Dominion Kingdom Catering
Wanda Liddell, Owner
When talking to Wanda Liddell about how she decided to start a catering business, you can see and hear the passion she has for feeding people. She wants to create not just a meal but a total experience for those that she serves. Wanda launched Dominion Kingdom Catering in 2015 but her wheels had been turning long before that. Around the year 1993 she was setting in motion what would become her future, she would cook up large amounts of food on Sunday mornings before heading to church, she would then invite people to come and enjoy that food after church where they would gather at her home. She didn’t think that was any big deal and didn’t recognize the gift that she had until friends started asking her to cook for special events. Her friend Marie especially recognized that gift and suggested she cater a wedding of a friend after a last minute cancellation by another caterer.
Wanda had worked in food service for various companies around West Michigan that provided food for cafeterias but she kept thinking she needed to attend culinary school to really be able to make a go of it. She finally enrolled in the culinary school at Grand Rapids Community College and commuted while continuing to live in Muskegon from 1995 – 1997. Attending culinary school opened her eyes to so many things and she took advantage of every opportunity she could. She joined the Vegetarian Club at GRCC before vegetarian was even popular. She discovered she also had a gift for sales when students in the culinary program were tasked with taking a cart of baked-goods and selling them, time-after-time Wanda came back with an empty cart after selling everything, other students were not as successful. While attending culinary school she worked at the Spring Lake Country Club and also worked as an intern with Applause Catering in Grand Rapids. One of her mentors that she speaks highly of is Jeff Lobdell, owner of many restaurants in Michigan, he taught her the business and marketing side of running a restaurant/catering business and she still keeps in touch with him today. She also catered private events for several prominent community people who kept calling her back for more.
Wanda also had the opportunity to work at food shows and some large catered events at DeVos Place in Grand Rapids. In our conversation she referenced an event that she was asked to cater at DeVos and she accepted the challenge and they did not tell her how big the event was because they were afraid she would decline – 1500 people were served and she just laughed!
Wanda grew up with six siblings and everyone knew how to cook and she feels that entrepreneurship runs in the family. She was especially close to her brother Chip that lived in Mackinaw City and was in the hospitality field himself. He had asked her to come to Mackinaw City to open up an Italian Restaurant called Nonna Lisa’s Italian Restaurant. Another challenge that Wanda so much enjoyed. She gathered a team of four people and headed to Mackinaw for months to open the restaurant. Again that was an opportunity she remembers fondly and being able to meet people from all over the world that came to work in the resort city and for their restaurant in the summer season. Wanda thought she needed some time away from the food business after working day and night to open the restaurant but some rest helped her get over that thought. Wanda has worked every position in a restaurant kitchen.
She launched her business, Dominion Kingdom Catering, after discovering at that time Kitchen 242 which was brand new in Muskegon. We asked what her favorite type of food to cater and her reply was “they are all a favorite”. Several of her popular menu offerings: Rosemary & Garlic Potatoes, Five Cheese Mac & Cheese, Herb-baked Chicken, Salsbury Steak. She likes to focus on healthy eating and tries to do so in her personal life also. One of her new products that she is in the process of developing is what she is calling health packages that will have a combination of sea-moss, Elderberry Tea, Ginger and Turmeric shots. She loves to experiment with foods and trying new things.
Wanda has come along way from her first food service job at Checkers to her thriving catering business. She was very excited when her team was recently given the opportunity in November to cater the breakfast brunch for Governor Whitmer and former President Bill Clinton.
She has spent a lot of years working for others in food service but also in other industries. She is now ready to only focus on her catering business! She also credits her relationship with God that has allowed her use her gift, and grace of cooking to share with others.
You can find Dominion Kingdom Catering:
You might recognize Wanda from having a stall at the Muskegon Farmers Market in the summer season serving her famous salads!
Website: https://dkcater.wixsite.com/food
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dkcaterer