JMFou’s Catering & Party Planning, LLC
The journey of JMFou’s Catering & Party Planning, LLC began in 2005—unexpectedly, yet purposefully. At the time, the Founder and CEO was a single mother facing a seemingly impossible challenge: her son had been selected to study abroad in Australia for 20 days as a Student Ambassador, and the $5,000 required to make it happen was beyond reach. Fueled by determination and a deep love for cooking, she began selling homemade dinners every Thursday through Saturday at work, church, and throughout the community.
In just six weeks, over $7,500 was raised. The outpouring of support and appreciation for her food was overwhelming and eye-opening—people genuinely loved her cooking. What started as a necessity became a passion-fueled path toward entrepreneurship.
Over the next seven years, that humble beginning evolved into a growing business. JMFou’s began receiving catering contracts from public, private, and personal organizations, all while the founder balanced a full-time job, parenting, and college.
Inception
2012In 2012, Joan-Marie extended the vision to her god-sister, Johnita Cross, who also shared a love for cooking. Johnita graciously accepted, and together, they took JMFou’s to the next level.
It's official
2014JMFou’s became an official vendor for both the Newark and East Orange Boards of Education. Today, the company provides weekly meals to athletic teams within the Newark Board of Education, ensuring athletes are nourished before their games or matches. JMFou’s also caters events for superintendents, principals, teachers, and students—offering full-service meals for staff development days, leadership meetings, teacher appreciation events, family nights, and more.
Newark
2019JMFou’s was honored to become a vendor for the City of Newark. This prestigious opportunity opened doors to serve City Officials, stakeholders, congressmen, and guests of the city at various functions.
More to the story
Rooted in community, JMFou’s proudly partners with local soup kitchens, churches, women’s shelters, and the YMWCA, consistently paying it forward by providing meals to those in need.
In addition to our institutional and community partnerships, we provide private catering for weddings, graduations, baby showers, birthday celebrations, repasts, family reunions, and other personal milestones. Our mission is simple: to deliver exceptional food with five-star service that leaves every client smiling.
At JMFou’s, we don’t just serve meals—we serve moments. Each plate carries our passion, excellence, and gratitude. While the future is still unfolding, our dream is to open a full-service catering hall that hosts both in-house and outside events. One thing is certain—our commitment to quality, service, and heart will always be our signature ingredient.