If you attended the Centennial Gala, then you saw his handiwork. Guests agreed that everything – from the food presentation, to the service, to the décor – was out of this world. For some, it’s hard to believe that caterer Lee Epting (’63), decked out in a tuxedo and his trusty Birkenstocks, got his start in Darlington’s kitchen.
“My first real restaurant job was working as a bus boy at the School,” said Epting, owner and founder of Lee Epting Catering. “I didn’t think much of it then, but it goes to show how the small things you do can end up impacting the rest of your life.”
And although he had not yet discovered his passion for the food industry, a young Epting learned many life lessons at Darlington that he still carries with him.
“Darlington gave me the self-confidence to know that I could do anything I set my mind to,” he said. “You have to have that in the catering business because there is always going to be something to deal with. It’s all about crisis management – something is going to spill or wreck and you have to act fast to get it fixed.”
After graduating in 1963, Epting attended Emory University, where he helped cater for his fraternity, Phi Delta Theta. When he began the pledge period, he asked if he could help a little with the food, and, within three days, he was the steward of the kitchen. After two years, Epting transferred to the University of Georgia, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1967.
In 1970, Epting restored the Old Southern Depot in Athens, Ga., and opened his first restaurant, The Station, which used a 1913 dining train car, the Valdosta. After years of success, Epting sold The Station in 1977 and started his own company, Lee Epting Catering, with just three employees (Epting, one cook and one bartender).
“It all began for me when I was asked to cater an event for about 100 people,” recalled Epting. “I carried an old wood stove and put some barbeque and beans on it to cook. I was amazed when they paid me well for it. From there, I knew this was what I wanted to do. I went out and started getting involved with people’s lives and it just took off.”
Today, Lee Epting Catering employs nearly 75 people.
“Catering isn’t your run-of-the-mill job,” said Epting. “It’s a way to entertain people and make them happy. Events and parties are like plays that I get to direct and set into motion. Each person has his or her own special part and purpose.”
Epting’s businesses have expanded over the last 10 years to include Center Stage Catering at the Civic Center in Athens, Ga., and Marswood Hall, an off-site catering facility in Watkinsville, Ga. Although he primarily caters events in his home state, he has worked all over the United States and even in Switzerland. But Epting still sees Rome as one his top cities due to relationships that have lasted since his days at Darlington.
“Building the relationships I did when I was a student have really paid off,” he said. “You build a catering business through your reputation and by word of mouth. I meet people from all over the state. If I do a wedding well, then by word of mouth in that town, I get to do one or two more and so on.”
He continued, “Darlington has really supported me by calling me back for several events. The Centennial Gala was a privilege because it was such a momentous occasion for the School. It is definitely a highlight of my catering career.”
For the past 30 years, one of Epting’s major interests, besides catering, has been historic preservation. In 1976, he helped restore the Chapel Hill (N.C.) Railroad Station, and has since restored and relocated more than 14 historic homes in and around Athens.
“Often if they are going to be torn down, I’ll have them moved to my land and rent them out as Bed and Baths,” he said. “I love entertaining people in the houses because they are a part of the nation’s history, dating back to the pre-war period. Children love it when my wife and I demonstrate what it is like to churn butter and cook on a wood fireplace. Historic preservation gives me an outlet to do something fun and creative that is not necessarily work-related.”
Epting continues to work in Northwest Georgia, catering birthdays, parties, weddings and other special events for members of the Darlington and Rome communities. “I feel lucky to be able to do what I love in the town that has contributed so much to my career,” he said.
For more information on Lee Epting Catering, visit
www.leeeptingcatering.com or call 706-353-1913.
