When a company makes the decision to name itself, Touch of Class, nothing less than excellence will suffice. According to Chefs Lorenzo Spratling and Mandell Crawford, owners and operators of Touch of Class Catering, maintaining a high standard of excellence is the only way to do business.
Since its inception in 2000, Touch of Class Catering, located at 10612 W. Nine Mile Rd. in Oak Park, Mich., has been about the culinary business of serving customers at the highest level. The company takes great pride in its ability to prepare and serve many types of food (soul, French, Italian, and more) for an array of corporate, public, and private events.
“We have always provided excellence in service, quality cuisine, outstanding taste, and visual presentation, which are our focal points,” said Spratling. “Our goal is to always exceed our clients’ expectations.”
A short list of the company’s clients has included the ABC television series “Detroit 187,” The Skillman Foundation, radio talk show host Mildred Gaddis (WCHB), Johnson Controls, Detroit Public Schools Foundation, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, St. George Cultural Center. as well as other corporations, businesses, churches, civic/community organizations, and private affairs.
“We take pride in all our catering events,” said Crawford, who estimates that the company has about 25 employees. “We don’t ever want our clients to think that we favor one client over another, because we don’t. We consider all events important.”
It’s not difficult to understand why the synergy that Spratling and Crawford share has morphed into the company’s success story. Both men once worked together as culinary arts instructors for Detroit Public Schools’ Breithaupt Career and Training Center.
“At DPS, Chef Spratling and I developed a good working relationship, good chemistry, and became good friends,” said Crawford, who recalled meeting Spratling in 1997. “People were always asking us to make a pan of this or a pan of that for events outside of school. We got so many of these types of requests that people told us that we should start a catering company. We decided to make a go of it in 2000.”
Like any company, Touch of Class Catering faces challenges, none of which, however, tarnishes its brand. “Actually, we challenge ourselves to maintain a standard of excellence that we’ve created and want to build upon,” said Spratling. “The economy can always present challenges, but we just keep moving forward regardless of the situation.”
Spratling and Crawford’s love for the culinary arts, dates back to their youth. Spratling, a native Detroiter, recalled as a teenager, watching his mother cook. He also took cooking classes while a student at Cody High School on the city’s west side.
“I was one of only two males in the cooking class at Cody,” said Spratling with a laugh. “The girls in the class couldn’t cook that well. The two guys in the class were the best cooks.”
After graduation, Spratling studied business administration at Eastern Michigan University and engineering at the University of Detroit. However, he wasn’t satisfied with his career paths, until a college advisor suggested that Spratling consider culinary arts. Spratling investigated the field and went on to earn an associate degree in culinary arts from Washtenaw Community College.
Crawford’s love for cooking dates back to his childhood growing up in Detroit. “I’ve always enjoyed cooking, because I’ve always enjoyed eating,” Crawford said. “As early as I can remember, I wanted to be a chef. At five or six years old, I was cooking eggs in different ways. At eight years old, I had a subscription to Bon Appétit magazine and loved looking at the pictures of food.”
Crawford, who graduated from Detroit’s Redford High School, also attended Breithaupt’s culinary program. He subsequently enrolled at Schoolcraft College to study culinary arts. He also amassed extensive “hands-on” experience at many local restaurants.
While both Spratling and Crawford continue to grow Touch of Class, they are available to give advice to others interested in pursuing a career in culinary arts, especially young people.
“Research, locate and enroll in a good culinary school,” Spratling said. “Read lots of culinary arts books. Try to work in a restaurant that makes 95 percent of its items from scratch, because you want to learn how to cook from scratch.”
Crawford agreed.
“In addition to what Chef Spratling has said, fully gage the passion that you have for this field,” said Crawford.” Ask yourself, do you love this field enough to where you would work in it for free? But, if you’re good enough, people are going to use and pay for your services.”
Crawford is correct. “We used TOC for our reunion banquet,” said Rosalind Cox. “The service was excellent and the food was amazing! Everyone raved about the food.”
Diamond Ciara added. “Excellent food! Loved it!” said Ciara. “They catered my graduation party and made it fantastic.”
“A huge gratification for Chef Crawford and for me comes from knowing that we made an event memorable,” Spratling concluded. “Because many times, people talk more about the food than the event. And when someone hires Touch of Class to cater an event, the food will either be prepared by one of us, or both of us.”
For more information about Touch of Class Catering, call 248.996.3659, or log on to its website at www.toccatering.com.
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