There's very little chance that you've been to a wedding, party, or major event on the East Coast without witnessing MOSAIC Catering + Events' magnificent work. The best part is you probably had no idea that they were the masterminds behind it all. An accumulation of over 20 years of experience combined with young creative talent, MOSAIC Catering + Events is a powerhouse in the dining and hospitality industry, and they have no problem pulling out all the stops every single time.
We spent the afternoon at MOSAIC's headquarters for a cocktail creation takeover, where their team turned into mad scientists before our eyes. Not only did we get to create some truly beautiful drinks, we also learned more about how MOSIAC Catering + Events pulls of their magnificent feats.
Tell us a bit about your company…
We’re a full-service, one-stop shop for all events, catering, design, rentals and lighting needs. The MOSIAC team team is an eclectic mix of individuals from every area of the hospitality industry. We have over 100 employees company-wide and we’re a mix of designers, thinkers, makers, creators, artists, marketers, illumineers, engineers and techies.
We were founded by Mike Holland, Laurette Garlitz, and Steven Niketas in a small café in Carytown, and since then we have been able to plant our roots into many different markets all over the East Coast.
What do you do and why?
We pride ourselves on creating truly memorable events for people, ranging anywhere from intimate luncheons to stunning weddings, from inspired theme parties to formal corporate occasions. We work at whatever end we're asked to, whether it's offering the inspiration, putting in the attention to detail, or implementing our culinary creativity to make someone's moment shine. We work hand-in-hand with people to plan their event and we see it through on time, on budget and to their complete satisfaction.
Nourishing the mind, body, and soul has always been the mission for the owners since the beginning and that focus on hospitality has never wavered. We are celebrating 20 years in business this year and even as we have been able to grow in many ways, our mission is still the same: “delivering everything out of the ordinary”!
Tell us about your space.
Our building was built in 1926 and has rich history of businesses like Pet Ice Cream and CP Dean that have operated here. We are proud to be a part of that history so it was important for us to update it as we need, but really focus on restoring everything that we could from the floors to the brick façade.
The transformation was not an easy one, but we have is an integrated facility that represents every facet of our business: food, beverage, décor, lighting, production, rentals and administration. A simple walk through the offices upstairs is one of our favorite things. Every step across the original maple & oak floors makes a beautiful creaking noise that reminds you of everyone else that has walked the halls.
If your company was a cocktail, what would its ingredients be?
We view ourselves as a layered shot of:
- 2 parts Creativity (it drives everything that we do)
- 1 part Tradition (we rely on it to rein that creativity in)
- 1 part Vision (we need the foresight to plan an event in advance and execute as if we planned it yesterday)
- A dash of Insanity (in the event world, something’s always going to go awry)
What does your company do “off the clock?”
Being food and beverage industry folks, our focus is always knowing what is new on the F&B scene, which means outside of our office walls we are constantly checking out the best new restaurants, bars, galleries and festivals in Richmond. We believe emersion into anything is the best way to learn!
What’s on your bar?
We only set up bars, but there is always a good supply of Belle Isle Moonshine in our office drawers!
What's the difference in bartending and cocktail creation for events and catering versus a restaurant or bar environment?
Most of our cocktail creation is based on feedback or requests from our clients who book their events with us, so there is always a direction in which to start. That direction may be headed up by a theme for an event, a personality of an individual or based around a company’s brand. There are very few times we do the same drink twice, so there is constant creation.
Out of all your cocktail creations from our Happy Hour together, were any voted favorites by the MOSAIC team?
Most of them were actually quite good. Some of the favorites were the Spicy Beet Margarita, the Sparking Lavender Coupe, and the Blueberry-Ginger 100 Proof Moonshine Mojito!
Photos by Alex Kreher