Culminating a life long entrepreneurial dream to open her own food business, Susan Lawrence entered the arena in the fall of 1987, with the opening of Pepper’s Fine Foods & Café. Her years at St. Elizabeth College, with a prestigious Boston caterer and a 10 year stint as the Director of Marketing and Merchandising for a national firm gave her the foundation and she held the desire and determination.
The local populace of the “Boroughs” quickly embraced the passion, energy and expertise of Susan and her splendidly design retail shop, rapidly developing a loyal following for the vast array of gourmet food offerings, exceptional desserts and coffees from around the world, by the cup or bean.
Four months after opening, future husband Chef John Lawrence entered, seeking a stimulating food service opportunity and something magical was to unfold. Armed with a 30 year repertoire of recipes & experiences, once he stepped behind the range, the local buzz shot up another level. The area food scribes took notice of what much of the loyal fans of Pepper’s already knew. A new menu every day, with an accent on contemporary global cuisine was causing quite a stir. One could say that it inspired the competition to step up to the plate, so to speak.
Not being satisfied with occasional visits to the gourmet shop, clients persisted in requesting other services. Hence, Pepper’s Fine Foods Catering was born. Presently Susan and John feel quite a sense of pride in knowing that they have catered thousands of parties, weddings and galas and regularly meet past clients who remark that, years later, people still talk about the great food and exceptional service they had received. From Weddings, to Bar Mitzvahs, Grand Openings and the 100th Anniversary Gala weekend of a prestigious private school, Susan, John and their dedicated staff, seek each and every day to exceed the imagination and expectations of everyone they have the opportunity to serve.
This year we celebrate our 23rd year of being in business.
Thank you
Susan & John