Delivering the promise

Catherine Cavner found her way into the catering business and met her future husband at the same time. Par Caterers She’s the CEO of her own company now, but everything Catherine Cavner needed to know as the foundation for her future in hospitality was learned as a child in her parents’ family-owned jewelry store. At age 12, she was right there working alongside her parents in their business in Moultrie, Georgia. By 16, she could make her own deals with customers. It was the kind of small-town business that when people in the community or members of their church got married, they registered in her family’s store. Her family knew most of their customers.

“We had a lot of farmers, so if they had a good year, we had a good year,” Cavner said. “I knew that people wanted to be treated well and they wanted a good experience.” Certainly, being polite and respectful was a standard element of Southern hospitality where she grew up, but Cavner recalls a time when her father pulled her aside and reminded her of an essential practice of quality ...