November 14, 2018 at 5:00 p.m.
Lynn's Catering moves to bigger facility with more space for Meals on Wheels
Lynn's Catering moves to bigger facility with more space for Meals on Wheels
By Kayla Thomason-
According to owner Lynn Papineau, the business outgrew its original space, a small building in the downtown area, forcing her to start looking at other properties.
Eventually, she chose to build at 166 Menominee Drive near what used to be an old tennis court.
Papineau purchased the land in the fall of 2016, the building went up in August of 2017, and the electric and other interior work was completed over the winter. Papineau officially moved in over Memorial Weekend and a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held this week.
"It was the best move I made," Papineau said. "It took several years, cost-wise, of course, and it was kind of a steppingstone at a time to get to where I am at."
The building is 30-by-72 feet, with 18-by-20 feet being office space. There are three double stack ovens, and an 8-by-24 foot walk-in cooler and freezer. This comes in handy as the business is responsible for making meals for the Meals on Wheels program in five counties.
Papineau designed the building herself and is happy with how it turned out.
"I think I went a little bit bigger but I'm good with that and I have room to expand," she said.
The Meals on Wheels operation makes approximately 550 to 600 meals per day Monday through Friday.
Papineau's team consists of seven people who deliver the food to senior centers or ADRCs in Oneida, Lincoln, Langlade, Vilas and Taylor counties.
"(I'm) very happy, very proud of what I do and the program and feeding the seniors, I think that's a very important program," Papineau said, reflecting on the trajectory of her business. "It warms my heart that they have people looking after the seniors, just to make sure that they have meals and plenty of food."
Julie Van Handel, from the Elcho meal site, likes the new facility.
"It's nice, nice and big," she said.
She praised Papineau and her team for the work they do.
"They do a very good job," Van Handel said. "If we didn't have her then the meals wouldn't get out."
Barb Hartwig, nutrition supervisor for Lincoln and Langlade counties, also likes the new facility.
"We love it, it is beautiful," she said. "We did see her old facility a few years back and this is just gorgeous."
Lynn's Catering delivers food to seven facilities in Hartwig's region, which serves several hundred individuals.
"I go out and I visit a lot of the people that receive the Meals on Wheels and I always ask them how they like the food and I get a lot of good comments that they just love it, they can't believe how good it is," Hartwig said.
In addition to Meals on Wheels, Lynn's Catering also does weddings, banquets, meetings and parties.
For more information on those services, call (715) 369-1090 or email [email protected].
Kayla Thomason may be reached at [email protected].
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