Meet Elizabeth Silverman: Off Premise Caterer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Elizabeth Silverman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Elizabeth, how did you come up with the idea for your business?
My dad was a baker and had a deli, so I’ve been in the food business for most of my life. However, at that point I was working as a real estate property manager. Loved my job, loved the people I worked with. I entertained a lot, cooking for my friends and the office. I shared my love of cooking and entertaining with my friend Marilyn. She also loved to cook and entertain. In 1985 the company I worked for was acquired by a larger company and things changed from the small closely knit company to corporate. People left, new people came on. It just wasn’t the same. At the same time, Marilyn was looking for something to do. We talked, and decided to open a catering business. Little did we know what we were getting into ….who knew 33 years later we would still be together, best of friends! 

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We started out small (483 square feet). Rented a space that had previously been a florist so the walk in refrigerator was already there. I brought all my kitchen equipment from my home and supplemented it as time went on. Instead of commercial equipment we started out with a household double oven 4 burner stove and refrigerator and a deli case given to us by my dad. Marilyn and I both did the cooking, selling, delivering and even the dishes. We joined the local Chamber of Commerce and got involved. Soon our business grew as we got more clients and figured out how to do this. We were both in our 30’s, single and had our whole lives ahead of us. We outgrew that space and move to a larger space. We both worked hard at the business. We took catering classes to keep us updated on the “trends” and such. We worked hard and sometimes played hard. Marilyn got married and had 3 beautiful daughters who we call the Lovable Babes. Our business grew and we did well. We loved what we did and totally supported each other. Our favorite saying is “God takes care of the girls” and he did. We did well, and when there were obstacles along the way such as Hurricane Andrew or the downturn of the economy in 2009, we took a step back, and figured out how to take on the challenging times. Marilyn and I were very hands on … we went to every event and were totally involved in every aspect of the business from the kitchen to the final product and beyond. Many of our clients have become our friends over the years. It’s been a great ride. In 2019, Marilyn wanted to retire, but I wasn’t quite ready to do that yet. I still love going to work everyday and I love what I do. Bill Hansen and I have been friends from almost the beginning – we both started our catering business around the same time. A couple of years before Marilyn wanted to retire, he came to us about acquiring our business, but we weren’t quite ready at that time. So we went to Bill and asked if he still wanted our business. He did, with the provision that I stay on and run it as We had run Catering by Lovables. Bill Hansen Catering is a very hight end caterer and Catering by Lovables is a more moderate caterer. We both do great work, just differently. It would be another avenue of business for the Bill Hansen Brand. So in August 2019, Catering by Lovables became a Bill Hansen company.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Wow – thats a good one. BUT in the year of COVID a tough one to answer. I haven’t left my couch much these days other than work … so lets go with Pre-COVID I live in Coral Gables which is beautiful and easy to get around. I have my favorite places to go and my friend would have to work around my work schedule and be able to fend for themselves for some of the time … Hopefully my friend loves golf as much as I do, Coral Gables has not only the Biltmore Golf Course but also Granada Golf Course which is 9holes and easy to navigate. So a couple rounds of golf would be great. Friday night at the Biltmore has a small jazz group playing for happy hour so I’d take them there. Monday nights in the gables I can usually be seen for an hour or two enjoying good jazz and a light bite at this little jazz club I know. Ruth Chris is great for happy hour Sunday thru Friday. Lots of neighborhood people, great bartenders and good bar food. For a special night out I would take them to Miami Beach to Barton G’s restaurant. It’s a bit pricey but the ambiance and the presentation of food and drink is a sight to see. I’d take them to Vizcaya for an afternoon of just walking the grounds and enjoying fresh air and sunshine on a beautiful South Florida day. Deering Estate is nice too, or maybe just kick back at Season 52 in the gables and have a couple of glasses of wine outside. If there is a play going on at Actors Playhouse we would surely go there. We’d probably cook a little, laugh a lot and just enjoy downtime. On Friday we’d be in the car on our way to the Driftwood Inn On Vero’s Beach. My favorite place to get away! Check in for the weekend, park the car and just enjoy a kick back weekend. Happy hour at Waldos’ followed by a short walk to Ocean Grill or Bobby’s. Up in the morning to lay in our beach chairs under an umbrella and have the beach boy bring us rum runners until its time for dinner. or … hop in the car on Saturday and drive down US1 to Alabama Jacks or Gilberts in the keys for great music and an afternoon of relaxation.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Early on in our career Bill Hansen of Bill Hansen Catering turned us on to Michael Roman, with Off Premise Catering later to become Catersource – who became our catering guru. We learned a lot from him. Also I thank my dad for giving me a great work ethic.

Website: www.cateringbylovables.com
Linkedin: Elizabeth Silverman
Facebook: Elizabeth Silverman. or Catering by Lovables