Fairfax Food Service has been a family food service company for over 50 years. The business is even older, starting as a family-owned and operated dance studio!
Tom and Marguerite Gonzalez owned that dance studio and began holding dinner dances once a month. They realized how much they enjoyed making and serving food and added Fairfax Circle Banquets as a subsidiary of the dance company in 1970.
By 1972 they made the switch to all food, all the time, and became Fairfax Food Service & Caterers, Inc. Their proud tradition of preparing and serving delicious, healthy meals throughout their community thrives to this day.
Tom and Marguerite eventually passed the business on to their daughter Kathy Lucas. She ran Fairfax Food Service from 1989 until 2004. Kathy deftly juggled the demands of the company with raising three children and continues to actively participate in day-to-day operations.
Mike Draughon was the head of Fairfax Food Service from 2004-2017. During his time at the helm, Mike and Kathy’s elder children were training to take over the company. Katie Steverson prepared for the transition for 11 years, and Brandon Draughon for seven years before taking the reins on January 1st, 2018.
Growing up, the family had a community of friends who helped care for the children in the early mornings as Kathy headed to work. As they got older the two accompanied their mom to the kitchen and (sometimes) made themselves useful. Fairfax Food Service has always been a central, joyful part of their lives.
As teenagers, both Katie and Brandon, along with many of their friends, started working summer jobs at the family business. They worked and played and learned all about the business of preparing and serving food to camps and daycares and schools.
They knew, as adults, that they wanted to continue their family’s long history. Following seven years of preparation, Katie and Brandon became the third generation of family owners at Fairfax Food Service.
A lot has changed since those dance school days. New equipment, new recipes, and new faces carry on the decades-old commitment to serving great food and a great community. Katie and Brandon know their grandparents were proud of their family business. They intend to honor that heritage for many years to come.