Mia Emerson has fed people from every walk of life – politicians and celebrities to wounded soldiers and wedding guests. Usually, for her and her husband, Roy Emerson, this time of year would be filled with the blissful chaos of weddings and other events.
Instead, they’re doing something neither of them ever pictured: to-go food.
This is the current reality for the husband and wife team of 15 Landsdowne, a full-service, gourmet catering & event production company in Frenchtown, NJ. Since New Jersey’s stay-at-home order was put in place on March 21, 15 Landsdowne has seen a ⅔ loss in income.
“It took almost a month to figure out what we were going to do,” Roy Emerson said. “90 percent of what we do is big weddings.”
No matter their plan, the Emersons didn’t want to compromise on the quality of food or the level of service they’ve been known to provide since they opened their doors November 2016. Fortunately, they feel prepared, not intimidated.
“There’s nothing that prepares you more for something like this than active duty military life,” Mia said. “Being married to the army – you constantly adapt because every 2 years you move.”
The catering began while stationed in Italy where Mia was raising two kids and Roy was in Afghanistan. She found no matter where they went – catering and food were always in demand. When discussing their move to Hawaii with Roy, Mia agreed on one condition:
“Bring me home. I miss good sandwiches, real pizza, and gay people,” Mia, who was raised in Bucks County, PA, said. They finally returned to the tristate area in 2017 Mia knew her kind of food would work in Hunterdon county. And so 15 Landsdowne Catering + Mercantile was born and they’ve been feeding people ever since.
When discussing the changes since the COVID-19 outbreak, Mia said they are morphing into something very different, and that it was strange, but also didn’t hesitate to talk about how lucky they were in terms of not being married to a specific menu or kind of food.
“There are a lot of restaurants who can’t morph, ” Mia said. “My labor is on me, so I can afford me. I’m just cheap, not easy.” She laughed. “We’re gonna fare probably better than most restaurants will.”
They’re not without challenges, though. The road ahead for them – like many – is an uphill climb. They’re likely to have a reverse revenue stream until at least August.
15 Landsdowne is currently doing “weekly offerings.” Each week there will be a new menu featuring a new style or type of flavorful food. They want people to think of it as their night off. They have pick up and delivery options and will provide the food, instructions for reheating, and everything else.
“Every week it’s a shot in the dark to see how people are going to respond,” Mia said. “It’s always fun to see what they love.” So far hush puppies and Swedish meatballs are two of the big winners.
What will be their next big hit? Only time will tell. This week’s theme is Latin food. Next week the restaurant’s menu will feature Mediterranean and Greek food. For more information about their services and weekly offerings you can give them a call at 609-212-0777 or view their listing.
If you are a Hunterdon County restaurant owner or manager and would like your restaurant featured on Hunterdon Highlights, please email support@hunterdoneats.com.