Jeffrey Metz, with scissors in hand, president & CEO of Metz Culinry Management Environmental Services, stands to the left of Carl Beardsley, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport executive director, as they cut the ribbon at The Venue by Culinary Creations, and entertaining event destination located at the doorstep of the airport across from the Best Western Plus, Dupont.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Facility getting plenty of use after opening
Representative of Metz Culinary and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport were on hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony held Thursday. Left to right: Jeffrey Metz, Metz Culinary president & CEO; Kathi Bankes, Metz director of catering; Carl Beardley, WBS International Airport executive director; Maureen Metz, Metz executive vice president; Rick Sell, Metz restaurant operations vice president.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Kathi Bankes, Metz director of catering, stands next to a Smart Fridge by Byte. It’s a cooler stocked and serviced by Metz utilizing credit card technology. Fresh food is stocked automatically by Metz.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
The Venue dining room is capable of seating 125 guests for dinner and up to 200 for a cocktail party.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
The Venue’s hand-crafted bar is a setting for gathering at any event.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
The Venue’s small dining room can easily seat 40 people for dining or meeting. An overhead projector is provided for slides or illustrations. The room also includes a fireplace.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
You can relax at The Venue’s soft seating room capable of seating 20 people. The room includes a fireplace.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
DUPONT – A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place on a sunny Thursday afternoon as Metz Culinary opened its doors of The Venue by Culinary Creations, an event destination located across from the Best Western Plus at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport.
President & CEO Jeffrey Metz was on hand to do the honors of cutting the ribbon along side of Carl Beardsley, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport executive director, as well as officials from the Wyoming Valley, Scranton and Pittston Chambers of Commerce.
PA State Rep. Jim Haddock and representatives of Congressman Rob Bresnahan and PA State Sen. Marty Flynn offices were also present for the ceremony.
An open house was held from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the facility at 28 Concorde Court Drive, Dupont.
The building, owned by the airport, was completely remodeled by Metz Culinary two-years ago. It was previously occupied by Damon’s Grill & Sports Bar and later The Tipsy Turtle.
“We approached Carl (Beardsley) and said, ‘Hey, give us an opportunity; we can turn this into an event space, we’ll put some money into it and make it a beautiful facility.’ We do all kinds of catering events here and Kathi Bankes (Metz director of catering) handles the catering, and we have a full kitchen to handle any size party.”
The Venue has a large dining room capable of seating 125 comfortably or up to 200 for a cocktail party. There is a spacious hand-crafted bar as well as smaller dining room equipped with a large screen for meeting and a fireplace.
There is an additional room with soft seating for 20 people also housing a fireplace.
The outdoor patio facility is a comfortable place with a view of the northern end of Wyoming Valley.
After two-years, the result has been exceptional and Metz feels it could only get better.
“We are just filling this place including a luncheon we had today and we had to turn it over for tonight,” Metz said. “The word is getting out. The great part is, it’s easy access from Lackawanna County and Luzerne County and we have Pittston right here and we have access to all these communities to come in and utilize the space here.”
Metz said The Venue is convenient for those flying into the airport while staying at the Best Western Plus on the other side of the parking lot for events.
Bankes said The Venue, complete with ample parking, is set up for corporate events, private gatherings, weddings and class reunions
“We’re excited to have the opportunity to share what The Venue brings to the community,” Bankes said. “Our goal was to create a space where people can bring their event vision to life, knowing our team will execute it flawlessly. Whether it’s an intimate dinner or a grand celebration, we’re here to make it spectacular.”
Also, showcased at the open house was a Smart Fridge by Byte Technology. The Smart Fridge is a modern take of a food truck that can be placed indoors at a work site.
The food, which is monitored daily at the home office, is freshly made and stocked regularly by Metz Culinary.
Brian Bachman, Metz Culinary vice president of purchasing and culinary, said there are approximately 50 coolers out in the market place from Maine to Florida and in the Midwest including several in and around Wyoming Valley.
“Metz provides the coolers and provide the food,” Bachman said. “We have a goal of providing people fresh food and not just vending food. We have fresh salads, fresh wraps, fresh sandwiches along with some vending items like drinks and chips.”
Bachman said Metz can provide each cooler according to the requests of those housing the coolers.
“If the client wants fried chicken tenders, we can do that,” Bachman added. “If they want healthier stuff, we can do that too.”
To access food and drinks from the cooler, you’ll need a credit card. Once you use your card, you can open the door to select your food choice. Once the door closes, the credit card machine will then automatically charge you for what you take.
If you have any questions on having an event at The Venue or if you are interested in hosting the Smart Fridge, contact Kathi Bankes at 570-310-1618 or go to www.culinarycreationsbymetz.com.
