
Bud & Alley’s owner Dave Rauschkolb is expanding his food services to include catering - ideal for events large and small. Photo by Kurt Lischka for SoWal.com
Dave Rauschkolb is always on the hunt for new adventure and ways to expand and improve his business. Although he loves all that the beach life has to offer, you’d be hard pressed to find someone working harder in South Walton. His recent announcement to open Bud & Alley’s WaterFront Restaurant in Panama City Beach made a big splash, but a new venture closer to home is also big news.
Rauschkolb has always wanted to increase his catering business, but didn’t have enough room in the kitchens of his ever-popular Seaside eateries — Bud & Alley’s, Taco Bar and Pizza Bar. In 2013, he began the hunt for a large kitchen able to handle off-site catering for weddings and events. Meanwhile, down the street in Grayton Beach, Kim Pitchford, owner of Dine by Design, was looking to sell her building and move into a smaller space. It was just what he was looking for and Rauschkolb offered to buy it, but soon he had an even better plan. By his own account, he “had an epiphany that night” that has since led to the perfect marriage — Bud & Alley’s Dine by Design.
He bought the entire operation from Pitchford and hired her as the executive chef. Her reputation as a catering chef in South Walton is solid and she’s accustomed to high volume, catering more than 150 events just last year, many with over 200 people.
“It’s the best of both worlds,” Pitchford says. “We have years of experience working all types of venues from Pensacola to Apalachicola, and Bud & Alley’s is an incredibly respected brand with a loyal following.”
“I am super excited to have a professional kitchen and chef in place and ready to hit the ground running,” Rauschkolb says.
The full-scale catering firm has a large kitchen with everything needed to serve hundreds of guests and together, Rauschkolb and Pitchford are ready to take on the 2014 wedding season. Bud and Alley’s Dine by Design will now be able to bring the coastal cuisine everyone loves, to your special event anywhere in South Walton.
“For nearly 30 years, Bud and Alley’s has been a treasured venue for creating amazing weddings and special events,” Rauschkolb says.
So whether you already have a venue and need your event catered or you wish to have your party at one of Bud & Alley’s great venues, they can bring it all together for you. Bud & Alley’s Dine by Design Catering offices are at 54 Logan Lane in Grayton Beach. To book special events and weddings, contact Toni at (850) 217-4535 or toni@budandalleys.com or visit Bud & Alley's website..

Bud & Alley’s Dine By Design Catering is a welcome expansion of the Bud & Alley’s brand. Photo by Kurt Lischka for SoWal.com