Joel Dondis - Owner
Joel began his culinary sojourn at the age of eleven, serving classic French cuisine to his family and friends in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Many years later after attending and graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, in New York, Joel traveled Europe to expand his knowledge of the culinary arts, fine dining and perfect service. He worked at the Schloss Hotel and Restaurant Gargantua, both of which are "Michellin Rated" establishments in Frankfurt, Germany. Upon his return to the United States Joel worked for the Brennan family in their restaurant Mr. B's. Next stop, Emeril's (for three years) where he eventually earned the responsibility and title of Sous Chef.

Since his departure from the world-renowned Emeril's Restaurant, Joel has been quite successful in bringing the elements of fine dining and service to the catering and event-planning arena. A business he built from the kitchen of a small gourmet sandwich shop, not far from the Big Easy, has grown to offer full-service catering needs for social clients as well as corporate clients the likes of Eastman Kodak, American Express, CBS Eyemark, J.P. Morgan and a host of many others. Joel has traveled to the Bahamas, Florida, Washington DC, and New York City to cater some noted high-profile events. Joel was requested to train Princess Margaret's chef in the Lower Grenadines and he also catered a backstage bash for the Eagles in the New Orleans Superdome. Joel's philanthropic contributions favor the arts, children, music and education.

Joel's latest feather in his cap is the marketing success of his now famous White Chocolate Pecan Pie. The pie was featured in the pages of InStyle Magazine as a "Top 100 Gourmet Food Gift" and appeared on the NBC Today Show during a "Holiday Gift Giving" segment.

As Joel continues to grow his business, the niche he fills places him at the top of his craft.

Sarah Hall - President
Sarah, a Miami native and Tulane University graduate, began at Joel in 1999. She started as the receptionist, quickly working her way to Client Services Representative, then Sales Manager, Wedding Specialist and now Vice President.

From elegant weddings and debutante balls to charity fundraisers and corporate events, Sarah’s ability to cultivate and guide our client’s vision made each event an unforgettable experience. Significant events in Sarah’s repertoire include Tulane University’s Wave Goodbye, their annual graduation event for 10,000 guests; the Herman Grimma Fall Gala, and the Jazzland Superbowl Partyfor 2,000 people. Her experience as Joel’s wedding specialist included numerous affairs ranging from a black tie reception for 800 at the New Orleans Museum of Art to an intimate dinner for 20 in a French Quarter courtyard.

In 2003, Sarah made the difficult decision to leave Joel and join Emeril’s Restaurants as their National Sales Manager, where she was responsible for special events in their nine restaurants. However, she missed the excitement and challenges at Joel, and Joel needed her accomplished experience to help guide his company. Now she’s back as our Vice President working with every department to ensure that each event is an occasion to remember.