Carlton's Journal

Thanksgiving Turkey Secret

Holiday TurkeyIf you’re looking for something a little different for your Thanksgiving dinner, consider our herb roasted turkey with chardonnay gravy. It is incredible. I’ll tell you a little secret that you can use in preparing your own turkey this season. I actually discovered this method by pure accident many years ago. My parents were coming to Atlanta for Thanksgiving many years ago when I just started trying to expand my cooking skills. Read more…

MARTA coming AT YA!

Marta CarltonRecently, I was accepted to participate in an open call pitch tank for MARTA (Metro Atlanta Rural Transit Authority) for their supplier diversity program. The presentation was awesome if I must say so myself! There were 10 companies pitching to Marta. Out of the 10, Marta was tasked with selecting the top 5 out of the group to move on to the next level of presenting. Each of the top 5 companies will have their company name, logo and headshot wrapped on a MARTA bus, as well as possibly receive a contract to work with MARTA. Read more…

Outsourcing…

So recently I went on a business trip. The airfare to my destination was outrageous, and it was only a 5.5-hour drive, so I decided to rent a car for the commute. I had booked my rental through Expedia about 30 days prior. My rental pick up time at the airport was 8:00 on a Sunday morning. What could go wrong with this scenario? Well, apparently A LOT. Read more…

NaVOBA and Capital One Announce the 2018 LGBT Veteran’s Business Enterprises® of the Year

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Honorable Mention: Carlton Brown, Occasional Occasions by Carlton “NaVOBA’s Veteran’s Business Enterprises® of the Year is a prestigious honor bestowed annually to an elite selection of America’s veteran business owners working as supplier partners to NaVOBA’s Corporate Allies.” “The Veteran’s Business Enterprises® of the Year demonstrate the finest attributes crucial in leading a flourishing business; … Read more…

The importance of feedback

A week ago, I went to a local tire and maintenance shop here in Atlanta for a routine oil change. I’ve taken my vehicles to this shop for close to 10 years, for minor maintenance work, and have been very satisfied with their services overall. Over the past year, I’ve noticed a difference in the quality of their work. I had been such a regular, that they knew me by name when I would come in. It wasn’t long before I realized that the lull in customer service and quality of work only happened when the long-time manager had been assigned to another location. Read more…

Small details make all the difference

The reputation of Occasional Occasions has been built not only on great food, creative presentation and outstanding staff members, but the base of our foundation has always been customer service, customer experience and attention to detail. Fast forward. Back in the Spring, I arrived in Las Vegas for my annual catering conference (Catersource) that I have been attending over the past several years. I attend this awesome show each year to get new ideas, learn new techniques, see new trends and to learn how to run my company better. Read more…

JSI Cabinetry Grand Opening Event

JSI Grand OpeningLast week we catered an event that we had been working on since 12 August of 2017. It was a showroom grand opening for JSI Cabinetry. The making of this event was full of twist and turns and rescheduled opening dates, but it finally came to fruition, and oh did it produce grand fruit. The showroom was gorgeous, and I can understand now why the date was postponed. It was to reveal a showroom that was truly stellar. My contact there was coordinating the completion of the showroom and the event from her office in Fall River Ma. In designing the menu, we went through several menu concepts starting with a grand cocktail reception, to multiple action stations. Read more…