Cathy’s Catering
Recipe for Success
It’s a beautiful fall weekend and Cathy Gunn is doing what she does best, putting the finishing touches on a picture-perfect wedding feast. The culinary virtuoso behind Cathy’s Catering and Cathy’s Carryout Cuisine, Gunn doesn’t leave anything to chance. She personally oversees each and every event. Three decades ago, she embarked on this journey to turn her love of cooking into a thriving business. Today, the award-winning caterer is known for creating love stories on plates at the weddings she caters, where her chicken stuffed with sun-dried tomatoes, mozzarella and pesto drizzle often steals the show. It didn’t happen overnight, though. This culinary success story was 30 years in the making.
In October 1992, Gunn took her newborn son Shaun and hit the pavement. While most young mothers on maternity leave take a break from working, Gunn did exactly the opposite. She decided to finally start the business she had dreamed about. “I always had a passion for making food, you know, going to a cookbook and picking out a favorite recipe,” she says. “I was the one cooking for house parties. I just loved it. I had the time off and thought that if I could make this work, it could be life changing.”
She set to work with determination, creating brochures for her new business, Cathy’s Catering. Gunn went around to local businesses with cookie and sandwich trays, her newborn in tow. It was a family affair, with Shaun in his infant seat and Gunn’s 8-year-old daughter Brittany helping her bake after school. Slowly but surely, Gunn got some orders, initially corporate work. It was enough for her to decide not to return to her day job when maternity leave ended. With that milestone accomplished, and with her husband’s support, she made it official. Gunn opened her first takeout location in Palmyra.
“We had a deli case with broccoli salad and chicken salad, and they were very popular,” says Gunn. “People would drop by for lunch or pick up dinner. We started to get regular customers, and we got to know them and cooked for them.”
The buzz continued to build. Gunn’s first big break came when the Camden Riversharks hired her to cater an event at their field. “Channel 17 was there, and they interviewed us,” says Gunn. “A local newspaper took a picture of us around our big fruit display and all our sandwiches. After that, NFL Films took us on as their caterer when they were in Mt. Laurel. That was a second big milestone in our business. We were starting to be known for our great food and exceptional service.”
Cathy’s Catering has earned the Best of SJ awards for 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2023.
Cathy Gunn (show to the right of Eagles Head Coach Nick Sirianni) and Cathy’s Catering team members at an SJ Mag Media event. Photo: Dana Romano Photography
For the next 8 years, Gunn built a following. She moved to a larger location in Cinnaminson and tried something new – an onsite café where people could dine in as well as enjoy her takeout menu. That’s when the realization hit. “The café wasn’t my thing,” she says. “I tried it for 5 years, but running a restaurant and catering are very different. My passion was clearly in catering.”
She closed the café with her next move to Riverton, the current hub of her catering business. “It’s a central location and I always try to be mindful of my clients and where they must travel. I serve clients in Burlington and Camden Counties, so I want to be convenient to them.”
The Riverton location concentrated on catering events, but Gunn knew there was an opportunity to expand her takeout business. That prospect was on her mind one day when she was getting her hair done on Main Street in Moorestown. “I walked outside and saw a ‘for rent’ sign on one of the storefronts. I thought it would be the perfect location. I called up the realtor; she was one of my catering clients. I went and looked at it and said, ‘I’ll take it.’” Shortly thereafter, Gunn added her second location, Cathy’s Carryout Cuisine.
“It’s just a perfect place to pick up homemade heat-and-eat entrees freshly made, along with salads, soups and lunch items,” she says. “Our chicken salad is so popular that we sell out 5 trays a day. We also have dinners, desserts and rolls.” When asked about her signature dish, she described her stuffed chicken with sun dried tomatoes, mozzarella and homemade pesto. “People also love my Shrimp Alfredo,” says Gunn. “I make an amazing, lighter Alfredo sauce and add roasted tomatoes, asparagus and jumbo shrimp with Cavatappi pasta. That’s one of our big sellers as well.”
The Moorestown location turned out to be a fortuitous move for Gunn. Not long after she opened the takeout spot, the pandemic hit. “The pandemic completely closed down my catering business,” she says. “We had just opened the Moorestown store which was a blessing. We would make all our meals and people would call to place their order. Then they would pull up in front of the store, open their trunk, and we would place the meals inside. We also did a lot of catering for hospitals. People would give us money to go to different hospitals and provide meals for nurses, first responders, and healthcare heroes on the front lines. It was challenging for everyone, and we were very fortunate to be able to do all that we did during that time.”
Now 3 years after the pandemic, catering is back, and Gunn’s businesses are thriving. She and her staff do house parties, weddings, barbecues, corporate events and more. It’s still a family affair with Gunn’s husband Jay always there to lend a helping hand and daughter Brittany, now all grown up, pitching in every weekend. “It’s funny but the whole family throughout the years has worked with me,” says Gunn. “They were my first servers and the people who got me off the ground. They’re still here to support me.”
Cathy’s Catering and Cathy’s Carryout Cuisine are a success by any standard. Cathy’s Catering has earned the Best of SJ awards for 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2023. Gunn and her staff catered 2 recent events for the magazine, including the Nick Sirianni Leadership event, and received rave reviews.
It’s been a dream in the making, and Gunn doesn’t take it for granted. “You always hope you’ll be successful,” she says.
“It was a lot of blood, sweat and tears for the first 10 years. Little by little, it just kept getting better. The people around you are so important. They can make you or break you and I’ve always had an amazing staff. I hired my catering manager, Brittney Burns, when she was 16. She’s now 32. She’s still around and can run the place. I have a great staff and they are a big part of my success story.”
As for what makes her business unique, Gunn credits the relationships she forges with her clients. “It’s the personal connection that makes all the difference,” she says. “It’s not just ‘what’s on your menu?’ We’re helping them realize their vision for the perfect event. Food is not only nourishment. It’s part of the joy and connection in our celebrations. After 30 years, catering is still my passion. When you love what you do, you never work a day in your life, and that’s so true.”
In the end, it’s the love and passion for creating unforgettable moments through food that have truly been the secret ingredients to Gunn’s recipe for success.
Proud to be a Preferred Caterer at Community House of Moorestown, The Collingswood Grand Ballroom and the Estate at Eagle Lake.
Moorestown | 856-222-0505
Riverton | 856-829-2119
