The politicians take center stage. But for dozens of small local businesses, the Republican National Convention represents their own star turn. After a rigorous application process, the week brings an opportunity to showcase their wares, take part in American history — and give a big boost to their bottom line.
Kimberly McCune Gibson and her husband, Jimmy, own Hungry Bee Gourmet Catery in Chagrin Falls. Their cozy, blue-shingled shop has a black-and-white tiled floor and shelves dotted with bee and honey décor, a nod to McCune Gibson’s beekeeper father. About 25 miles north and east of Cleveland, it’s situated near farmland, and the Gibsons make an effort to source locally as much as they can. Next to the shop, white picket fencing surrounds a small area where their chickens can run free. The quiet, slow-paced scene is a stark contrast to what’s planned for the secured perimeters in downtown Cleveland during the convention.
The Gibsons are both classically trained chefs. They opened the doors to the Chagrin Falls shop about a 1½ years ago. “Seriously, with a few hundred dollars in our pocket,” Kimberly said. “We really are living our American dream.”
At the counter, pierogi — the Eastern European, potato-stuffed dumplings and northeast Ohio staple — were the takeaway dinner special. Kids in baseball uniforms asked their mom to grab strawberry or cherry fried pies out of baskets inside a wooden cupboard.
Back in the kitchen, Jimmy prepped crab cakes. And he and Kimberly exchanged thoughts on perhaps their biggest opportunity to date: Hungry Bee was one of 12 official caterers selected for the Republican National Convention in Cleveland.
“We started applying as soon as we found out it was coming to Cleveland. It was a lot of cooking tests, got to meet a lot of people,” Kimberly said of the process, which eventually whittled about 50 applicants down to the final dozen. “We brought so much to the table. I mean, we probably did like six different courses and we wanted to showcase the versatile ability that we have with our food. We do everything from pig roasts all the way up to five-diamond cuisine, so we really wanted to show them a nice variety of everything that we do.”
Choosing caterers, florists and other official vendors is the work of the Republican National Committee’s Committee on Arrangements, which handles planning, logistics and execution of the convention. The potential for that commerce is seen as a boon for local businesses. The Cleveland Host Committee, for example, expects northeast Ohio to reap $200 million in direct spending, based upon figures from the previous convention in Tampa in 2012.
Kimberly suggested a visit to her neighbor up the road in Chagrin Falls, Jeff Griff. Griff is the third-generation owner of Lowe’s Greenhouse, which is one of six official florists for the RNC.
Griff said the 90-year-old greenhouse and nursery had a place in history before the 2016 convention. “The founder of Lowe’s Greenhouse introduced the tuberous begonia to the United States after World War I,” he boasted.
To gain a competitive edge among 34 local florists contacted by the convention to begin the monthslong selection process, the Lowe’s staff called on previous RNC florists to get a sense of designs that had been well-received. They also incorporated some red, white and blue into their presentations.
The job of a convention caterer seems fairly obvious, especially with 50,000 visitors, including 15,000 credentialed media, coming to town. But what exactly does an official RNC florist do during convention week? They prepare flowers for inside the convention venue, in this case the Quicken Loans Arena, and work with dozens of party and event planners representing the 56 GOP delegations. “Just like if somebody was having a cocktail party at home or a birthday party or something like that, every one of those individuals has a little bit of a different idea and a different goal of what they’re shooting for,” Griff explained. “So it’s our job just to help fulfill their goals and make their party, or their event, as beautiful as possible.”
The number of events for which Lowe’s might provide arrangements was still undetermined in late June, and Griff was preparing his staff for anything, especially since security requirements dictate that all deliveries be made between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m. once the convention begins. “Everybody has to undergo a background check, and be approved before they can be allowed to go down within the perimeter of the RNC,” Griff said. “We’re actually submitting the names of the people not only that work here, but also friends and family,” to prepare for maximum workload.
Hungry Bee shut down operations in Chagrin Falls as of July 3 to focus on the RNC, and brought in extra help. “We’re calling people I went to college with in New York that are coming in to fly in and help us, people from Florida,” Kimberly said. “We’re just bringing all hands on deck.”
The Gibsons rented a condo in Cleveland for the week to be close to the convention site, rather than make the drive before and after busy days. Kimberly was mum about who exactly the caterer has been asked to feed, but hinted at notable names. “We’re small fish compared to a lot of other vendors at this RNC and this is a huge deal for us,” she said. “It’s going to impact our business and us personally.”
