It was at 18 when Patrick McCreary obtained his first catering job that he discovered he was hooked on the adrenaline rush of the unexpected. While working for one of only 52 certified master chefs in America, it was common to melt under pressure, but McCreary thrived and realized that he wanted to follow this path for the rest of his life.
You must be painfully intentional in your decisions to make huge changes in your organization, said McCreary.
McCreary attended the culinary program at Arapahoe Douglas Vocational School and later graduated from the culinary arts program at Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island. With his help, the Denver campus of the university was able to launch a similar program, too.
He knew early on he wanted to be a chef, but he did not expect to become a leader as well.
McCreary founded Rocky Mountain Catering in 1998, offering barbecue as the main attraction. However, as the company grew and gained even more attention, McCreary drew from his decades of experience as a chef of fine dining and began designing custom menus and unique dishes, leading the company to become one of the hottest caterers for weddings and special events.
By 2019, McCreary and his team had catered more than 2,000 weddings, dozens of award ceremonies and anniversary celebrations as well as countless non-profit galas. It was obvious that what began as a small catering business blossomed into a whole new life, said McCreary. In 2019, we expanded to become Rocky Mountain Catering & Events and in 2020, we expanded yet again with Mac Daddys, specializing in BBQ and Mac.
Rocky Mountain Catering & Events is positioned to double current gross sales in the next three to five years. McCreary and his team were named to the 2019 Hall of Fame as the Knots Best of Weddings and earned the Couples Choice Award from Wedding Wire in 2020. Our reputation for being a valued partner in the special event industry is growing in leaps and bounds, said McCreary.
I have a plan and work it every day to lead and encourage my staff to embrace their passion and showcase it in every part of the events that we cater, he said.
For his vision and ability to scale a successful company that creates and designs memorable special events, McCreary has earned a spot as a Titan of industry.