We were lucky to catch up with Marc Chodera recently and have shared our conversation below.

Marc, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

In our experience, entrepreneurial success hinges on identifying the right “formula” and then executing that with the highest levels of consistency and commitment. For Global Table, which combines small event fine dining with the sale of collectibles for home and table, that formula is: Authenticity + Quality + Value.
When crafting a multi-course menu that honors a particular global cuisine, we seek authenticity in ingredients, flavor and experience based on firsthand exploration of local street food and restaurants from Chicago and New York to Paris, Bangkok, Tokyo and Hong Kong. When curating collectibles, we’re looking only for items that are authentically period – often midcentury modern – one-of-a-kind, and/or honestly handcrafted by artisan hands.
We also seek quality in every aspect of Global Table – from our ingredients to our table settings and handmade menus to the beauty, durability and artistry of our home and table collections of vessels, baskets, bowls, tabletop items and art.
Our final formula ingredient is value. We want our guests to luxuriate in distinctive, memorable experiences that they equally remember as amazing value for the spend.
This formula has never failed us as we have built our small business!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

We’re career financial services professionals who started Global Table in 2015 as a way to support local schools and charities, offering luxury dinners as auction items for various organizations’ annual fundraising galas. After working with groups including Chicago Children’s Choir, Adoption Center of Illinois and Sarah’s Inn, we realized the joy and satisfaction in creating memorable, distinctive events for groups so appreciative of fine food and wine. Today, we host seasonal pop-up dinners and small events from June – August at our 6 acre property in Sawyer, Michigan – the heart of Harbor Country! Our guests enjoy total privacy with 360-degree nature views, woods, paths and expansive gardens.
Whether hosting a group of friends on a getaway weekend, a family celebrating a milestone event, we work in advance with each party to identify a global cuisine of choice – Pan-Asian, Thai, Italian, French or American – and then craft a multi-course menu. Longtime favorites from our Italian repertoire include Prosciutto di Parma, Melone, Miele e Menta (Parma ham, melon, honey and mint) and Bistecca Tagliata con Salsa Verde (Sliced steak with parsley, capers, garlic and lemon) … and from our Thai tasting menu Som Tom Thai (Papaya salad) and Manfrank Phrik (Yunnanese potatoes).
Our guests always rave about our table settings and décor, so we recently added Collectibles for home and table to our site! We source vessels, bowls, baskets & trays, tabletop objets and art – often vintage, usually one-of-a-kind, frequently nature inspired and always remarkable – for guests who want to take a bit of Global Table home with them.
Ultimately, what differentiates us is our commitment to culinary experience grounded in authenticity and distinction – and what most gives us the most pride is delighting our guests while helping create long lasting memories.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

When we are looking to find potential new clients, we “start close to home,” first spreading the word through family and friends who know our work and will be supportive cheerleaders in promoting awareness of our products and services to their own networks. If we need to go broader / bigger, we’re also fans of 1) carefully curated email distribution lists, 2) collaborating with other small businesses in and around Harbor Country, MI to cross-promote one another’s work and 3) advertising in area vacation guides.

We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.

My cofounder / partner in Global Table and I were set up on a blind date by mutual friends in 1992! We’ve now been married for 29 years, have two teenagers and love partnering on our small business. We are both career financial services professionals but had very different skill sets at work (my career was as an options/derivatives trader, Sarah’s has been in Marketing). We also have complementary skills in the hospitality arena. I serve as chef, drawing from my travels and 500+ cookbook collection to imagine and prepare all Global Table menus and food, while Sarah oversees marketing, table setting design, and inventory for our home and table Collectibles.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.global-table.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/globaltableandhome?igsh=cXMxem9qdmphaWI5&utm_source=qr

Image Credits

Sarah Chodera