Small business: LC’s & GG’s Catering lines up options for the holidays
Andrea Nelson, 34, opened LC’s & GG’s Catering in Charlotte in August 2016. Although her business is new to Charlotte, Nelson has been catering in Michigan since 2013. Nelson, her husband, Skyelar, and their three children left Flint, Michigan in July 2015 because of the water crisis. After a visit to Charlotte, they knew they wanted to make it their new home.
“We visited Charlotte,” Nelson said. “We loved the city. It seemed like a nice place to raise children, so we moved our family here.”
Nelson has experience catering weddings, corporate events, and birthday and graduation parties. She said, “No party is too small.”
Nelson specializes in soul food, like fried chicken, collard greens, candied yams and macaroni and cheese, but she is comfortable cooking Mexican, Asian and Italian fare as well.
She said, “I experiment all the time.”
The company name, LC’s & GG’s Catering, is sentimental to her – LC is her dad and GG is her grandfather.
“My dad inspired me to cook from a very young age,” Nelson said. “He cooked in the army, all over the world. I used to follow him around the kitchen with a notepad, jotting down recipes, trying to be like him. My granddad, of course, is where it all started from.”
Nelson uses commercial kitchens around Charlotte for her cooking and being able to accommodate a range of budgets is important to her. She does not want to turn someone away because a client cannot afford an expensive event. She prides herself on being able to meet the needs of a range of clients.
LC’s & GG’s Catering cookies and hand crafted treats are available at Sardis Marketplace. For the holidays, Nelson is offering homemade sweet potato, pumpkin, apple, pecan and cherry pies for $15 each, with a $5 delivery charge within the Charlotte area. Order pies by Nov. 20 for Thanksgiving or Dec. 20 for Christmas through the website or by phone (704)594-2316.
Andrea Nelson answers CharlotteFive’s questions for the Small Business Series:
What advice would you give someone who is thinking about starting their own business?
“Go for it! Now it won’t be easy and you must know your product or service well. But if you are a hard worker and have a passion for your business, you can be successful.”
What has been your biggest obstacle?
“I am a one-man band, as they say. I have long nights of work with little to no sleep sometimes.”
What have you learned about yourself?
“I am one tough cookie and I don’t give up.”
Have you ever turned down a client?
“No! I’m in the people service business. Though I have dealt with difficult clients in the past, it’s training me to be a well-rounded caterer.”
What do you do for fun?
“Family time with my husband and kids. We love stopping to see 3D movies or staying home to play a good old fashion board game.”
Family history and my own fascination with people and their motivations prompted me to begin this series about Charlotte’s small business owners. Industry, situation and questions will vary. Have a suggestion for a small business owner or entrepreneur to interview? Email it tovanessainfanzon@gmail.com with the subject line “Small Business Series.”
Photos: LC’s & GG’s Catering
This story was originally published November 17, 2016 at 9:00 PM with the headline "Small business: LC’s & GG’s Catering lines up options for the holidays."