Star City 6 – Nathan Newhouse
Established in 2002 in Omaha, Attitude on Food (AOF; www.attitudeonfood.com) is a full-service catering company that recently expanded its operations to serve clients in the Lincoln area as well. Nathan Newhouse is the owner of Attitude on Food.
Tell us a little about your business. – We cater all types of events but our strongest numbers are weddings and corporate functions. We customize nearly all of our menus and we focus on not just giving our clients and their guests great food and service, but also an experience they’ll remember for years to come. In 2015, I partnered with my Director of Operations, Melissa Tibben. She has over 17 years of catering experience in the area and has brought so much to AOF.
How did you get started in the business? – My parents were entrepreneurs who had a couple of restaurants and always loved to cook. I realized that everyone has to eat, so I went with it. I finished a four-year apprenticeship in Australia and opened my first restaurant in my early 20’s.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced professionally? – We ended up moving to a larger location at the worst possible time…the recession. We needed a bigger space to continue our steady growth, so it had to be done. A lot of people thought we were closing and were leery about signing contracts. We restructured our operations and are proud to say we made it through unscathed.
What has been your most important achievement professionally? – In 2014, AOF took home the prestigious ACE award (Achievement in Catering Excellence) for the West region. There were 5 finalists and it was us who took the win. It was a really proud moment, because it was a victory that was the work of our entire team.
Tell us a little about your family. – I have 4 beautiful children (3 sons and a daughter) who are my everything! They are busybodies with an unlimited amount of energy. My oldest son works for us part time. The rest of my family resides in Australia, but I try to visit them once a year or every other year. I just got back from a visit in mid-April; it’s very relaxing and it gets harder leaving them all each time. I stay with my mom and she loves to cook me breakfast every morning.
What do you see as one of the biggest turning points in your life? – Making the decision to stop working for someone else and open my own business. It was a scary decision, but one I am so grateful that I made. I hadn’t been in the states very long when I made this decision.
What is your favorite thing to do on a day off? – I enjoy racing cars, going to estate sales and spending time with friends and family.
What is the most unique or interesting thing about you that most people probably don’t know? – I’m a certified scuba diver, and I was an EMT and volunteer fireman in Murray, NE.
What are you the most proud of? – Creating a successful business that allows me to provide for my family, and having an amazing business partner and team who allow me to take time away from work to spend with them.
What local non-profit organization(s) are you passionate about or involved with, and are there any special reasons why? – Saving Grace (savinggracefoodrescue.org). Feeding the hungry is something all of us at AOF are passionate about.
If our readers would like to contact you, how should they do so? – Call (402) 341-3663, email me at nathan@attitudeonfood.com, or visit our website at www.attitudeonfood.com.