents of Mintahoe while they shuttle me toward the door, giving me time for Crumb Grabbings and whatever else. Such is life and I love it.
Looking forward to next month. I hope I did not bore you.
Jim
Jim McMerty, the founder of Mintahoe Catering & Events, began his journey in 1991 when he launched Twin City Catering, Inc. in a modest storefront with limited resources—just one minivan, three residential kitchen appliances, and a deep fryer. Over the years, Twin City Catering expanded, and in 2008, the acquisition of Mintahoe, Inc. marked a significant milestone in its growth. Under Jim’s leadership, the company evolved into the largest family-owned and operated catering company in the Twin Cities, renowned for creating memorable experiences for all types of events.
