Cru Welcomes Dara

September 6, 2014

Cru would like to extend a warm welcome to our newest team member, Dara Jones- Cru On the Go & Pit Cru Director. Dara has come on board to fill the, rather large, shoes of our past Office Manager and Cru Divisions Head, Aileen Mancini. Aileen left us this summer to move to Greenville, and we promise she is sorely missed, but we are excited for this new journey with someone who has already fit right in to the Cru Family.2260_1022932219208_9938_n

Dara was born and raised in Lexington, NC (AKA the “BBQ capital of the world. She attended Meredith College in Raleigh, NC, where she graduated in 2010 with a degree in Marketing and Fashion Design. After spending some time in the fashion world of Paris she made the move to Charleston, SC.

Since being in Charleston, Dara, has dabbled in retail, fashion and the crazy world of event planning and has now planted her feet with us, at Cru Catering. Growing up around farm to table meals (her father being an avid hunter and fisherman), a love for gardening fresh foods and a passion for baking she is now excited say, “I get to mix my two loves for food and for the hectic crazy event world, and I am loving every minute!”

Her best advice for those planning events? “To stay calm and focus on one thing at a time. Events can be hectic but if you stop for a second and take a few long breaths and refocus everything will be ok. Also smiling always helps to calm me!”

Having been on the other side of Cru Catered events, as a planner, Dara is looking forward to continuing to please guests with Cru’s delicious foods. She loves, “watching all of the guests faces light up at the event when they try our food and hearing them “ohh and ahh” over every last bite. It is a very rewarding feeling when you get to see all the hard work you have done with a client creating menus and tastings and seeing how excited and grateful they are.”

Cheers to Dara! We are looking forward to getting to know her better and share in the Cru Family Fun!