Meet Tammy Lynn-King | Owner / Operator LuLu’s Catering and Events

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tammy Lynn-King and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tammy, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?

The name of my business; LuLu’s, is actually my nickname from a waitress/bartender job long ago.  For some reason it just stuck, so naturally it had to be the name of my business. I am a creative person and have always enjoyed that working with food has allowed me to be creative on so many levels. It is very gratifying to nourish the body and feed the soul with something you created and share that with others.  The food business was just an obvious choice for me. 

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

A few years ago, LuLu’s Catering and Events became my full time career. Any sort of food service or hospitality job is always hard physical work. Every large event has a lot of moving pieces and in itself is a marathon. Fortunately, I was allowed to grow into larger events by starting out small, slow and part time, working my way up to a full time schedule. It allows me to travel all over middle Tennessee. I have the privilege of working with several civic organizations and local businesses, as well as offering weddings and other large events. I have met so many amazing people along the way; some famous, some almost famous and a lot of just genuinely great folks. All this has kept me busy learning many many lessons along the way. Most importantly of all the lessons is: you have to be available when it is convenient for your customers NOT when it is convenient for you. Being your own boss is not always glamorous, it definitely keeps you busy and in the end is very rewarding. 

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

Where I live is very small but we do have a few hidden gems. First off , I’d take them to Horseshoe Bend Farm Winery for a tasting of their locally grown and made small batch of unique wines. I’ve had the pleasure of working events here many times. Looking for a place to stay: they also have 2 comfy Air BnBs on their property. The views from the pavilion over looking the Duck River Valley are stunning. We could even put a “BFF” lock on their love lock railing around the pavilion. One day on our way for a shopping trip, we could drop in at the Local Place on the Centerville Square for coffee and pastries or maybe some of their in house made gelato.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
ALL my regular customers and venues I have the pleasure to work with. They have given me the chance to grow into the thriving business I have today. AND…the biggest shoutout goes to my husband, Chris King. He has been my biggest fan and supporter from the very beginning. I absolutely could not do what I do without his help. He has built me not one but two commercial kitchens and a food truck. He tirelessly helps with events; driving the van, load out, load in, serving and even washing dishes sometimes. He fixes all the things when they are broken and makes sure I always have what I need to do my job.  

Website: www.luluscateringandevents.com

Instagram: lulus_catering_and_events

Facebook: LuLu’s Catering

Yelp: LuLu’s Catering

Image Credits
Karen Fox of Fox Photography sgtphotographytn