Today we’d like to introduce you to Don Bender.
Don, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I used to love to throw annual backyard horseshoe tournaments hosting over 150 friends and family members. I often had difficulty enjoying my guests because I was too busy cooking on the grill and making sure my guests were happy! After 13 years of holding these parties, I realized the enormous amount of work that it took to plan and organize these events while trying to host, cook, socialize and savor the memories of a great day. I thought if I was struggling to enjoy my party so much, then other party hosts did as well. So, I decided to do what I loved best: roast pigs and grill BBQ meats for other people’s events so they could sit back, relax and enjoy their family and friends. I officially started Double D Special Events in the fall of 2004 to provide top quality, onsite catered food, entertainment and party rental equipment and have been planning successful parties in the Chicagoland area ever since.
My success is based on developing long-lasting relationships with customers, employees, vendors, and friends who have become the backbone for the newest operation: DD Pig Roasts. My well-prepared quality food products make for satisfied customers which helps retain and build a growing customer list – over 1000!
DD Pig Roasts offers a unique blend of products and services that sets us apart from the competition. We do all of our cooking on-site, over Kingsford charcoal, using rotisserie equipped cookers following a slow cooking technique. Our high-quality pigs have come from the same butcher over the past twelve years and are prepped by us and formulated for slowly roasting over charcoal. DD Pig Roasts is inspected regularly by the Will County Illinois Department of Health, consistently passing with high marks. My lead crew members and I attend Health Department clinics each year and in turn train staff in the safe handling of foods for events.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
When I originally had the idea to establish my own business, it was exciting but I was unsure of how I was going to provide the public the service that I wanted to create. Soon I established a staff with exceptional crew members and was able to provide service to thousands of people. One of my biggest challenges as a small family-owned business is not being able to provide more than 4-5 parties in one day. There are many times I turn down multiple jobs on the same date because I am already booked for events planned well in advance. I wish I could serve more people because I am confident that my crews and I provide excellent service to help create fun and memorable events for people all over the Chicagoland area.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
DD Pig Roasts and Double D Special Events have served more than 130,000 people at over 1,200 events including but not limited to corporate celebrations, weddings, fundraisers, tailgates, graduations, birthdays, anniversaries, neighborhood block parties, bar promotions, churches/organizations and holiday events.
Whether organizing the event with you in person or via the internet, our goal is to make your job as stress-free as possible and help create a very fun and relaxing event for all. We even have special pricing for events over 300 people, so be sure to call and book your party well in advance with me to secure your special date. Our mission is to provide great tasting food, so you are 100% satisfied. We do this by selecting top quality meats, sides and vegetables that we cook on site for all to see.
Our four DD crews prepare delicious slow roasted pigs served both plain and/or smothered in our own original BBQ sauce that has a light “kick”. Slow roasted pig is not the only thing we love to cook. We also provide hickory smoked Creole marinated beef brisket and marinated chicken breasts which are also fan favorites.
DD PIG ROASTS also provides a unique catering service for 3 shift events serving employees over a 24 hour period which sometimes requires us to travel to multiple branch locations. This allows opportunities for all employees to enjoy the freshly prepared menu. Having the pig roasted and meal cooked onsite makes employees feel appreciated and recognized!
I think our onsite catering and traditional pig pulling show sets us apart from others. Most caterers just bring out the food and drop it off. Some will start cooking at their place and finish it on-site usually for an extra fee. But not DD Pig Roasts. We give our customers an on-site cooking show at every event. Our friendly staff is on-site, sometimes up to 18 hours, until we have cleaned up and packed up for the trip home. During this time we have the opportunity to spend quality time with our customers and develop long lasting relationships that happily provided us with many repeat clients.
Our willingness to assist the host or hostess makes us different from the rest. We are always offering a hand to help set up for the party as needed. Be it in the sunshine, rain or snow we arrive, most often during the night or at dawn, with our grills and roasters, set up and cook for you over Kingsford charcoal. Our tried and true slow-cooked process results in lip-smacking goodness. As many of our repeat customers will attest, it takes a while to prepare your special menu but nothing beats the taste. The fun gets rolling while we pull the pig and pictures are encouraged!! We provide the serving tables and plastic ware for your guests and after serving, we clean up and leave you the leftovers packaged in foil.
What are you most proud of as a company? My staff.
They take great pride in making your party one to remember! Our entire staff is uniformed, polite and knowledgeable. They will work hard to provide you with top quality food and service! All of our crew leaders are Illinois Food Service Certified. They go out of their way to not only cook your food but can help you set up the party as well. Don’t be bashful in asking for help from them as they are a great resource to help make your party one remember! We facilitate good parties and people go home raving about the food and service.
My success has been driven by creating a company and doing something I love. I take pride in the development of long-lasting relationships with customers, employees, vendors, and friends. I am passionate about how I do what I do!
What were you like growing up?
When I was a kid, I used to have multiple jobs, and watch my dad run a business. I enjoyed sports, worked hard and was very competitive. I was always motivated and explored new things. These characteristics carried through my adult life and now here I am running and loving my own business.
My success has always been a result of going above and beyond the customer’s expectation, being friendly, honest, courteous, flexible, prepared, and prompt for all my events.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ddpigroast.com
- Phone: 708-473-5373
- Email: donbender@ddpigroast.com
- Facebook: Double D Pig Roast
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
