Ollie’s Pastas is a small catering business, (est.1998) specializing in multi-pastas and rice. During vending events like the Black Women’s Expo in Atlanta on Dec.17-18, Ollie will offer mostaccioli, cajun rice, and vegetable bowls.
All the bowls’ ingredients are turkey, chicken, or vegetable-based. Attempting to cater to everyone’s tastebuds, spicy and mild kinds of pasta are on the menu. At home in Gary, Indiana, owner Ollette Washington caters to special events, office meetings, and a variety of summer spring/summer pop-ups.
At Atlanta’s Black Women’s Expo event, customers will be able to select from the following bowls: Ground turkey/Italian chicken mostaciolio, or cajun chicken & sausage rice. If you’re not a meat lover, tasty Asian Veggie Bowls will be available.
Ollie’s Pastas specialties are pasta, rice, and vegetable bowls. The kinds of pasta range from mostaccioli, thin spaghetti, lasagna & bowtie. Each type of pasta can be made to the customer’s choice of meat and or vegetable request. Ollie’s signature cajun rice bowl is always a hit with customers looking for a Louisiana flavor.
Beyond doing events like the Black Women’s Expo and pop-up events, Ollie often delivers lunches to senior citizens on Saturdays whose children live in other states or if their schedule is too busy and they need a lunch delivered to their parents.
Besides providing great tasty cuisine, Ollette Washington wants her customers to remember the consistent great service that is always given.
What is some advice you would give to someone starting a business/organization?
Always focus on a business that you know you are innately good at or willing to learn wholeheartedly.
What has been some of the biggest hurdles/challenges of building and/or maintaining this company/organization?
Time management and learning to know my worth. I am a full-time middle school English Teacher and published author. Therefore, I have to select most catering jobs during the weekends and be diligent with my targeted market. Not being afraid to charge for my talents and time, took me a minute to grow.