What does a young, aspiring actor from Canada do to make ends meet while auditioning all day for acting roles in New York? He launches his own catering company, of course.
Well, it’s not quite as simple as that. His story involves a little more twists and turns.
Peter Killy, co-owner of KGFare, attended the University of Washington in Seattle to study drama in the early 80s. Shortly after, he moved to New York to follow his thespian dream. Much of his time was spent auditioning for roles on Broadway, movies, commercials, etc. Maybe five or six auditions in one day. His passion, talent and perseverance paid off, and he’s been a working actor now for more than 30 years. Perhaps you’ve seen him on Whoopi Goldberg’s TV series, Whoopi, or the video game Grand Theft Auto, on Broadway in the Tony-nominated Wilder, Wilder Wilder, or over 100 commercials to date?
Even with these accomplishments, Peter knew he couldn’t survive in New York City without a steady source of income. Especially during the dry periods. That’s where the catering comes in. Peter started waiting tables at catered events in the evenings so he could be available for auditions during the day. From his early days as a waiter to becoming a booking manager, he learned about the catering industry from the ground up. When he began developing stronger relationships with some of his regular clients, he realized he could channel some of his creativity into catering his own events.
In 2008, Peter and his good friend Joshua (Josh) Griffiths opened KGFare at a time when the economy was taking a downturn. This was a risky move, not only from an economic standpoint, but also from the possibility of endangering a valued friendship. Competing personalities, different work ethics and long, stressful hours could wreck a business and wreak havoc on a friendship.
Fortunately, Peter and Josh’s personalities organically complement each other. Peter is artistic (some might say eccentric), with a tendency to be introverted and more serious. Josh, on the other hand, is gregarious, engaging and a natural born salesperson. This powerful dynamic, combined with their appetite for hard work, turned out to be a recipe for success.
With Peter’s focus on details and Josh’s sales-driven mindset, they grew their small, full-service catering company from $200,000 to more than $2 million in annual sales. The secret ingredient to their business’s success may be their personal attendance at almost all of their events.
But like many small businesses, they experienced growing pains along the way. In 2014, Peter took his good friend’s (Bob at Wise Planning) advice and hired CTM Partner Julie Babetch to help him establish a solid financial foundation for the company. Since then, Peter has bounced many innovative business ideas off of Julie. One of his more interesting queries involved the deductibility of a 1920s depression-era, refurbished truck turned into a mobile bar.
Hundreds of weddings, film openings, private parties and product launchings later, Peter has begun to assess the next steps to take his business. Should he continue growing the business, hire more staff and delegate some of his responsibilities, or should he maintain the status quo? As he reflects on his early days in catering to where he is now, he is certain about one thing. While he is proud of his business’s success, he is even more proud (and grateful) that he and Josh have remained great friends to this day.
