Kirk Lee and Angie Chan tell the story behind their bustling catering business.
Kirk Lee and his wife Angie Chan are the founders of KIGI Catering; KIGI being an amalgamation of their names. Their business has a simple motto—fresh, simple, delicious. To them, catering is not just about food, it’s about delivering an experience. It is this insistence on quality and dedication to excellence that has spurred KIGI’s customers to spread the word to their friends, which explains why the majority of their business comes from word of mouth.
Lee, 40, elaborates, “The first event we did was a church wedding. The event brought multiple referrals as so many guests enjoyed the food. Even today we are still getting referrals from guests who recall that event!”
The couple started the business in 2007. Lee focuses on the business development aspect, while Chan, 38, oversees the management of the business. They met each other when they were working part-time for a catering business. Their relationship blossomed into romance along the way, and after getting married, they decided to start their own catering business.
The company has since branched into other markets—besides church weddings, they now cater for corporate events.
 |
| PHOTOS COURTESY OF KIGI CATERING |
Lee counts it a success that despite the growing business, KIGI still uses the freshest ingredients, and keeps food simple and unpretentious. The signature dishes are Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee, Panna Cotta and Chocolate Mousse as well as Fresh Fruit Tartlets.
When it comes to their favorite kind of event, it would still be church weddings for the couple. “Church weddings are where we receive the most compliments from the guests on our flower decorations, the buffet set-up and the food,” says Lee. These compliments spur the business growth. Not only that, the couple has even become friends with some of the clients for whose events they have catered.
Family comes first for this couple, who abide by the company policy of not working on Sundays, as it is a day for God and family. Making this stand for their beliefs has paid off for them. While they do encounter customers who get upset about their no-catering days on Sundays, “most of them usually understand our position and some even change their event dates so they can have us as their caterer!”
At three years old, the business is still relatively young, expansion is definitely in the works as they are already looking for a bigger space for their operations.
Log on to www.kigicatering.com for more information.
