Catering service allows restaurant to take barbecue to the next level
by Joe Wilhelm Jr.
Staff Writer
Bono’s catering does it all “from no tie to bow tie.”
The Jacksonville-based barbecue restaurant has always had the know-how to offer fine dining with its catering service, but now it has the staff to make it happen.
“We’ve had all the equipment to offer the food people would like to see on a menu for a fine dining event, but just didn’t have the planning experience available,” said Josh Martino, director of operations and franchising and general counsel for Bono’s. “Joe Adeeb (Bono’s owner) grew up in fine dining and I am familiar with it, but we just didn’t have the person to train our staff and pull it all together. That’s why we hired Debra (Malinis) to help direct a fine dining catering service.”
Fine dining isn’t a totally new concept for Bono’s catering. They have catered holiday parties for many years, but never really pursued it much beyond the occasional request.
“When you have a good system in place the key is to not make too many changes, but maintain your customer service with timely updates to your product,” said Martino. “This is another way to branch out something we have done before to meet the requests of our customers.”
Malinis was ready to get out of the catering business after 12 years as catering director for Biscotti’s Restaurant in Avondale, but she decided to put off retirement after Adeeb found out she was available.
“Joe called me and asked me if I wanted to help (Bono’s) create fine dining for their catering service,” said Malinis, Bono’s catering director. “I started in January and it is starting to get noticed now. We’re catering parties for the Jacksonville Zoo and Reaching out to Cancer Kids (ROCK) with the American Cancer Society. We’ve done really well with word-of-mouth advertising.”
It must have been difficult to get that advertising out while people are surrounded with good food. Some of the menu items include mango and ginger glazed shrimp kabobs that are grilled onsite, Caribbean pulled pork with mango relish, pulled chicken and wild mushroom quesadilla, beef tenderloin kabobs with horseradish dipping sauce and sweet potato polenta.
The food isn’t the only thing dressed up for the occasion. The fine dining experience replaces the tinfoil trays, that will still come with tailgate and backyard barbecue packages, with chaffing dishes, platters and linens. Staff will receive some upgrades as well when new uniforms are introduced in December along with a new logo for Bono’s fine dining.
The price for regular barbecue dishes ranges from $6-$10 per person, and the fine dining menus can range from $20-$30 for just food.
“Fine dining service significantly increases the price per person, but the presentation and finish is what you would expect from a fine dinning restaurant,” said Martino, “but, probably, at a cheaper price.”
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