Meet Dave, the newest member of our Duvall Family
We are excited to introduce Dave Byron – the newest member of the Duvall family!
This October, Dave purchased Duvall Catering & Events from Steve and the two will work together through the end of 2019 as Dave gets to know Charleston and Charleston gets to know Dave.
Steve and Dave’s friendship formed as fellow members of an esteemed invitation-only group of top caterers, Leading Caterers of America. Over years of attending LCA conferences together, they bonded over a mutual affection for the hospitality industry. Dave is founder and president of Best Impressions, a Charlotte (NC) catering company and brings 29 years of experience to the Duvall family.
After completing his own 27 year stint growing a catering business, Steve is looking forward to stepping back just a bit from his role as owner and CEO. We are glad he waited to find someone to step forward with the experience and the desire to run a successful, local catering company!
“I hope to honor Steve (as well as Peter Milewicz and Dan Stevens) and continue the Duvall legacy of providing true Charleston hospitality,” says Dave.
A little more about Dave:
What is your dream job?
This is what I’ve always wanted to do. It is my dream job.
What are you known for?
Family, and Clemson Football Tailgates (daughter Madison is a senior)
What do you like to do in your free time?
Spend time with family, sailing (preferably both at once!)
What is your favorite thing(s) on our event catering menu?
Anything Lowcountry or Seafood. It’s quintessential Charleston!
What do you love most about your current position and our industry?
I get to explore my creativity, passion for cooking, coupled with other business skills instilled in me by my mother.
You stop outside the office and find a lottery ticket that ends up winning $10 million. What would you do?
Maybe buy a larger sailboat? Otherwise, with my family, friendships and business opportunities I’ve been blessed with, I’m not sure much else would change.
What food are you? Why?
A Maryland Crabcake. I grew up going to visit my grandparents on the eastern shore of Maryland, where my grandfather would take us out fishing and crabbing. The recipe I use for our crabcakes is the same one I learned to make when I was 8 years old.
What was the first sign you encountered that you were in the right industry?
Early on, I found myself working around the clock, going from wrapping up one event, working through the night preparing food for the next day and rolling right into working that event. While I was certainly tired at the end of those experiences, I was so energized by the event, it never got old and I never noticed the time go by.