Eastside Catering Services, Inc. of Marietta,
Georgia Chef Mike Flowers, President
This website is owned and operated by
Eastside Catering Services of Marietta, Georgia.
It wasn't by accident that Chef Mike Flowers found
himself in the midst of the culinary arena. He's the third generation of food service professionals. Mike's father
and grandfather owned and operated ten successful restaurants in North Carolina in the early 60's and 70's.
After absorbing the basics in his earlier years, Mike pursued the finer arts of cooking. While still in his 20's, he
was employed by Club Corporations of America in Montgomery, Alabama, Hyatt Regency in San Francisco and Ohio's Governor's
mansion.
Seeking to
broaden his culinary education, Mike attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York where he graduated
in 1981. Following graduation, Mike was hired as the Executive Chef at the Gatewood Country Club in Greenwood, South Carolina
where he met his wife, Melanie. They moved to Atlanta in 1984 where he was employed by several metro Atlanta upscale
private clubs and high-volume foodservice establishments.
Mike served in his community as the Director of
Food Services for two large churches in the metro Atlanta area for 15 years and was president of the National Association
of Church Food Services, Inc. Once their son, Jonathan, was off to college, Mike and Melanie launched their own
catering business, Eastside Catering Services, Inc., which
specializes in weddings, corporate events, political fundraisers, and private parties for many northern Georgia
clients.
Chef
Mike is the co-author of "Cater Your Own Wedding; Easy Ways To Do It Yourself In Style." Mike is
also the author of "How To Cater Your Own Southern-Style Rehearsal Dinner", "How To Cater Your Own Hawaiian
Luau Party" and "Classified Recipes; Original Recipes from your Favorite Food Service Establishments."
Good Day Atlanta Television Appearance -
June 6, 2006
Chef Michael C. Flowers, co-author of the
new book, "Cater Your Own Wedding: Easy Ways to Do It Yourself in Style", was a featured guest on
Good Day Atlanta on June 5, 2006. Airing every weekday morning from 6 to 9, Good Day Atlanta is the morning show on
WAGA-TV, Atlanta’s FOX affiliate and one of Georgia’s top-rated news channels.
N.A.C.F.S. President-Elect Mike Flowers (left)
and his wife Melanie (right) welcome the guest speaker, Graham Kerr (center), better known as the Galloping Gourmet,
to the N.A.C.F.S. national conference in Seattle, Washington. Graham is excitedly awaiting the release of his newest
series, The Gathering Place, which will air on PBS this fall. (Check your local listings for times and dates.)
For more information on Graham Kerr, click on http://www.grahamkerr.com.
Planning a wedding on a
tight budget is possible By Marjorie Hall Marietta Daily Journal Staff Writer
As spring fast approaches, future brides everywhere
are trying to put together the perfect special day — without breaking the bank. Many people have to make heart-breaking
decisions when designing their weddings, cutting guest lists to cut costs.
Chef Mike Flowers can help. The Marietta resident, executive chef and professional caterer who has
been catering weddings for 25 years, has recently written a book which helps brides save money while still putting on a stylish
and classy reception.
“I got
tired of seeing crying brides,” Flowers said. “I thought to myself, ‘There has got to be a way for them
to afford to do what they want to do.’ If you do it yourself, you can invite as many people as you want to. It will
cost roughly half as much as hiring a professional caterer. ”
The idea for the book started four years ago. Flowers wrote a small pamphlet giving brides instructions on
catering their own weddings and posted it on the Internet. Author
Donna Bankhead, of Boise, Idaho, who wrote the book “Last Minute Weddings,” stumbled across the Web site and was
thrilled. She e-mailed Flowers, telling him they should turn the pamphlet into a book together. After a year of communicating only through e-mail, Flowers and
Ms. Bankhead completed “Cater Your Own Wedding; Easy Ways To Do It Yourself In Style.”
Wedding Festivals Bridal Show - Greenville, S.C. - February 25, 2006
700+ Brides-To-Be attend South Carolina's annual
2006 Wedding Festivals Bridal Show at Greenville's Palmetto Expo Center. Chef Mike Flowers reports record show sales
of his book as couples quickly discover the huge savings, easy methods and numerous advantages of catering
your own wedding. After reviewing the materials, one mother-of- the-bride was overheard saying, "Oh my gosh!
Where was this book when my first daughter got married?"
