Kay Hardy, owner and operator of Kay Hardy Events, was born and raised in the beautiful hills of North Georgia. From the time she was a young girl, she has had a strong passion for cooking, learning many of her techniques from her Granny. “We cooked together almost every day when I was a child,” Kay says. “She taught me so much. She just loved the fact that I loved to cook. She always had a garden; she would collect vegetables from it and we would prepare them.”
Later on she was greatly inspired by a home economics teacher, but other than that, Kay added to her extensive skills primarily through experience and hard work. Even an early job in the medical insurance field did not sway her from her true passion—cooking. In fact, it was her love of Southern cuisine that led her to become an entrepreneur. “I opened my first business in 1999,” says Kay, “and I have loved owning my own businesses ever since.”
Today her delicious Southern cuisine, feisty personality, and deep Southern accent are just a few of the many things people love about her. She also offers an impressive array of services for bridal-related events—weddings, engagement parties, rehearsal dinners, bachelorette parties, and showers. Before embarking on a new event, she makes a point of researching the client’s needs in the areas of food selection, decor and theme. “I like to meet with them and talk about their ideas and then we go from there to make the magic happen,” she says.
When it comes to deciding on dishes for catered events, Kay keeps an open mind. “I really don’t have a favorite dish. I love to make pretty dishes and that is one of the reasons, other than our wonderful food, that people choose us.”
However, she does have some enticing signature dishes from which to choose, such as roasted pork loin, parmesan crusted chicken tenders, shrimp and grits, mashed potatoes, and green beans. Kay changes her menu every month so customers can always expect a unique selection of mouth-watering items. And for bridal events, she says that most brides choose roasted pork loin, poppy seed chicken or parmesan crusted chicken, with green beans or mashed potatoes. Kay says, “My ideal menu for a wedding is meatloaf, squash casserole, casserole, collard greens, and sweet onion cornbread—something really different that you know people love, but would never think about for a wedding.”
As you would expect, Kay has “tons” of cookbooks in her home kitchen. “I am a huge cookbook collector,” she says. And her favorite go-to snack? Angie’s Boom Chicka Pop Sweet & Salty Popcorn!
Managing a food service business has plenty of challenges, as Kay will tell you. “The biggest change I have had to deal with in my career was the recession around 2010. I have two challenges that we face daily: the rising cost of groceries and always trying to appeal to different dietary needs.”
As an active participant in the fast-changing culinary industry, Kay keeps up with new food trends by listening to her customers, reviewing social media, and dining out. However, one practice she’s not fond of is electronic ordering systems. “One trend I think is overrated is having to order my food from an iPad or a kiosk instead of a real person.” Even so, she realizes that a big trend is “grab and go meals,” and she has quickly stepped up to offer this service. “Meals-to-go is what we do at The Pantry and we have found that people LOVE the concept.”
Kay’s Vintage Pantry is located in the heart of downtown Jefferson, Georgia. The address is 48 E. Public Square. The Pantry is open Monday-Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., offering homemade, ready-to-go meals three days a week and Kay’s famous chicken salad and pimento cheese every day. After you’ve enjoyed a delicious Southern meal and a sweet treat to-go, stop by The Shed where you’ll find a retail shop filled with kitchen and home accessories. Wedding registries are also available.
