Extra space in its new facility helps Maggie’s “cater” to additional customer needs.

BUSINESS IS REALLY COOKING AT NEW MAGGIE’S CATERING FACILITY.

Project Overview

Name: Maggie’s Catering
Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan
Type: New Construction
Square Footage: 6,890
CSM Project Director: Curt Petersen
Owner’s Representative: Chuck Rudnick
Designer: Byce Associates
Project Architect: Juliana Garner
Completion Date: July, 2006

With an average day that might include three breakfasts, four luncheons, and another three or four afternoon and evening meals, who wouldn’t be, uh, expanding a little?! Of course, the folks at Maggie’s Catering aren’t eating all those meals, but they are planning, cooking, delivering, and cleaning up after them. And that schedule doesn’t figure to lighten up anytime soon now that Maggie’s—well known for the quality of its food and service—has increased its catering capacity and efficiency by moving into a new building on the campus of Midlink Business Park.

It all started with Maggie’s Campus Café, which opened in 1984 on the Western Michigan University campus. It’s a popular place, providing students and others a great meal at a reasonable price. But in order to help keep the business strong during winter and spring breaks as well as summer vacations when the student count dwindles, owner Chuck Rudnick developed a catering business from the restaurant kitchen. It was a perfect choice, since those are precisely the times when catering occasions skyrocket, with holiday parties, weddings, picnics, and more.

The kitchen crunch.

Over the years, the popularity of Maggie’s Catering kept growing as satisfied customers continued to spread the word. Before long, it became a challenge to operate the business from the restaurant site. With limited space and capacity, Rudnick was often put in an uncomfortable position. “I frequently had to say no to people— and I hate doing that!”

A couple years ago, Rudnick ran into Doug Phillips, Director of Business Development for CSM Group, at a birthday party to which their children had been invited. Rudnick discussed his interest in looking for other locations, and Phillips suggested Midlink Business Park. When he learned of the reasonable costs and tax incentives available, Rudnick was sold. “The prices were only about half what I was looking at elsewhere, and when I started to factor in the other benefits, WOW,” Rudnick remembers.

When it came time for an actual plan, Rudnick was once again pleasantly surprised. He didn’t have a big budget, but CSM Group and Byce Associates, the design firm, worked to come up with a design that had plenty of character and “curb appeal” at an affordable cost per square foot—exceeding his expectations and quickly winning Midlink approval.

Getting over “the hump.”

Early on in the planning process, Rudnick’s choice of CSM Group as Construction Manager was validated. Long before the foundation was even poured, CSM Group Vice-President Curt Petersen visited the site.

“He wasn’t here five minutes when he asked if I was going to have a freezer,” Rudnick said. Petersen suggested putting the extra insulation necessary under the concrete floor in advance, to avoid the extra expense and permanent inconvenience of a “raised area” around the freezer to accommodate it later.

“That was an incredible catch. I wouldn’t have even known to mention it. Now we have nice flat floors, the same all the way through, and it saved me several thousand dollars in the process,” Rudnick said.

“Once that happened, he became ‘my guy’ and I wanted to know what he thought about everything. That slogan ‘Building Owners’ Trust’ just nails it. Whenever I see it, I think… ‘yes, they sure do!’”

Petersen takes the compliments in stride:

“It doesn’t matter how big the job is, we try to provide the same quality service on every one,” says Petersen. “That’s just what we do.”

Plenty of other satisfied customers, too.

In late summer of 2006, the project was completed—and Rudnick remained just as thrilled with CSM’s performance.

“Checklist items? They were fixed the next day. That tells you how responsible and buttoned up they are. They didn’t cash their check and forget about me,” he said.

Maggie’s Catering has thrived in its new location. The catering business alone now grosses about three times the amount the café-and-catering combo brought in at the restaurant location. (An added plus—the café’s business is up, too, since it has been able to add more seating since the catering function relocated!)

Maggie’s is a popular catering choice for many local businesses and organizations, including corporate picnics and other functions for Stryker, Western Michigan University, and many others. And Rudnick says they are able to do more of the small “private” events than ever, like weddings, graduations, baptisms— in locations as far away as Three Rivers and South Haven.

“Gosh, we get all this?”

Rudnick credits Maggie’s popularity to extensive word of mouth – spurred by the quality of his offerings.

“Good homemade food, large portions, and a good price,” he explains. Rudnick believes people also appreciate the nice presentation, with unexpected extras like real plates and flatware and excellent personal service ... service sometimes rendered by “the boss” himself!

“I cook, I deliver, I like being in the middle of it all,” Rudnick says. “You don’t lose touch with your business that way.”

With his new facility, he’s been able to add capacity, with more staff and additional vehicles. This has allowed Maggie’s Catering to provide services to as many as 25 different events in a single day!

“I don’t have to say no anymore,” Rudnick laughs.