Today we’d like to introduce you to Clinton Robinson.
Hi Clinton, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Our story really started with family. We began by cooking for small family gatherings, where food was always more than just something to eat — it was how we brought people together, created memories, and showed love. Over time, that passion grew, and one of the biggest turning points came through volunteering at a local soup kitchen for more than 9 years. That experience taught us how to cook for larger crowds, serve with consistency, and understand the impact a well-prepared meal can have on a community.
Interestingly, my educational background is actually in media broadcasting. I went to school and earned a degree in that field, but even with that path, food always kept calling me back. In 2009, I made the decision to fully shift into catering and build something that reflected both my creativity and my passion for hospitality.
Cooking has always been part of my foundation. My father was a professional chef, so I grew up around that influence, and it played a major role in shaping my appreciation for flavor, technique, and presentation. FLAVAZ Catering was created from that background and passion — with the goal of infusing different cooking techniques and bold flavors to create memorable bites and unforgettable experiences for every client we serve.
At the heart of it all is the belief behind our catch line: What’s Food Without FLAVAZ??!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Not at all. Like most businesses, the journey came with plenty of challenges and lessons. One of the biggest parts was building strong client relationships and earning people’s trust over time. In this industry, great food matters, but so does professionalism, consistency, and how you make clients feel throughout the entire process.
Another major learning curve was understanding the business side more deeply, especially financial literacy. Learning how to manage money, price services properly, and truly value our time was a huge part of the growth process. Early on, you can be so focused on delivering a great product that you don’t always realize how important it is to protect your time, your energy, and the long-term health of the business.
Balancing work and personal life has also been a challenge. Catering comes with long hours, early mornings, late nights, and a lot of behind-the-scenes effort that people don’t always see. It takes real discipline to keep showing up at a high level while also trying to maintain balance personally.
So no, it definitely has not been a smooth road, but every challenge helped shape FLAVAZ into what it is today. Those experiences taught us resilience, sharpened our professionalism, and helped us grow not just as a business, but as people.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
What we do is create happy moments, one bite at a time. At FLAVAZ Catering, we specialize in comfort food in all shapes, tastes, and sizes, but we bring it to the table with bold flavor, heart, and a memorable experience. Whether it’s a family celebration, community event, corporate function, or special occasion, our goal is always the same: to serve food that people genuinely enjoy and remember.
What I’m most proud of is the time we’ve poured into the community. From our annual Thanks4Giving events, to partnering with the local health department to help feed at-risk children, to serving the senior population across Southern Maryland, that community work means everything to us. It’s bigger than business. That’s the work that keeps us going and reminds us why we started in the first place.
What sets us apart is our story and the grind behind it. We built this company from the ground up. In the beginning, we were giving away free food at a local gas station, just trying to get people to taste what we had to offer and build a following one person at a time. From there, we kept growing through hard work, consistency, and dedication. We eventually purchased a truck and built our food truck from scratch with our own hands. Now we operate out of a 3,000 sq ft facility. Nothing was handed to us. Everything we have came from putting in the work, believing in the vision, and staying committed.
That’s what FLAVAZ is about: real work, real community, and real flavor. We’re proud to be a brand that people can count on for great food and genuine heart. As we always say, What’s Food Without FLAVAZ??!
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Absolutely. I believe entrepreneurship is risk from day one. There’s financial risk, emotional risk, physical risk, and personal risk. When you decide to build something of your own, you’re stepping into the unknown every day. You don’t always know where the next opportunity or income will come from, but you keep moving because you believe in the vision.
One of the biggest risks I took was building my company with my own finances. There was no funding and no outside financial backing, so everything came from my own pocket, my own savings, and my own willingness to invest in what I believed FLAVAZ could become. That means every decision carried weight, because it wasn’t just business money on the line, it was personal sacrifice.
Risk also shows up in ways people don’t always talk about. It can affect your personal relationships because of the amount of time, focus, and energy the business demands. It can affect your health too, especially in this industry, where you’re working long hours on your feet in physically demanding environments. There are endless risks involved in building a business.
But my perspective is that no risk is greater than the reward when you truly believe in what you’re building. For me, the reward is not just financial. It’s seeing the vision come to life, serving the community, creating opportunities, and building something from the ground up that people respect and remember. Risk is part of the journey, but so is growth, purpose, and the satisfaction of knowing you bet on yourself.
Pricing:
- Menu Dependent
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.301FLAVAZ.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/301FLAVAZ
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/301FLAVAZ
