History

Jennifer Delaye, President and CEO of JDK Catering, has an exciting and inspiring story. In 1987, at the age of 20, Jennifer Delaye began operating food concessions at Harrisburg’s City Island recreational facility with her brother and sister, creating the concept of seasonal food kiosks. In 1988, the siblings opened a restaurant in Harrisburg. Until 1992, they operated both the concessions and restaurant.

Ms. Delaye was fascinated with the catering aspect of the food service industry. She found a passion for it because of the room for creativity and adventure involved in planning each new event. Each event was different in its own right and limited only by one’s imagination. Jennifer quickly realized that Harrisburg, a capital city filled with statewide organizations, lobbying groups, and governmental offices, was in need of a full-service caterer offering quality food and service at a reasonable price. So much of her restaurant’s business was in take-out and delivery, so it was decided to close the restaurant and re-open exclusively as a catering company. She transferred full ownership of the food concessions to her brother in 1992 and launched JDK Catering on her own.

Throughout the years, there were many obstacles to overcome. One by one, the obstacles were surmounted as Jennifer thought about opportunities, not obstacles. Through her vision and perseverance, JDK Catering has grown to become the leading business of its kind in the region, with an impressive roster of over 3,000 clients.

JDK Catering operates out of a 18,500 sq. ft. location in Camp Hill. Gross sales have soared from $25,000 in 1992 to over $3.4 million in 2007. Currently, 23 full-time and over 100 part-time staff are employed. Harrisburg Magazine readers have repeatedly recognized JDK Catering (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007) as the top, and Central Penn Business Journal has ranked JDK as one of the top caterers in sales volume the past several years.

Today, the company continues to recreate itself. In 2007, the company restructured under the parent name of The JDK Group and now operates under three separate divisions; JDK Catering, ESSENTIAL Party Rentals, and IMAGINE Event Design and Production. The restructure has allowed JDK to expand its market presence and brand name into the MD, D.C., VA, and Philadelphia markets.