Planning a festive event can leave one inundated with details and choices. From hors d’oeuvres to centerpieces, linens to bouquets, many planners can feel overwhelmed by all the moving parts involved in pulling off such a complex feat.
Regina Prange and Brooke Kinsey were no strangers to the trials and triumphs of event planning when their paths crossed while working in their fields, as a floral designer and chef, respectively. Together, they had a vision of holistic full-service catering and floral design, building for clients the occasion of their dreams from start to finish. The result is Bleu & Fig− the fresh take on event design built with the same attention to detail that Kinsey and Prange bring to the celebrations they now craft and then execute.
Kinsey studied culinary arts at Johnson & Wales University, and has worked in catering for prestigious country clubs and as a personal chef. Prange has a degree in horticulture from The Ohio State University and has devoted more than 30 years to floral design.
With 40 years of combined experience in their crafts, they came to ECDI to hone their business acumen and develop a strategic plan to bring more beautiful, brilliantly designed parties to the Central Ohio area. After going through ECDI’s microenterprise loan program, Kinsey and Prange were able to close their loan and purchase equipment, rent space, and market their bold new venture.
Whether it’s a business breakfast or an anniversary party, Bleu & Fig prides itself on the extra authentic touches that sets it apart from traditional catering companies.
“Our focus on our clients starts before the food comes in, with locally sourced produce and an emphasis on supporting family farms,” says Kinsey.
Describing the level of service as “paramount,” Kinsey explains how Bleu & Fig takes on a celebration with a bottom-up approach.
Prange visits the venue or home of every client in order to design her floral masterpieces with structural context in mind. Kinsey develops a creative, fresh menu tailored to clients’ vision and dietary constraints. Most unique about Bleu & Fig is perhaps the emphasis on comprehensive service.
From menu to tablescape, event design and logistics, to bar setup and teardown− “all of this is accomplished with ease and simplicity,” says Prange.
Since closing its loan in November 2009, Bleu & Fig has been winning over Central Ohioans as the exclusive caterer for the Dublin Arts Center. Recently, Bleu & Fig presented the salad course for the Franklin Park Conservatory’s annual From Field to Table fundraiser. Bleu & Fig also has been hosting successful cooking classes and hopes to continue to form meaningful partnerships with other small businesses, and increase community awareness of their attentive and innovative catering and design services.
In the past, ECDI has been able to finance businesses like Bleu & Fig primarily through federal, state, and local programs. As the demand for our small business financing products skyrocketed, we knew it was time to create a new source for loan funds by launching the Invest Local Ohio campaign.
Every dollar committed by individual investors to the Invest Local Ohio program will be loaned to a local small business and leveraged with at least two more dollars from other ECDI loan funds and guarantees a minimum two percent return. Investors have the opportunity to lift up hardworking entrepreneurs like Prange and Kinsey, whose success bolsters the local economy, creates jobs and taxpayers, and translates to more Ohioans participating in the economic mainstream.
To hire Bleu & Fig for your next celebration, visit BleuandFig.com or send email to [email protected].
If you could invest in fuller lives for Central Ohioans looking to capitalize their dream, would you? For more information on becoming an investor in the Invest Local Ohio campaign, contact ECDI President Steve Fireman at 614-732-0577 or [email protected].
