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Vibrant Occasions Catering has been a part of people’s celebrations in Arkansas for more than 20 years. Led by Chef Serge Krikorian and his wife, Mary, the company operates with a staff-first approach. “I have learned that almost everything depends on the people around you,” Chef Serge says. “Our culinary team brings creativity and skill to every menu, and our catering team is the one turning that food into an actual experience for guests. I rely on them completely.”
Here, we spoke with Chef Serge about the inspiration behind his menus, the history of Vibrant Occasions, and how he came to believe hospitality is about more than setting the table.
Q: How did you come to love food and eventually find yourself as a chef?
A: I was born and raised in Lebanon, and even before I thought of food as a career, it was central to the way my family lived. I also had the opportunity to spend time in Greece, London, and Paris when I was young, and being exposed to such different cuisines at an early age gave me a curiosity that never really went away. I enjoy putting flavors from different cultures together in ways people might not expect.
When I moved to Arkansas for college, Mary, now my wife, introduced me to Southern cooking, and those flavors became part of my approach, too. Our professional start was actually a pizza restaurant. We bought a small place together because we wanted to own a business, and that was the opportunity in front of us. It turned into something we both loved, and it opened the door to everything that has followed.
Q: When did you launch Vibrant Occasions, and what have you hoped to build with this brand?
A: Mary and I have been in the food business since 1994, and we started catering in 2002 under the name Dinner’s Ready. Catering was not the original plan at all. A mother at one of our son’s baseball games asked Mary if we could cater a lunch, and Mary said yes. Our very first catering job was tamales, which neither of us had ever made before. More requests came in after that, and within about six months, catering had taken over completely.
The Vibrant Occasions name came later as our work at weddings and social events grew into its own thing. The new name better reflected what we were actually delivering. Our hope was to build something that supported our family and gave clients a real reason to trust us with occasions that mattered to them. As the business developed, catering also gave me more space to explore the international flavors I have always loved.
Q: What kind of culture do you try to create within Vibrant Occasions?
A: We want people to feel comfortable being themselves and comfortable asking for help. I start most mornings by walking through the departments, saying hello, and checking whether anyone needs anything from me, personally or professionally. That kind of direct contact matters more than people might think. After attending a “heart leadership” conference in 2022, we created our MIVE Culture Club—which stands for “Make It Vibrant Everyday.” We have regular team lunches, and we recognize employees through what we call Kindness Komments, where coworkers share something thoughtful or helpful that someone has done. We also have MIVE Money, which rewards people for putting our core values into practice in the day-to-day. We ask our team to take care of clients, and we feel a responsibility to show that same care to our team first.
Q: What do you hope clients say about the experience of Vibrant Occasions after the dishes are cleared?
A: I would love to hear that they enjoyed the food and felt genuinely well taken care of. I enjoy introducing guests to a flavor combination they have not tried before, but I also want the menu to feel right for the specific people and the specific event.
There is a great deal happening behind the scenes that guests never see. Our team works alongside the other vendors to resolve things before they ever reach the hosts. If the people hosting the event are able to enjoy their own celebration and spend real time with their guests, that means everything to us. The food matters enormously, and so does knowing someone trustworthy is taking care of it.
Q: Why do you think food is such an important part of people’s events?
A: Sharing food gives people a natural reason to slow down and spend time together. A familiar dish can bring up a memory. Something unexpected can prompt a question or get two guests talking who might never have found their way to each other otherwise. That is part of what I love about cooking with international influences. People recognize an ingredient, then discover it prepared in a way they have not seen before. They get curious. They start talking about what they are tasting. At an event, the meal is part of how the hosts welcome the people they care about. We want to help them offer something generous and personal, something their guests enjoy together and carry with them after the evening is over.
For more information about Vibrant Occasions Catering, visit vibrantoccasionscatering.com, call 501.408.2111, or follow along on Instagram (@vibrantoccasionscatering).
