A Taster’s Choice Catering
From the Heart, Not Just from the Kitchen
A love of cooking is in the genes!
When original owner, Judy Ivey, agreed to cater that wedding reception in 1985, little did she know the legacy she was beginning. From their kitchen in southwest Shreveport, Tom and Judy Ivey set out on an adventure that has now touched the hearts and tummies of thousands.
In 1996 the Iveys officially opened “A Taster’s Choice Catering”. From the tiny kitchen in the back of Shreveport Shaver and Appliance, the small appliance repair shop owned by Tom Ivey, the couple began their journey. With a lot of prayer and little planning, the business began to grow. Judy was “the head cook in charge” and Tom offered his “famous brisket”. Word quickly began to spread to meet an obvious need in the Shreveport/Bossier community.
With quality and customer satisfaction being the most important ingredients in every recipe, the slogan “from the heart, not just the kitchen” was added. Working together tirelessly, Tom and Judy were in awe of each new client and treasured the personal stories of how others learned about ATCC. With only a business number in the phone book, word of mouth proved to be their best advertisement.
The first employee was added in 1998. Judy and her daughter, Dona Tyndall, had jokingly discussed the idea of working together. “Only part time on the busy days” was the initial conversation. Returning home from college, Dona and her husband, Trey, decided that this would work for them at the time. However, part time quickly turned into full time, and six years later The Ivey’s and The Tyndall’s formed ATCC,LLC. Dona’s son, Jack, accompanied her to work from the time he was five weeks old. Innumerable creative wedding cakes and delectable reception foods were accomplished in that tiny kitchen with the help of an ever changing variety of weekend staff across those years.
In 2004, the adventure took a new turn and moved to Cross Lake to open Celebrations. Offering not only fabulous food, ATCC was able to provide a facility for clients to have events. In those five years, Celebrations had the privilege of hosting hundreds of weddings and receptions, anniversary celebrations, birthday parties, family reunions and on and on. Dona’s daughter, Ashby, became an accomplished “helper” during those days even at a young age. Many sweet memories were made on the lake.
Along with Tom, Judy, and Dona, the ATCC family consists of three dedicated full-time and one part-time employees. Joining the family in 2002, Sue Thomas is the veteran member. The husband and wife team, Leon and Joan Baggs, committed to full time employment in 2004 after previously working part time for several years. Paula Odom joined ATCC part time in 2006 solidifying the team.
Many dear friends and family have stepped in along the way to provide assistance during the busy times. Memories of those contributions have become a part of the fabric of who we are as a “family.” Family has always been the core of our business endeavor.
After careful thought and countless prayers, the two families ventured into the fourth phase in the life of ATCC. With the opening of the beautiful new facility at 9216 Linwood Avenue, the business is now able to offer a wide variety of additional services while still providing breakfast, lunch, and dinner for our faithful pharmaceutical representatives, locally based corporations, and hometown businesses. The caterers are also now supplying “take and bake” weekly specials, “in the freezer” casseroles and breads, and “sweets to-go” tempting your taste buds.
Settling into their new home “in town,” Tom, Judy, and Dona feel they are very blessed to have come this far as a family. They are looking forward to continuing providing the highest quality, best tasting food as well as the friendliest service to our business clientele. We are now stepping into the homes of our customers to provide the same amazing dinners for your family.