SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

Newport business produces memorable meals throughout the region

By Tabari McCoy , Scooter Media

The name of her company is not simply an attempt at being catchy or kitschy; in the case of eat well celebrations and feasts, it’s simply how Owner and Chef Renee Schuler approaches every event she undertakes.

“To me, cooking is a wonderful, enjoyable thing that I’ve always seen as something that can be an incredibly beautiful and enjoyable experience,” says Schuler. “At eat well, we have food metrics that we look at: Flavor, texture, color and temperature and our fifth metric is ‘wow’ – I love thinking about food,” says Schuler.

Combining her creative and scientific sides brings an added layer of excitement to cooking for the area native.

“I think I have a little bit of my mother, who was a visual artist, and my father, who was an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, in me,” says Schuler. “Cooking combines both of those in an incredible way as you must approach it with an open and creative mind, but there is also a science behind it. The more you learn about the science behind cooking, the easier it is to take your creative ideas and translate them into something spectacular.”

Given the fact she’s approaching nearly 20 years in business, plenty of people throughout Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky can’t wait to see – and taste – what she cooks up next.

Appetite For Success

Housed inside the 20,000 square foot former home of Bernhard’s Bakery and the Yorkshire Club in Newport, eat well has provided catering services since 2005. Schuler, now residing in Covington, opened her business upon her return from New York City, the site where she began her culinary career at the Institute of Culinary Education in Manhattan. Working for companies owned by renowned chefs Bobby Flay and Daniel Boulud during her time in the Big Apple, Schuler eventually made her way back home to be closer to family. Working for various restaurants and catering companies, Schuler says one of her sisters, a visual artist like their mother, asked if she could cater her art opening. Fastforward two decades and Schuler has never looked back.

With a bachelor’s degree in psychology from DePauw University in Indiana, Schuler is keen to note the impact of food in connection to people’s feelings about a particular experience. That is one reason why she enjoys getting to serve as an unofficial ambassador for Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky when catering events for major events that draw significant out-of-town visitors.

By serving up good meals, she hopes that all those in attendance will leave with good memories of their time in the region.

“It is a big honor and huge responsibility to provide food and service for someone's wedding, big birthday event, anniversary, or even a corporate launch of any sort,” she says. “One of my favorite events we do is for Cincinnati Children's Hospital. There's an international meeting they host every other year with doctors traveling in from all around the world. Many of them have very high expectations, so I really do feel the responsibility of making sure that when they're here, they're experiencing excellence in not only the food but in the entire experience.”

Recipe For Success

In addition to its catering services, eat well also features the Takeaway Shop, an online service where customers can select from a variety of options to create a meal for pickup or delivery. With meals often themed around major social and religious holidays, Schuler says the Takeaway Shop was key to eat well’s survival during the pandemic.

“It made a lot of sense, but it's also a great way to help those hosting smaller events, even if it's just two people celebrating the holidays together,” she says.

Schuler loves her work, not just for the joy it brings her but also for the joy it brings to all those she serves.

“Food is a great connector, bringing people together around the table; one of the things that I like to say is ‘Never underestimate the power of good food.’ Never underestimate the gift of bringing people around the table to have a delicious meal for connection – that is an incredible gift that you can give to your fellow human beings,” she says. “We like to make sure that all our guests are comfortable. That's our top priority and we do that through providing excellent food and service.” NKY eat well celebrations and feasts AT A GLANCE

Address: 518 York Street, Newport, KY 41071

Phone: (859) 291-9355

Web site: www.eatwellonline.com

Hours: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Monday–Friday

Founded: 2015

Services offered: Social, corporate and wedding catering; meals are also available (with delivery options) via its Takeaway Shop

Notable clients: Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Opera, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Cincinnati Parks Foundation, CVG/British Airways