Business of the Month 

SUNRISE CATERING 

Owners: Jim & Beverly Collins 

 

One of the area's most highly regarded caterers can be found right on Main Street in Readlyn: Sunrise Catering. Husband and wife owners Jim and Beverly Collins put a lot of love and hard work into their business and it shows in the tremendous success they have enjoyed since moving their operation to Readlyn in 2002. 

 

Sunrise Catering began as a spin-off of two former Collins' projects: The Villager and Oberhue's Restaurants in Waverly. Since 1970 Jim has been honing his craft. For Jim, Sunrise Catering is the culmination of 37 years in the food service industry, including owner/operator experience with 10 restaurants. In more ways than one, since 1998, Jim has his ideal partner in his wife, Beverly. "Bev does it all," Jim says. Beverly directly handles all the arrangements with the customers. Of course, she also prepares the food; but her expertise lay in her meticulous eye to detail in setting-up and decorating for the many fine events that Sunrise Catering services. But more than any of that, Jim says it is Beverly's "enthusiasm, energy, and constant desire to keep the client happy" that make her such a wonderful partner. Her sidekick, Betty Power, has become a very integral part of the "service" side of Sunrise! 

 

Sunrise Catering provides services from wedding receptions to company picnics and everything in between. Services include full-service, waited dinners with fine china, stemware, and linens, to more informal, self-serve, "all plastic-ware" affairs. If the customer so desires they will even serve you in very nice tuxedo shirts! 

 

It is an exciting New Year for Sunrise Catering as they will be operating out of their new facility for the 4th year. After operating in leased facilities for the first five years Jim and Beverly have purchased the building at 201 Main Street in Readlyn. (Built in 1904, it is one of Readlyn's first old, brick, Main Street buildings and the original home of the Readlyn Savings Bank.) The design includes offices and display areas which Jim says, "allows us to better showcase the wide variety fine foods and services we are able to offer to our customers." Furthermore, the design features an inner-connecting door to the adjacent Center Inn where many of their customers' events take place. "Overall, the new place will help us better serve our customers," Jim says.  

 

Sunrise Catering has grown at an impressive rate of 28% per year since moving to Readlyn. The past year, Sunrise Catering served over 29,00 people! With many weddings and other events already on the calendar, Jim says, "2011 looks like another super year!"