Struck Catering to close in December following 25 years in business
Photo I Courtesy of Struck Catering
(From left) Barbara Cotter and Derek Grillo at a Struck Catering event
After 25 years in business, Worcester staple Struck Catering will shut its doors for good come Dec. 15.
Opened in 1999 by mother-son duo Barbara Cotter and Derek Grillo, Struck Catering was created as an extension of Struck Cafe, which Cotter opened at the age of 30 on Worcester’s Chandler Street in 1979. Offering catering services for events ranging from corporate gatherings to weddings to birthday parties, Struck has grown to employ approximately 60 wait and kitchen staff and bartenders.
“We’ve always always strove to do really great food and nice decor, working with different organizations and businesses throughout the city,” said Cotter.
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In 2018, Cotter was inducted into the WBJ Hall of Fame for her ability to grow Struck into an entity generating $1.5 million in annual sales and servicing about 350 clients a year at the time.
Cotter had been planning on retiring for a few years before finally deciding to close up shop this winter. After a packed fall in which every day of the week was booked, clients began booking out into 2025 and 2026, and Cotter knew it was time.
While Cotter is fully retiring from all operations, Grillo will manage the family-owned event venue Eastern Shores Club. Located at 206 S Quinsigamond Ave. in Shrewsbury, the venue will still be available to rent with a preferred caterer list.
“People keep saying to me, ‘You're not retiring. You've been saying this for years.’ And I'm like, ‘I'm doing it,’ and now that I've accepted it, I'm very happy that the decision is made,” said Cotter. “It's a hard decision to retire, but it's also a good thing.”
Mica Kanner-Mascolo is a staff writer at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the healthcare and diversity, equity, and inclusion industries.
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