Another milestone for Vern’s

Published 5:00 am Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Vern and Debbi Mitchell are off on another culinary adventure — this time under a five-year contract that will have them feeding U.S. Marshalls from around the nation training in central Louisiana. The process should have been a challenge, but as the couple easily admitted, “In a nutshell, this is a God thing.”

The Department of Justice has contracted with Vern’s Bar-b-que and Catering to serve three meals a day, with several breaks between sessions, for the next five years. Debbi Mitchell said they didn’t apply for the job, specifically, the DOJ contacted them. In 2015 she completed an online form for the opportunity to bid out major catering events for the U.S. Government, but the first attempt was incomplete. She tried again and it was accepted, something that usually happens four or five time into the process, she said.

“We asked if we could sample our menus, and they were surprised,” Mitchell said. “We go like we prepared a feast for our Lord Jesus Christ. They said they had to get more people to eat and asked for comment cards for feedback. But after the buffet, they said, ‘Let’s do this the easy way and fill out one comment card and have everybody sign it.’ ”

That’s what they did, she said.

It took a while for the process to be completed. The trainees must be served 3,500 to 4,500 calories a day with a 12 hour routine that includes several sessions of exercise. Vern’s will feed them breakfast, lunch and dinner with a special shake at the end of the day.

The Small Dynamic Business search and the Small Business Association in Lafayette and New Orleans helped the Mitchells prepare meal plans and budgets, a service for small businesses to give them a competitive equalizer with large operations. Mitchell said after seeing Vern’s credits feeding FEMA, the Red Cross, NBA and NFL Super Bowls, they were in the spotlight at the top of the list of contenders.

Eight members of the team will accompany them to the training facility outside Pineville. Mitchell said they always hire some local people when working out of the Teche Area. Plus, they will keep a team working in New Iberia for regular customers and annual events at home and in New Orleans.

Two other national contract bids are pending, but Debbi Mitchell wanted all of her people in south Louisiana to know they aren’t going anywhere, just call when planning an event.

“When you are believing God and its deeply planted in your heart, he will open the door when he knows you will give him the glory,” Vern Mitchell said. “We roll as hard as we roll because we love what we do and we’re a good team.”