Nashville Favorite: Shannon Bates & Chef’s Market

Chef's Market is fabulous.

Scrumdiddlyumptious.

I love to eat here with my family and I really love it when Chef's Market hosts TWESA meetings. :) Their food is yummy, presentation is AMAZING, and I love the quirky feel and decor of the cafe.

Dan & Kayla's Wedding, Global Cafe

Shannon Bates is my go-to girl and she is ... well... fabulous! For catering, Chef's Market and Shannon are at the top of my list and she has never let me down! Shannon is quick to respond to my questions and emails and loves to create new menus inspired by the couple.  I love to work with her and she is always (sometimes annoyingly! haha, love ya Shannon!) happy and cheerful.

1. SNEAK PEEK ABOUT YOUR COMPANY AND WHO YOU ARE Chef’s Market Café & Take Away is both a restaurant and full service catering company located just fifteen minutes from downtown Nashville. Our extraordinary team of culinary, design and logistical experts bring a wealth of knowledge and skill to every event, whether it’s a wedding reception, corporate affair, or private party. We place a strong emphasis oncreativity, ingenuity and flexibility and pride ourselves on delivering the best service and the best food to our clients.

2. WHY YOU DO WHAT YOU DO I have such a passion for catering and design. Food is so integral to celebrations and is a way to honor guests for coming to an event. I love having the opportunity to help people with this aspect of weddings and events because it really is so important and meaningful!

3. FAVORITE PROJECT? (CAKE, FLORALS, EVENT??) I love any event where I have the chance to be creative with the menu, the table-scape, the linens, etc. Design is something that always feels more like play than work to me!

4. WHAT YOU DO ON A TYPICAL WEEKEND (FRI/SAT/SUN)? Work. :) If only people got married on Tuesday’s and Wednesdays, I might have a typical work schedule! Honestly though, the busy weekends are worth it because I’m doing what I love!

5. FAVORITE CHILDHOOD DRINK? Oh gosh, probably Squeeze-Its…love those!

6. THINGS THAT MAKE YOU SMILE? Witty people, Dave Mathews Band, candid pictures, the drive back to my parents’ home in Alabama, chocolate :)

7. FAVORITE MOVIE? WHY? This is a hard one! I love comedies, dramas, suspense you name it. My favorite movie though would have to be Steel Magnolias, I grew up on that movie and I still have a soft spot for it!

8. BESIDES YOUR WEDDING/EVENT BUSINESS, WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR FREE TIME? I love reading a good book, carving out time for my social life and with summer here, laying by my pool!

9. ANY ADVICE OR TIPS FOR BRIDES? Research your caterer before you commit to them. Know what they’re able to do both creatively and logistically so you don’t get stuck with a caterer that doesn’t fit with the feel of your wedding reception. Make sure they take the time to understand your vision for your reception menu and find someone you’re comfortable openly communicating with!

10. ANY CURRENT SPECIALS OR PROMOTIONS?? We always have great deals in our restaurant! We really do a lot of our promotions and giveaways through our Facebook page because it has such a wide audience. We also have a fun program we call ‘Chef’s Celebrity’ where we give away desserts for customer birthdays and anniversaries if they sign up to be a ‘celebrity’ with us. Our restaurant is also a great place for couples to come try out our food. Even if the menu they choose for their wedding isn’t what we’re serving in the restaurant they can still get an idea of the quality and presentation of our food!

Thanks Shannon! :) See you soon!