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In April, The Casual Gourmet celebrates its 30th anniversary by giving back to the community. In May, Owner Olive Chase will be inducted as chairman of the Cape Cod Chamber Board of Directors. When considering ways to celebrate a business turning 30, one might think that a posh party would be an obvious choice for an upscale caterer such as The Casual Gourmet. But after not only surviving, but thriving, through 30 years of operation in Cape Cod’s seasonal economy, Owner Olive Chase is forgoing the party and instead, opting to support the community which has supported her company for the last three decades. Throughout the month of April, to coincide with the April 4th anniversary date, The Casual Gourmet will donate 10% of all pastry sales from both their Centerville café and the Scudder Family Café at the Hyannis Youth & Community Center (HYCC) to support programs at HYCC. The anniversary donation program will be in addition to The Casual Gourmet’s ongoing philanthropic efforts which include supporting Cape Cod Healthcare and Duffy Health Center, Heritage Museums & Gardens and Highfield Hall & Gardens, the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance, and the Pat Butler Foundation which supports children in the Town of Barnstable. While some might think of slowing down after 30 years of working the long hours associated with owning a business, Chase will be taking on more responsibility this May when she is inducted as the chair of the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors. Not only will she become just the third woman to hold the position in the chamber’s 90-plus year history – it was held previously by Dorothy Savarese, president and CEO of the Cape Cod Five, and Doreen Bilezikian, founder of the Christmas Tree Shops – The Casual Gourmet is cosponsoring and catering the chamber’s annual dinner at Heritage Museums & Gardens at which Chase will be inducted. Additionally, she is currently serving as the vice chairman and chair of the membership pillar of the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce, and is a member of the board of the Massachusetts Restaurant Association. In the past Chase served as the board chair for both the Cape Cod Lighthouse Charter School and Sturgis Charter Public School, and as the treasurer and a board member for the International Caterers Association. Chase, who opened The Casual Gourmet as a gourmet shop in Centerville in 1986 after working in area restaurants for many years, could be described as the ‘Accidental Caterer.’ “I started a business because I had a burning desire to work for myself. I wanted to open a restaurant, but I didn’t have enough money so I opened a gourmet shop,” she says. Not long after opening, “People came in and said ‘Do you do catering?’ and I said ‘yes,’” she says. It was an impromptu beginning for what has grown into the largest catering and foodservice company based on Cape Cod. In addition to catering weddings, and social and corporate events throughout Cape Cod, The Casual Gourmet operates Express Cafés at Heritage Museum & Gardens, Cape Cod Hospital and the Hyannis Youth & Community Center. A fourth Express Café will open at Falmouth Hospital in early April of this year with 10% of sales in the first month being donated to the hospital’s auxiliary. For additional information, or to arrange an interview, please contact Olive Chase at 508-775-4946.