When people come in, they know what they’re getting,” she says. “We’ve adapted and changed the way we do things, but we’ve kept our Carrot Cake recipe for 19 years. That’s likely why they keep coming back, day after day, year after year, decade after decade.īoasting hundreds of recipes between her café and catering business, Kay won’t tweak her fan favorites, as long as they keep getting rave reviews. Patrons may not understand the extent of the team’s labors, but they can taste the difference. Refusing to buy pre-shredded chicken, the Café Iz team does the deed themselves, cooking up to 200 pounds a day. Once sandwiched between a revolving door of neighboring tenants, Café Iz has stood the test of time, thanks to Kay’s abiding commitment to not cutting corners. We’re not buying cubed cheese and frozen chicken fingers,” says the scratch-made purist. We’re very proud of what we cook because we take it very seriously. “We’ll set aside several hours for the tasting, and they’ll love it. Kay’s clients are often incredulous at her ability to recreate authentic ethnic cuisines, but she’s unfazed by their skepticism.

We research the recipes, shop at the Asian market, and we make it happen,” says Kay, who’s currently developing a total Vietnamese tasting menu. “We did an entirely Chinese menu for a Chinese family for their wedding, and we learned at that point that we can do it. The dauntless chef will depart from her comfort foods and American favorites. Veering into new territory is an inspiriting task, as Kay isn’t known to give anything other than her best effort. “I know what brides need, as a caterer-and a mom,” Kay says, self-assuredly. Preparations are already underway for the winter weddings she’s catering. Her team tackled the challenge with finesse, and quickly became accustomed to the high demands of the event-planning business. Let me get my notebook, and I’ll be right back,’” Kay recounts.Ī 600-person shindig would intimidate most catering novices but not Kay. I was going around to each guest, asking if they enjoyed their meals, and one lady asked, ‘Do you cater?’ I said, ‘Yeah we do. “When I say it happened by accident, I mean it. Her first event came by way of a customer inquiry, during Kay’s nightly table checks. Kay may appear to have her hands full, but as long as her customers are satiated, she’s unbothered by the workload. Some of Kay’s most popular items, like her Good Stuff Granola, Chicken Salad and Chocolate Mousse Bombs, are also available at local grocery stores. The café’s evening offerings change daily and rotate weekly, a blessing to her regulars who’d rather stop by every day than slave over dirty dishes. Now, café patrons can pick up dinner or dessert for later, even on holidays the in-laws won’t know the difference. Over the years, Kay expanded from a dine-in café and bakery in Rocky Ridge to a catering and wholesale business. That was the beginning of Everything Iz, the catch-all brand for Kay’s multiple culinary ventures, each created at her customers’ behest. Nearly 20 years ago, Kay pulled the plug on her fine dining restaurant and set out to satisfy her community’s unmet needs-and caffeine cravings.

“People begged me to open for breakfast, so they could get a cup of coffee,” recalls Kay, then-owner of a white tablecloth tapas joint.Īnd so, she did.

Kay, a pioneer in the Vestavia Hills business landscape, remembers a time when a cuppa joe wasn’t something locals could easily find outside of their own kitchens. A hallmark of modern times, the ubiquitous neighborhood coffee shop is too often taken for granted, Café Iz Owner Kay Reed will have you know.

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