(Photos courtesy of Bowtie Catering Company)
After more than a decade of embodying the best in culinary excellence and personalized service, Bend-based Bowtie Catering Company is spreading its wings with the opening of a dedicated event venue space aiming to boost Central Oregon community connectivity.
Led by Sanda Costello, who originally emigrated from Romania and went on to manage multiple restaurants in the US before co-founding the catering service in Bend, Bowtie’s primary commercial kitchen is located at the Inn of Seventh Mountain Resort on Century Drive.
And after an underused function area at the resort complex became available, Costello jumped at the chance of leasing the space, with an eye to providing turn-key on-site amenities, particularly for local clientele. In realizing Costello’s vision, the 120-capacity facility – now named ‘The Westwoods’ – has been substantially renovated, with investment in improvements including new flooring, imported chandeliers, upgraded bathrooms, and the installation of state-of-the-art audio-visual amenities.
Costello, who exemplifies a strong work ethic and is often hands-on during Bowtie-catered events, added: “The space gives us a new dimension and offers the opportunity to reconnect with the community and forge deeper local links. We are an established part of the Central Oregon fabric, and here to help by giving more amenities on a local level, as well as continuing to cater to out-of-town clients.
“We have already catered events there such as a 60th birthday and county political campaign party, and the new space is ideal for gatherings such as family functions, reunions and relatively smaller weddings or private conferences in a ‘plug-in-and-play’ type scenario.”
She said primarily local vendors helped with the remodel, including Bend’s Stereo Planet who installed the AV infrastructure and in-house projector. Tables and chairs are also provided, together with a full liquor license, outdoor patio and ample parking, to provide an all-inclusive turn-key option for customers.
Costello praised a “great kitchen team and operational staff” rooted in farm-to-fork heritage, for maintaining the highest standards in crafting exquisite spreads for High Desert events. Known for meticulous attention to detail, Bowtie Catering Co. has garnered a deserved reputation for providing full-service catering customized for events of pretty much any scale.
Illustrating the diversity of its range, Costello said recent events have included everything from starview parties in the Ochocos staged in a forest-flanked field with no lights, to a private party at a Central Oregon ranch owned by a prominent video game creator.
She said May and June had become a busier period for weddings, as concerns about potential fire and smoke hazards later in the summer see clients scheduling earlier dates.
Viewing the new event space as an ideal space for family reunions and weddings, she is also aiming to provide more opportunities for a wider range of large and elegant group gatherings, while still being available for events such as team retreats and corporate gatherings, in a naturally beautiful environment.
The space is designed to blend natural beauty with professional and celebratory amenities and, having established a reputation with larger-scale gatherings including fundraisers, Costello now wants to become even more involved in the local community by offering a welcoming environment for smaller events such as baby showers and luncheons.
“I would say that I am pretty competent,” she said, “And like to throw my hat into the ring on everything. “We really aim to deliver culinary inspiration and elevated service to any style of event and offer full-service, fully-staffed catering.
“We like to say we are big but small. We are a boutique caterer that can do large events of any size. Our core group of people makes the magic happen, then we have a roster of loyal and highly qualified employees that are called in for the events. We wouldn’t be able to do it without our staff. We are really blessed by the number of good people we are able to call on every year, and access to the new event space broadens our horizons even further.”
