Crave’s hospitality roots run deep here in Austin and Hill Country. Our small but mighty team dreamed big in 1999 when we launched our corporate catering and concierge services company during a time when the area’s business scene took off running.
Fast forward a couple years. Texas Hill Country transforms into a top wedding destination, and our business evolves to encompass fine dining, elaborate weddings and social events. Fast forward again. Inspired by Austin’s growth and desirability, we expanded even more, taking on large events primarily led by destination management companies and marketing and PR firms. In harnessing strong relationships with talented event planners, we pushed the limits of our team’s full potential.
With Austin fulfilling its food-centric identity, we continued to grow and take on team members who emulate the level of passion Kim and Leslie have instilled into our company. Along the way, we’ve also expanded our venue partners and have become a leader in providing exceptional service that clients can rely on and trust.
With several awards and many five-star reviews under the belt, our team enjoys coordinating large events for some of the most reputable companies in the world and helping couples’ wedding dreams come true. Over the last 25 years, we’ve learned the secret to giving everyone we meet a big, warm Texas welcome.
Chef Team
Kim Price
Crave’s Co-owner and Executive Chef, Kim Price, began her career 25 years ago in a bakery and then honed her culinary skills over years of experience in several five-star hotels in Houston. After gaining respect as an accomplished chef, Kim left the restaurant industry to pursue her dream of launching an Austin catering business.
Favorite Part of the Job: Making people happy with food.
Favorite Food: Crave Chips & Salsa
Hobbies: Painting, Cycling, & Reading
Dream Vacation Spot: Kralendijk, Bonaire
Anthonys Diaz
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Favorite Food : Lasagna
Hobby : Reading
Dream Vacation Spot : Guatemala
Favorite Part of the Job: The creativity it allows me to express.
Alex Rodriguez
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Favorite Food: Mofongo
Hobby: Hiking
Dream Vacation Spot: A Mediterranean cruise
Favorite Part of the Job: Everyday is a new learning experience and it keeps life interesting.
Amelia Flores
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Favorite Food: Carbonara Pasta
Hobby: Swimming
Dream Vacation Spot: Ibiza
Favorite Part of the Job: No longer having to cook at home because I always get to bring home leftovers of the things we worked on that day!
Sales Team
Aimee Villa
Aimee has been a part of the Crave family since 2013. Prior to this, she owned an event planning company that executed weddings and corporate events. A teambuilder at heart, Aimee enjoys being able to work closely with her coworkers and the chefs to create unique experiences and menus for her clients. When away from work, you can find Aimee enjoying water activities, seeing live music or playing with her pup, Beignet.
Favorite Food: Lobster Cobb Salad
Hobbies: Puzzling, building Legos, and reading
Dream Vacation Spot : St. Kitts/Nevis
Favorite Part of the Job: Seeing a client’s vision come to life at their events.
Erica Edie
Erica, Houston native, joined the Crave crew in 2018. Previously, she was a general manager for a full-service catering company in Dallas. She even helped open a venue called 450. As a catering events manager, Erica is interested in creating dynamic events. “Clients are looking for an out-of-town experience. It’s all about making experiences unique without being too repetitive.”
BBQ: Texas BBQ enthusiast.
Hobbies: I love to fish and cook.
Dream Vacation Spot : Take me to Spain!
Favorite Part of the Job: Coming up with incredible and fun menus to create a lasting experience.
Meredith McAllister
Meredith joined the Crave Team in 2019. She found her passion for weddings and catering while working her way from Intern to Sales Manager at Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards in Charlottesville, Virginia. She is interested in executing weddings with highly personalized and sentimental touches to the couples she works with. When she’s not at work, you can find her exploring restaurants on her quest for the best cheeseburger and best cheese board in Austin.
Favorite Food : Anything involving cheese… Bonus fun fact: has a cheeseburger tattoo.
Hobby : Cooking! I love trying new recipes and working with new ingredients.
Favorite Part of the Job: Forming relationships with all my couples and helping bring their visions to life.
Dream Vacation Spot: The southern coast of France!
Administrative Team
Leslie Lasorsa
Leslie LaSorsa, CSEP has over 15 years of experience in the events industry as the General Manager of Crave Catering. She is a native of Chicago, grew up in Houston and made her way to Austin to attend The University of Texas earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting. Leslie became an Auditor for PWC and earned her CPA. She then went on to hold various corporate accounting positions all over the US before making her way back to Austin and joining Crave. Leslie has been a leader in the events community in Austin having held board positions for 6 terms ending with the role of President.
Favorite Part of the Job: Being a part of something new every day!
Favorite Food: Spaghetti & Meatballs
Favorite Cocktail: Old Fashioned
Hobbies: Spending time with friends, family and her puppies, vacations, and exploring fun stuff.
Favorite Vacation Spot: Hawaii
Debbie Stratton
Debbie joined our team in late 2016. She is our Office Manager and handles our accounting and payroll functions. She comes to us with a strong background in finance and small business administration.
Favorite Part of the Job: Balancing
Favorite Foods: Chocolate
Favorite Cocktails: Champagne
Hobbies: Master at raising orchids and traveling
Dream Vacation Spot: Anywhere the sun is shining over 70 degrees
We’re a collaborative, open-door kind of team. Everyone feels comfortable learning and growing together. We like that special blend of work and fun—whether we’re putting together a proposal for our next awesome event or sampling a delicious dish the culinary team is whipping up.