Paradise Catering and Bakery-Improving the World With Every Bite

When people say they’re “in paradise,” they are usually describing a state of complete happiness, satisfaction, and tranquility. They’re referring to a place or situation that gives them a sense of absolute pleasure and fulfillment. This “paradise” can be physical, like being in a beautiful and relaxing location. Or it can be emotional or spiritual; feeling completely satisfied and content with life at that moment. It’s an expression that highlights a state of joy and well-being. You will experience all of these with each and every bite of anything that the lovely gals from Paradise Catering & Bakery craft with their magical hands, real ingredients and absolute passion. 

Paradise Catering & Bakery was established in 2000 in a small farming town in Western NY State. A mother daughter business, Paradise initially started as a health food store and cafe. There was an emphasis on whole foods, natural ingredients and a healthy lifestyle. Over the next 15 yrs mom, (Pam Eastman) and daughter (Rachel Chase) grew the business to include cooking classes & community based programs.

Their crowning glory, “Project Paradise “ was conceived because their home county led the way in poverty, childhood obesity, diabetes, teen pregnancy & childhood hunger. The project was open to kids aged 6-18. The mother and daughter team created a garden and had cooking classes using the gardens bounty. They also created a marketing program with logo & T-Shirts and produced salsa to sell at the local farmers market. They were even visited by their state senator Karhy Young and her welcome buffett was created by the Kids! 

At the end of the summer, the participants decided to donate half the income from the salsa sales to ending childhood hunger. They presented each child with a check, certificate & T-Shirt.

When Paradise Catering decided to leave the cold & snow behind, they chose their beloved Puerto Rico and found a loving, welcoming community on the west coast.

In 2015 they began to sell every Sunday at the Rincón farmers market. There they presented tables full of cookies, cakes, focaccia & quiche. They felt blessed to have so many loyal customers that became family and they grew again. 

On September 20th, 2017, when Hurricane Maria struck the island, it profoundly impacted everyone’s lives. Maria severely disrupted infrastructure, resulting in shortages of food, water, power, communication, and assistance. Despite this adversity, the community persevered and collectively rose again. By the end of October 2017, Paradise was providing a bowl of whatever food they could find, accompanied by their “Hurricane Rolls” baked along with cakes & pies on their Gas Grill! That was the beginning of their now famous “Bowl Busters”!

When the pandemic hit the island in 2020 and the farmer’s market closed, Paradise made its next big switch. They began providing prepared meals & dessert for pre-order pickup. They also started their Pay-It-Forward meals program for people in the community. Additionally, they began delivering free meals to seniors on the plaza before any Covid federal funds were available.

They soon found a new home on the busy corner of 413 across from Cafe 2 Go under the pavilion of Wake & Break food truck, where they still sell every Tuesday morning. This sell day quickly became a hub of communication & planning for many in the community.

24 years after their foundation, Paradise is still a Mom & Daughter business; still providing honest, affordable food, still teaching and still community activists. Pam and Rachel continue to improve the world and inspire real change with every delicious bite.