Daily Inspiration: Meet David Bondarchuck

Today we’d like to introduce you to David Bondarchuck.

Hi David, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
When I was 15, I found myself homeless and staying at a youth shelter called the “Gemini House” (Colfax and Simms) they gave me bus tokens every day and I rode the RTD Colfax bus down to (Broadway) the Denver Public Library and hung out there all day reading books. There, I discovered Martha Stewart and I thought she was the answer for me to live a “Beautiful” life by creating it myself. She was my teacher if only in my head.

I was inspired to return to school and once I got my own apartment and started cooking, I knew what it was like to have nothing, so I started sharing meals and bake-goods I had made with others. Soon after, people started requesting meals, and my cooking for special occasions, and Scratch Catering Services was born, literally out of an accident. Once I made it official and got my first box of business cards, I recalled a time when I was first introduced to Martha Stewart… I had first seen her at the White House with first lady Hillary Clinton and before I even knew who she was I knew she had the ideas to help me create a beautiful life.

So, with my first box of business cards, I said to myself, “I’ll know I had made it someday as a real Caterer and Chef”. When I get to go to the White House like that lady Martha Stewart did. So, I started sending letters and photos of my events and holiday celebrations, and finally, in August 2011, I received a letter inviting me to decorate the White House for the holiday season. Since that time (back in 2011), I’ve been featured on Food network (2014), published my own cookbook (2018), and hosted my own TV show (2018), and I even became a regular face (for eight years) on some Denver Local shows becoming Denver’s very own lifestyle expert, I even got to meet my fairy godmother, Martha Stewart herself on the set of her show where she surprised me with a thank you message from Michelle Obama for helping at the White House (2011)!

As a caterer, most of my business comes from word of mouth and not being on the first page of goggle anyway, so these milestone opportunities of my career I used to propel me forward with enough clout to prove I am good enough to hang with the heavy hitters, and successful enough to continue my business through a global recession (2008) and global pandemic (2020) so far, with resilience.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Honestly, every day is a fight to push myself to be better. In my presentation. In my recipes, in the content, I create to pass on the inspiration to others to also live a beautiful life. But beyond my own personal goals in my head to be the very best, there are unforeseen circumstances that do and have affected my business and countless others, such as the growing number of dietary restriction requests for events, a global pandemic, an economic recession, political and socioeconomic movements, and changing laws and mandates concerning food service and the hospitality industry.

As a business owner, I feel it is important to take care of your internal customers first, such as my employees and my vendors who help me to be successful and they will, in turn, take care of your external customers. There is a real shift right now, that I love which is flipping “customer service” as we know it for paying patrons to take care of your in-house crew! We are done with “Karens” whom no one will ever be able to please, so, we don’t care what petty crap you’re upset about. We care about our team who shows up every day and gives it their all! Example: Last month, I surprised my entire team who arrived to cater a huge event. Upon arrival, they found out that on that day they weren’t catering… In fact, someone else catered for them!

I took the entire team to the Rockies game where we hung out and bounded again in a private suite full of catering and our own personal driver to and from the game. Before we departed for the event I announced that everyone would receive a bump in pay to $25 an hour giving my entire team a living wage! This was in some cases a 33% increase in pay. I may not make the cover of Forbes magazine anytime soon, but I’m taking care of my people, which is something a lot of CEOs aren’t doing at all while collecting in many instances hundreds of times more pay than the average company worker. I don’t want to be that person! That’s not Scratch Catering Services! These are people! People who make me and the company successful!

But the fact is in food service the laws aren’t streamlined either. The hoops for food trucks are different than caterers, at least in Denver county. When the pandemic hit, I bought a food truck with some of my personal and business savings, as the banks weren’t loaning out the money in a time of uncertainty even when congress acted and passed the pandemic relief most of that money still has yet to be disbursed. I bought a food truck to help my employees keep their jobs during the time when catering was 100% canceled. Fast forward now to nearly two years of this and I lost my behind with the food truck.

But we tried! And in business sometimes the risks don’t pay off but you need to honor your word and try, and when you fail try something different and keep getting back up. I have learned that as a businessman I learn often more from my failures than I do my successes. Because failures, help you grow and look at things a bit differently. This is the key to setting your business apart and raising the standards in a career.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a caterer, the owner of Scratch Catering Services, but I look at each event like a blank canvass. I love the design aspect of events, and I always think about what the experience of the attendees/guests will be understanding that good is in the details, not in the over the top displays or set up because anyone can put lipstick on a pig, but at the end of the day it’s still a pig!

I love to deliver something no other “Costco caterer” could, and that is a unique menu created all from Scratch!

What were you like growing up?
As a child, I was lost and angry. I couldn’t understand why I was so different than the other boys and I just wanted to have friends. I felt conflicted with schoolyard bullying, and both mental and physical abuse at home from my family. I just never felt good enough. I didn’t have a fun childhood except at Disneyland- OMG that was the spot, still is! I had to grow up quickly and take care of myself. At 15, I was on my own.

Most kids today are still living at home into their 20s and beyond with parents paying for their higher education desires. I didn’t have any of that, I was on my own; still am! But I was still creative. I didn’t have much money but I liked to go to the hobby lobby. I would buy clothes at the thrift store and sew sequins and beads on shirts and pants or paint them to be different. I was the only one wearing couture shirts in high school I made myself. I thought I was so cool! LOL! Still do! In high school, I went from being spit on and trash is thrown at me to being the most popular guy in school.

When I was homeless, I remember my shoes were old and cracked and had holes in the soles. My feet would always get cold and wet with the Denver weather, and I hated it so much! To this day, I’m obsessed with shoes! They’re my most important wearable item because I couldn’t always afford shoes and I hated cold, wet, feet. Now, I wear designer shoes, cause I can. Then again, I’ve always loved being unique even if it made me open to ridicule and bullying.

Pricing:

• Breakfast catering From Scratch starts at $15 per person
• Box Lunch catering starts at $11 per person
• Hot meals Start at $17 per person
• Cocktail Parties Start at $20 per person
• Wedding catering starts at $25 per person

Contact Info:

• Email: events@ScratchCateringServices.com
• Website: www.ScratchCateringServices.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scratchcateringservices/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ScratchCateringServices
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwUFSAPIW8mUvPgPVBofJ5Q