Peoria Profile
Jennifer Hoppe: The Home Plate
For some women, cooking is a have-to. For Jennifer Hoppe, it’s something she could never get enough of, which is what finally convinced her to pursue catering as her career.
Fresh from Bradley University, the Peoria native joined a marketing firm in the Chicago suburbs. Even in this field, she found a way to stay connected to food. "My first job was with a small agency where we created marketing programs for consumer packaged goods companies. After several years on the agency side, I moved to the client side as a marketing manager for a manufacturer of food service packaging. We did business-to-business marketing for national fast food, theatre, and convenience store chains. This was good experience in seeing how a product gets made-from raw materials into finished products that eventually get into the consumer’s hands as they drink from a McDonald’s, Wendy’s, or 7-Eleven cup," she said.
When the company was sold and she was forced into the job market again, Hoppe said she knew another advertising job wasn’t what she wanted. "I had been catering a few things here and there for a friend at a Chicago law firm, and when I needed to find another job, it became my turning point. The church I attended held a women’s retreat where the pastor’s wife spoke about growth in all areas of our lives. ’Where do you feel most confident? Where are you most energized?’ she asked. It was the first time I connected passion with life’s work."
She initially looked at other options, such as baking confections and selling them to restaurants, but in the end, Hoppe decided catering was the way to go. The Home Plate kicked off in 1993 in Palatine and later moved with her to Peoria in 2001. "The Home Plate provides home-cooked, made-from-scratch food for personal and corporate occasions, for small parties and large groups," she explained. "The Home Plate also provides gift trays with a variety of bite-sized sweets-cookies and candies. It comes wrapped with a bow and gift card for your own personal greeting. These trays are a nice touch for a thank you, corporate holiday gift, or special occasion.
"The goal of The Home Plate is two-fold: to create and serve memorable food and to make the client look good by providing a quality product and level of service that ultimately reflects positively on the client," she said.
Hoppe said she decided to open her own business-rather than work for another catering company-because she knew from personal experience the exact void that needed to be filled. "For many years, I sat through business lunches, and probably 70 percent of the time it was average. The other 30 percent, when it was pretty good, I noticed the energy in the room changed: Moods brightened, and people became more engaged. Sometimes clients will tell me they entice co-workers to their meetings by advertising, ’The food will be good.’ Food is a motivator. Good food is an even better one. Sitting in those meetings, I realized it was something I could do-provide quality, homemade food for those settings."
She encouraged other women with dreams of running their own business to take the plunge as well. "At one point as I was deciding whether to jump in or not, I knew if I never tried, I would regret it down the road. I would advise a woman to be clear in her mind and heart about what she wants to do. She may encounter requests that branch off in a different direction that may not feel right to her. If she has a clear picture of what she wants to do, she’ll be better equipped to stay focused on her path. I remember early on I’d get a request to start making gift baskets or become a personal chef. While these ideas may seem similar to catering, they require a logistics shift I wasn’t equipped or interested in making. The old KFC slogan would run through my mind: ’We do chicken right.’ I was reminded you can’t be all things to all people, so stay focused on your vision."
Hoppe’s last bit of advice is to go in with your eyes open. "Having your own business is rewarding in innumerable ways-but also lots of hard work. Many sacrifices are required along the way."
During the more than 10 years she’s owned The Home Plate, Hoppe said she’s noticed definite trends in catering. "One is that companies are moving their holiday parties to January. With December being such a busy time for everyone, some companies are delaying their events by a few weeks when the pace slows and they can enjoy it more. I also see a rise in vegetarians looking for non-meat options. Overall, though, I see a move toward comfort-type foods, foods that remind us of childhood. Today’s families are running on a fast track, juggling hectic schedules. More and more, they go out to eat or take dinner home out of necessity. When they have a choice, though, they’re interested in something with more of a personal touch, since they don’t get much of that otherwise."
Hoppe said the best part of her job is seeing a client’s pleasure and satisfaction from an event. "My second year in business, I was working with an administrative assistant for a large company. One day we had two events going on simultaneously at opposite ends of the building, and our staging area was in a third location. This all added up to a major logistical challenge, as the servers were running food from one end of the building to another. At the end, I thanked her for the opportunity to serve the events. She said, ’Are you kidding me? You all made me look good today.’ It hit me then: That was the goal. When their guests are well served, it reflects positively on my clients." TPW
Fresh from Bradley University, the Peoria native joined a marketing firm in the Chicago suburbs. Even in this field, she found a way to stay connected to food. "My first job was with a small agency where we created marketing programs for consumer packaged goods companies. After several years on the agency side, I moved to the client side as a marketing manager for a manufacturer of food service packaging. We did business-to-business marketing for national fast food, theatre, and convenience store chains. This was good experience in seeing how a product gets made-from raw materials into finished products that eventually get into the consumer’s hands as they drink from a McDonald’s, Wendy’s, or 7-Eleven cup," she said.
When the company was sold and she was forced into the job market again, Hoppe said she knew another advertising job wasn’t what she wanted. "I had been catering a few things here and there for a friend at a Chicago law firm, and when I needed to find another job, it became my turning point. The church I attended held a women’s retreat where the pastor’s wife spoke about growth in all areas of our lives. ’Where do you feel most confident? Where are you most energized?’ she asked. It was the first time I connected passion with life’s work."
She initially looked at other options, such as baking confections and selling them to restaurants, but in the end, Hoppe decided catering was the way to go. The Home Plate kicked off in 1993 in Palatine and later moved with her to Peoria in 2001. "The Home Plate provides home-cooked, made-from-scratch food for personal and corporate occasions, for small parties and large groups," she explained. "The Home Plate also provides gift trays with a variety of bite-sized sweets-cookies and candies. It comes wrapped with a bow and gift card for your own personal greeting. These trays are a nice touch for a thank you, corporate holiday gift, or special occasion.
"The goal of The Home Plate is two-fold: to create and serve memorable food and to make the client look good by providing a quality product and level of service that ultimately reflects positively on the client," she said.
Hoppe said she decided to open her own business-rather than work for another catering company-because she knew from personal experience the exact void that needed to be filled. "For many years, I sat through business lunches, and probably 70 percent of the time it was average. The other 30 percent, when it was pretty good, I noticed the energy in the room changed: Moods brightened, and people became more engaged. Sometimes clients will tell me they entice co-workers to their meetings by advertising, ’The food will be good.’ Food is a motivator. Good food is an even better one. Sitting in those meetings, I realized it was something I could do-provide quality, homemade food for those settings."
She encouraged other women with dreams of running their own business to take the plunge as well. "At one point as I was deciding whether to jump in or not, I knew if I never tried, I would regret it down the road. I would advise a woman to be clear in her mind and heart about what she wants to do. She may encounter requests that branch off in a different direction that may not feel right to her. If she has a clear picture of what she wants to do, she’ll be better equipped to stay focused on her path. I remember early on I’d get a request to start making gift baskets or become a personal chef. While these ideas may seem similar to catering, they require a logistics shift I wasn’t equipped or interested in making. The old KFC slogan would run through my mind: ’We do chicken right.’ I was reminded you can’t be all things to all people, so stay focused on your vision."
Hoppe’s last bit of advice is to go in with your eyes open. "Having your own business is rewarding in innumerable ways-but also lots of hard work. Many sacrifices are required along the way."
During the more than 10 years she’s owned The Home Plate, Hoppe said she’s noticed definite trends in catering. "One is that companies are moving their holiday parties to January. With December being such a busy time for everyone, some companies are delaying their events by a few weeks when the pace slows and they can enjoy it more. I also see a rise in vegetarians looking for non-meat options. Overall, though, I see a move toward comfort-type foods, foods that remind us of childhood. Today’s families are running on a fast track, juggling hectic schedules. More and more, they go out to eat or take dinner home out of necessity. When they have a choice, though, they’re interested in something with more of a personal touch, since they don’t get much of that otherwise."
Hoppe said the best part of her job is seeing a client’s pleasure and satisfaction from an event. "My second year in business, I was working with an administrative assistant for a large company. One day we had two events going on simultaneously at opposite ends of the building, and our staging area was in a third location. This all added up to a major logistical challenge, as the servers were running food from one end of the building to another. At the end, I thanked her for the opportunity to serve the events. She said, ’Are you kidding me? You all made me look good today.’ It hit me then: That was the goal. When their guests are well served, it reflects positively on my clients." TPW