Bon Chef Outlet offers restaurant quality wares to the public

By Laurie Gordon
LAFAYETTE — Bon Chef is as fancy and gourmet as its name suggests — manufacturing and importing some of the finest food serving pieces. Though the business caters to the industry, the public can get a glimpse and an opportunity to purchase their items at the Bon Chef Outlet store which is open to the public every Saturday and Sunday.

Started in 1972, Bon Chef manufactures and imports all kinds of durable products for the food industry.

"If you go out to brunch at a hotel, chances are some of our serving supplies are part of the buffet," said Director of Marketing Jody Torres.

Though Bon Chef isn't the only manufacturer of presentation pieces, she said they hold a large portion of the market.

From elegant chafing dishes to soup marmites to coffee servers to most anything designed to make food presentation sensational, Bon Chef has it. The only problem for the general public is the company sells exclusively to restaurants and the food service industry only.

"We get phone calls and e-mail inquires from the general public interested in purchasing our products," Torre said. "So a year ago, we came up with the idea of including the general public in the form of an outlet store."

The Bon Chef Outlet is open Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The public can find some high-quality pieces that have either been discontinued or are overstock items.

Items cycle through the Outlet depending on what Bon Chef has available and include all kinds of serving pieces from Caribbean Blue pots to silver coffee pots to serving pieces one generally only sees at a wedding or fancy buffet.

Bon Chef Outlet is open year round and is located at 205 Route 94 in Lafayette.