Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Rachel Rotunno. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Rachel thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.
At Grazing Cape Cod we really like to focus on supporting our local community and small businesses. We really try to source as much local ingredients as we can to incorporate into our grazing tables, charcuterie boards, grazing boxes and luxury picnics. Working with local cheesemakers, farmers, bakeries, florists etc. is such an awesome way to support your community and gain some wonderful friends. We source from Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.
Rachel, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
In 2019 Grazing Cape Cod was born. I have always had a love for food, started in my mothers kitchen. I come from a big Italian family, where food is a focal point to every gathering. After college I shortly found out that my passion for food could become my career! I have always been creative person and I love that I am able to incorporate my creativity and love for cooking into what I do for a living. Our tablesacpes are truly a work of art, we begin the process of planning each table about a month prior. I love to add depth, height and florals into each grazing table, which really brings our displays to the next level. In 2020 when the pandemic hit we added our luxury picnics, which offers our guests the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard surrounded by lush pillows, beach decor and charcuterie!
As a catering and events company we try to work with as many local cheesemakers, farmers, butchers, florists etc. as possible. This is a great way to support our local community and small businesses. It creates for a delicious “local” bite! We take our time with sourcing our ingredients and really focus on quality. Our presentation is also super important to us and we take our time on the details.
We offer charcuterie grazing tables, brunch grazing tables and sweets table. Which are perfect for cocktail hour, weddings, farewell brunches, baby showers, bachelorettes etc. If you have a smaller group our charcuterie boards and crudités boards are perfect, we offer delivery! Our luxury picnics are a great way to propose, celebrate a bachelorette, a birthday or just because! Reach out to us to create a bespoke experience for you and your guests! Locally sourced, artfully created is our moto.
How did you build your audience on social media?
I created social media accounts for my business almost immediately. I knew that having eyes on my business was important to my growth and social media is a great way to do that. Social media is a great tool to utilize especially if you are a service that provides something to your community or a product trying to reach an organic audience. There are a lot of local businesses in my area I have had the pleasure of collaborating with and now have become great friends! Hosting local events, giveaways and sponsorships are a great way to raise social media awareness.
Any advice for managing a team?
Clear direction is huge – you want to be able to explain your idea in a concise and direct way. You also want to allow creative freedom and encourage your team to think outside of the box. With events and catering things are ever-changing and sometimes on the fly, so to be able to troubleshoot and redirect if needed is key. Words of affirmation and encouragement is a great way to boost morale and let your team know you appreciate them!
Contact Info:
- Website: GrazingCapeCod.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/grazingcapecod
- Facebook: Facebook.com/grazingcapecod
- Youtube: YouTube.com/grazingcapecod
- Other: TikTok : @GrazingCapeCod
Image Credits
two of the images are by Paula Morris Photography (the brown tinted ones of the luxury picnic)