Courtney's journey began eight years ago after she graduated from culinary school. With a passion for cooking and a desire to positively impact her community, she started The Skagit Table. Her motivations for growing her business were having the opportunity to provide healthy and convenient meals for her community and creating her own schedule to ensure time with her family. Courtney works with approximately 20 farms to source fresh ingredients for her meals. She is working on partnering with more to coordinate her menus with the most recent harvests.
Courtney learned about the Center for Inclusive Entrepreneurship (CIE) from Ellen Gamson, the Executive Director at the Mount Vernon Downtown Association. She found that the most valuable aspect of working with CIE was the resources, knowledge, and support she received. She felt that CIE's Business Advisor, Kirsten Campbell, cared about her and her business as she worked with her to creatively overcome some of the challenges of growing her business.
Skagit Table offers catering services, cooking classes, and a variety of meal options that are perfect for busy families and individuals who want to eat healthily without sacrificing flavor or convenience. There are a variety of grab-and-go and oven-ready meals made from fresh, in-season, and local ingredients. Courtney works flexibly to consider different dietary needs and help those who do not have the time or knowledge to cook for themselves.
Starting a business is always challenging. As a culinary arts graduate, Courtney knew how to cook delicious meals but quickly realized that starting a business was a different ball game. Understanding the technicalities of licensing, paying taxes, and the other tedious business steps were challenging. However, Courtney's biggest hurdle was finding funding to expand her business, especially when setting up a professional kitchen. She needed to invest in expensive equipment, a hood fan, and secure bank loans, which took work. Nevertheless, her passion for cooking and providing healthy and delicious meals to her community motivated her to keep pushing forward.
Despite the challenges, the most notable and rewarding aspect of starting her business has been its impact on her community. She has witnessed firsthand how her meals have positively impacted people's lives, from providing comfort to grieving people to offering affordable and allergen-free meals to those struggling to find them. Ultimately, Courtney's journey has been a story of perseverance, determination, and passion for cooking. Despite the challenges she faced, she was able to overcome them and create a business that has made a positive impact on her community.
A pivotal moment in Courtney's business journey was learning how to create building plans for the city of Mt. Vernon's approval. With no experience and contractors being unavailable, Courtney felt stuck. Luckily, a friend and former boss had faced the same issue when starting his business. With his guidance, Courtney avoided the time and stress of learning independently. That friend’s help stuck with Courtney, reminding her of the benefits of having someone to turn to for help when starting a business.
As Courtney continues to grow and expand Skagit Table, she remains optimistic about the future and looks forward to giving back to her community by mentoring new entrepreneurs.
Address | 221 Taylor Street, Port Townsend, WA 98368
Website | www.rainbow-eats.com
Facebook | The Skagit Table
Instagram | theskagittable