Tasty Table Catering has opened a specialty food market at 10 Leopard Road in Berwyn, PA. The popular Main Line caterer, which used to move 400 to 800 meals daily, has seen a tremendous reduction of business due to the COVID-19 shutdown since March. Not wanting to sit still; instead, they responded fast to realize a long-time dream and took advantage of the downtime for significant renovations. They created what many clients have been asking for years, a way to get the company’s delicious food daily.  

Utilizing a 1500 square feet area of the facility that was previously a bustling expediting area for the catering business, they created a “private boutique specialty store” featuring over 50 in-house unique creations and hard-to-find imported French and Italian gourmet products. The exclusive boutique market will provide a unique, convenient, and peaceful food shopping experience for people on the Main Line during continued turbulent times.

With the catering business all but devastated as event and wedding catering bookings canceled, and most people working from home caused a significant decrease in corporate catering sales, it became apparent that the company had to pivot. Owner George McLoughlin knew he had to innovate to stay in business and keep people employed.

“Within a week of the coronavirus shutdown, almost 80 percent of our business canceled for the year,” said McLoughlin. “I asked myself, what do I need to do to survive?”

At first, Tasty Table switched to a home delivery model offering family meals and a la carte items. An online ordering portal allowed customers to place their orders in advance for home delivery within 10 miles of the facility in Montgomery, Chester, and Delaware Counties. Some employees were retained and became delivery drivers while others worked in the kitchen prepping meals. Additionally, the company set up a fundraiser to feed frontline employees at Main Line healthcare facilities such as Bryn Mawr Hospital, Paoli Hospital, and Riddle Hospital.

Knowing that the home delivery service and frontline meals would not wholly save the business, McLoughlin started thinking outside of the box and realized that he could transform an area of his facility into a retail market to sell freshly prepared food and food products. In June, he began renovating and designing a portion of the front of the building to accommodate refrigerated display cases, merchandising shelves, and a checkout area. 

He contracted with Jonathan Raduns of Merchandise Food to conceptualize the retail environment and convert the space into a full-service food market. He also brought in Lisa Vonderstuck of Chadds Ford-based Brandywine View Antiques to complete the interior design. Many exterior cosmetic improvements were also made, including a new awning, new sealcoating in the parking lot, and store window graphics. A few bistro tables and chairs with umbrellas and flowers will complete the set up in front of the building for those who wish to enjoy their meal al fresco.

Tasty Table Market will offer a rotating menu of its elevated prepared meals, handcrafted sandwiches, and a selection of desserts with most items priced around or under $10/each. Weekly specials will be available, including Tasty Tuesday with $6 sandwich special (made to order, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. only) and Tasty Thursday special dinner entrée selected for just $7 each. 

Walk-in customers are welcome with precautions, and advanced orders are encouraged for easy curbside pickup. Home delivery will also still be available.

Store hours will be Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

For more information about the Tasty Table Market, call 610-251-0265