Today we’d like to introduce you to Donisha Peters.
Donisha, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I born and raised on the Westbank of New Orleans, Becoming a chef was decided at an early age in life. I was raised by my grandmother and father after the passing of my mother (age 24) when I was six years old. I began attempting to “create” different meals for my siblings and me with random pairings of food. Sometimes it would be good and others not so much! As time passed, I would become more influenced by the food I would eat it would always inspire me to try to recreate but with my own idea of how it could be better. Watching my grandmothers as well as local chefs and cooks in the New Orleans area taught me a lot about my roots. In high school, I had the opportunity to attend Cuillier Career Center (Joseph A Cuillier Sr Career) in Marrero, LA. Cuillier’s culinary program allowed me to work onside trained Culinary Professionals and even enter my first Culinary Competition. At the age of 18, I catered my first banquet. I was allowed to transform our church into an upscale restaurant for one night. I planned and prepped for everything from the announcements down to the trash liners that would be used. I surprised my entire family with the skills that I had at that time. There was such an amazing turnout it validated that this was definitely what I wanted to do. In all the excitement Christian Caterers was born. Later, I learned I had been accepted to the Culinary Institute of New Orleans for the Fall Semester of 2005, However, God had other plans and Hurricane Katrina made her visit.
Starting over after hurricane Katrina, I found myself at the Arts Institute of Dallas and later graduating from the Collin College Culinary Institute in 2017. I often struggled trying to get my footings in Dallas, this new city I now call home, but I never gave up. I am currently the Chef for the “LOGOS” group at Trinity Presbyterian of McKinney. I am now a wife and proud mother of four beautiful children, three daughters and one son. I am on the executive board of the National Black Chef’s Association, a member of the American Culinary Federation as well as the Texas Chef’s Association. I am working on acquiring my World Chef’s certification. Also, I am currently working on a project that would allow me to feed the homeless not only in my community but throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area. My goals and passions are to grow my catering business, build a legacy that my family can be proud of while reaching a broader audience and feeding the heart and souls of families around the world.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Man this has not by any means been a smooth road. The hardship of moving from New Orleans to Dallas caused me to lose a great deal of cliental to competing catering companies. While trying to start over, it has been hard to build a variety of clients in the Dallas area. In the Spring of 2006 during finals week at the Arts Institute, I was sitting in class when a sharp pain hit me. I could not move and my breathing was impaired later I was informed by an emergency room doctor that I was not only pregnant but I was also experiencing a miscarriage of one of my twins that experienced caused me to sit out of school for several years. I could not find a way to be able to care for two young children and attend culinary classes. Therefore, I began to focus on my minor in Criminal Justice which allowed me to complete online classes.
Then there were the challenges of marriage. It’s disparaging when your spouse does not see your vision the way you do, nor understand your passion for pursuing your dreams. There were times my husband did not always agree with my choice of study and most of the time seem to doubt me causing me to question and doubt myself. Most of my time in school I did not feel as though I had the support that I needed from him. For me, having a strong support team is everything one would need to be successful and I did not feel I had that. Of course, every marriage has its challenges however, when you are both working in two highly demanding fields time together is compromised which can cause a separation. Many times I faced with deciding between my career or marriage. Yes, I chose my marriage! In 2013, during the Winter semestermy son would be born. The time in which he was due would cause me to miss a great deal of class time which would be equivalent to a failing grade so I sat out once again. Over the years I dealt with the loss of several family members the two recent deaths devastated me. I lost my maternal grandmother and one of my favorite Aunt. As a chef, we don’t get the opportunity to discuss the mental challenges we face until it is too late. Dealing with the death of my loved ones and other challenges caused me to fall into a deep depression. In addition to suffering from depression, I also deal with anxiety. As I think about my journey, No it has not been smooth however, it reveals that women go through and deal with a lot more adversity than most men and proves in the face of defeat we can still overcome.
Please tell us about your business.
Christian Caterers, LLC., is an exciting new on and off-premise catering company specializing in pasta and regional fresh seafood, prepared with a contemporary New Orleans or Creole flair. Christian Caterers gives the continuing popular trend of corporate and social catering a new spin while appealing to young urban professionals, Church organizations, Corporate Executives, and people who appreciate fine food. Our catering business will capitalize on the success of local fisherman, farmer’s markets and Whole Food stores by offering meal prepared with foods of similar quality.
We create meal plans and meal prep for those with special dietary needs whether it is due to health issues, trying to lose weight, maintain weight, or just trying to eat your way to a healthier life. We prepare a variety of specialty meals such as gluten-free, Vegetarian, Vegan and the newest Cancer fighting regimen.
Christian Caterers offers classes that review kitchen and food safety and sanitation. As well as basic cooking classes for ages eight and up. We also offer more advanced classes under our Jr. Chef’s program (backed by the National Black Chef’s Association) as well as One on One as well as Group in-home classes for Adults. One thing that sets me apart from others in this industry is that my kitchen is 90% scratch. We also love supporting other small business, black-owned businesses as well as assisting and supporting other Black Chefs to grow their business.
I am most proud of the team that I have working with me. Each person in their own way brings something special to Christian Caterers that makes us great. Without any doubt, every member believes in me and my vision and is eager to see this company soar. I am proud that one of my closest friends has been by my side since then with all the ups and downs, the halts and pauses, she still choose to push me forward to achieving my goals.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I am not sure I would do anything differently if I had the opportunity. I believe everything that I have gone through to get to this point was meant for me. I do not believe that I would be as self-determined and self-motivated as I am today if I did not have to prove to myself that in spite of all the trials and tribulations that has come my way I can still make it. In business, no matter what type of business it is, you will always be faced with some type of set back that at first may seem like defeat. But when you know this is the thing you should be doing, and you love it more than anything in the world you will fight to make sure you succeed and that is succeeds. It is your baby, your livelihood, your way of living not for the money but because of the happiness and peace that it brings to your life. For me, cooking and catering for others brings me to life. It’s a gift that I was given by God and I want to share it with the world. I’ve heard previous clients and friends describe it as being a light that turns on within me, that should not be dimed by anyone or anything.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 817-675-9814
- Email: chefdpeters@christian-caterers.com
- Instagram: chef_d_peters
- Facebook: @chefdonishapeters
Image Credit:
all photos belong to me!
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