Vibrant Occasions Honored as Best of Catering and Best Place to Work Finalist

Vibrant Occasions Catering team named a finalist in AY Magazine's "Best of Catering" and "Best Place to Work" categories for 2025. Photo by Lori Sparkman Photography.

Vibrant Occasions named finalist in AY Magazine's "Best of Catering" & "Best Place to Work" categories, highlighting culinary excellence and workplace culture.

BENTON, AR, UNITED STATES, May 7, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Vibrant Occasions Catering has been recognized as one of Arkansas's top three businesses in two categories by readers of AY Magazine. The company was named a finalist in both "Best of Catering" and "Best Place to Work" in the magazine's annual "Best of 2025" readers' poll.

Being selected as a finalist places Vibrant Occasions among an exclusive group of businesses across Arkansas. According to AY Magazine, the contest includes nearly 250 categories, with only three finalists named in each category from thousands of businesses statewide. The selection process began with public nominations in January, followed by a voting period from February to March that gathered hundreds of thousands of votes.

"We are honored to be recognized by the readers of AY Magazine in not just one, but two categories," said Chef Serge Krikorian, who co-owns Vibrant Occasions with his wife, Mary. "This recognition reflects our team's dedication to creating exceptional dining experiences and maintaining a positive workplace culture."

This recognition in the "Best Place to Work" category reflects the company’s commitment to heart leadership principles. After attending the Make It Better Everyday (MIBE) conference in Denver, Colorado, Vibrant Occasions implemented a company culture club called MIVE—"Make It Vibrant Everyday"—focused on creating genuine connections with team members and fostering a positive work environment.

"Our workplace culture is built on our core values of growth, innovation, balance, awesomeness, and integrity," said Mary Krikorian. "We've invested in creating an employee-centric environment where team members feel valued and empowered, which has resulted in a low 7.6% turnover rate for regular full and part-time staff over the past four years."

The focus on heart leadership has earned Vibrant Occasions multiple recognitions, including the Heart Leader of the Year award at the Inaugural MIBE Awards ceremony in 2023. The company culture initiatives include team gatherings, cross-training events, community service projects, and team-building activities.

In the "Best of Catering" category, Vibrant Occasions is recognized for having built a reputation for exceptional culinary experiences at social and corporate events throughout Arkansas. The company specializes in creating customized menus featuring international fusion cuisine prepared with fresh, high-quality ingredients. Clients consistently praise the professional service, attention to detail, and memorable food presentations that have become hallmarks of Vibrant Occasions' catering services.

The overall winners of AY's Best of 2025 are announced in the June 2025 issue of the magazine. Being named among the top three in multiple categories confirms Vibrant Occasions' position as one of Arkansas's leading catering services and employers.

About Vibrant Occasions Catering:
Chef Serge Krikorian and his wife, Mary Krikorian, started their catering business in 2002 and have been in the family restaurant business since 1994. Having catered thousands of events over the years as Dinner’s Ready, they launched Vibrant Occasions Catering, a new name that more accurately depicts the level of food and service provided at weddings and social events. Krikorian was born in Lebanon and moved to the United States with his family as an adult entering college. He now hails from the quaint town of Benton, Arkansas. His southern hospitality paired with his penchant for developing unique international fusion-style recipes, especially sauces, has garnered his reputation as foodies' fan favorite in his community and now on the Youtube space for his cooking show, Cooking with the Kriks. After years of dreaming about owning a mobile kitchen, in December 2020, Serge and Mary launched Our Mobile Kitchen with the intention of providing fresh, 5-star quality chef-prepared cuisine to patrons visiting where the mobile kitchen is parked or on site for catered weddings and social, private or corporate events. Krikorian is an alumnus of Henderson State University where he studied business earning his Bachelor’s Degree and met his wife, Mary. He earned his MBA from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. Serge became a restaurant entrepreneur when he purchased an old, run-down pizza parlor he and Mary revived called Sergio’s Pizza. After a few years, they knew the restaurant business was not for them. Mary booked their first official catering gig, much to Serge’s surprise. They began receiving more and more requests for catering luncheons and events. The catering business took over after six months and they never looked back. They have three sons who often work in the business around their academic and career schedules, making their enterprise a family-built business.

To explore the array of catering options offered at Vibrant Occasions, please contact:
Mary Krikorian
Managing Partner
Vibrant Occasions
@vibrantoccasionscatering
Email: mary@vibrantoccasionscatering.com

For media inquiries about Vibrant Occasions, please contact:
Meredith Corning
PR Agent
Meredith Corning PR
@meredithcorningpr
Email: meredith@meredithcorning.com

Meredith Corning
Vibrant Occasions Catering
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