Catering on the Move

Posted on July 24, 2024

For years, Beau Catering came to you. Now you can go to Beau. The successful Hillsborough catering company has moved to Chapel Hill.

Lauren Erickson Bennett ’11 knows you can go home again, and she’s glad she did. After growing up in the Triad, she began college at New York University but left during her junior year to return to North Carolina to complete her degree. While waitressing at 411 West, she met Beau Bennett, who was in the kitchen, perfecting his self-taught culinary skills honed under Bill Smith ’72 at Crook’s Corner. They melded like butter on a hot biscuit.

Beau launched his catering business in Hillsborough in 2009. Working out of the Piedmont Food Processing Center, Beau Catering became beloved throughout the Triangle wedding industry. When the historic Colonial Inn reopened in Hillsborough in 2020, Beau created its Sunday brunch.

No one knows the relentlessness of perfection on a deadline like a caterer. When Beau died unexpectedly in 2021, his team, shocked and devastated by grief, still showed up in the kitchen to prepare and deliver the meals for his clients’ celebrations. The larger-than-life chef was gone, but his recipes lived on, and Lauren, a financial adviser who has her own firm, carried on her late husband’s business.

 

For the catering company to thrive and evolve, she and executive chef and general manager Katie Hopkins knew it needed its own space. Lauren found the perfect spot in Chapel Hill, next door to The Pig on Weaver Dairy Road. She signed a lease in May 2023 and opened in October.

During the pandemic, Beau Catering started a meal delivery service. The new location had a storefront, enabling Lauren to start Beau to Go, where customers walk in and pick up daily fresh or frozen meals, salads, soups and desserts. She obtained a liquor license to sell bottles of beer and wine to accompany the grab-and-go meals. Customers can still order meals to be delivered. Menu choices have evolved in response to customer requests.

Beau’s team continues his legacy. “I chose to carry on Beau Catering because it’s Beau’s home,” Lauren said. “The best decision I ever made was to transfer back to UNC and become a true Tar Heel.”

630 Weaver Dairy Road
beaucatering.com

Adulting Style and Art

Salon, in French, means living room. Hair stylist Mike Wood aimed for that comfortable, classy ambience when he opened The Moxy Fox Salon in April. Carrboro’s inherent inclusivity meshed well with his business model of helping people from all walks of life look and feel beautiful. And the décor features the work of a new artist-in-residence each month.

When Wood was ready to set up his own shop, the timing worked out that he was able to lease space on one of the busiest intersections in town that also had dedicated parking spots.

With a nod toward the building’s former occupant, Carrboro Beverage Co., The Moxy Fox offers a complimentary beer or glass of wine or cocktail to customers as their hair is cut, colored or styled.

Stylist Samantha Markham joined Wood in his new venture. Their clients may opt for fashion or fantasy colors, traditional styles or crazy haircuts. Each client wants something different. “The diversity makes it interesting for us,” Wood said. “We’re never bored.”

He looks for a comparable diversity in the artwork he selects. Each month, he invites a different artist working in a different medium to display his or her work in his shop. The art is for sale directly through the artist. Though The Moxy Fox opens for Carrboro’s Second Friday Art Walk, a dedicated evening each month when galleries stay open late, Wood doesn’t represent the artists or take any commission from the sales. “We want to expose local artists to local customers,” he said.

The salon’s open floorplan and convivial vibe encourage conversation. His clients, adults only, sometimes linger to continue conversations or do business together. All emerge as their most authentic selves.

102-A E. Main St., Carrboro
moxyfoxsalon.com

Northern India Cuisine Accessible to Students

Brothers Keshav and Giteshwar Kalia, experienced restaurateurs in the Triangle for more than 20 years, aim to extend their Indian cuisine success to Chapel Hill. The Kalias own Zayka Indian Cuisine in Raleigh and Chaat Mandi in Morrisville. When Ramesh Dahal, owner of the Nepali-Himalayan restaurant Momo’s Master, closed his newest eatery, Basecamp, in 2023 after less than a year on East Franklin Street, the Kalias made an offer on the space to open another Zayka branch.

After beginning his career in the hospitality industry in India, where he earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in hotel management and catering, Keshav established himself in the Triangle in 2003. His Raleigh restaurant developed such a strong following among catering customers connected to UNC that he began looking for space in Chapel Hill.

The new location will feature a “live kitchen,” where diners can watch their food being prepared behind a glass window. The restaurant specializes in dishes from northern India, including Tandoor grills, biryanis and vegetarian offerings. The Kalias have curated a menu affordable to students and have added takeout and delivery options.

105 E. Franklin St.
zaykaraleigh.com

Bread No Longer Rises

After more than 20 years baking healthy, hearty breads and baked goods in Chapel Hill, Great Harvest Bread Co. has closed. In April, Amy Kelley and Brandy Corbett, the franchise outlet’s most recent owners, announced they weren’t able to agree on terms with the corporation. In the two years the pair had owned the store, they had replaced some equipment and made adjustments to the business. But they said they had exhausted all their options to continue operating at the 229 S. Elliott Road location.

Bob Krueger opened the store in the early 2000s, and the business had changed owners a few times over the years. Great Harvest sold bread by the loaf, sandwiches, coffee and bakery treats to a loyal customer base. The space is available to rent.

— Nancy E. Oates