Industry News for December 21, 2024

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Rosemary Kowalski, beloved founder of The RK Group, on December 10, 2024. A devoted mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Rosemary's life was an extraordinary journey of faith, service, and vision that transformed San Antonio's hospitality landscape. 
From opening a small barbecue diner with her husband Hank in 1946 to building one of the nation's most respected catering and event companies, Rosemary's impact was felt far and wide. Her innovative spirit led to Catering by Rosemary becoming the exclusive provider for HemisFair ’68 and, later, the Henry B. González Convention Center. Over the decades, she set the standard for excellence in hospitality, serving dignitaries, celebrities, and local families alike.Rosemary’s legacy extends beyond business; her lifelong commitment to philanthropy enriched countless lives. She held leadership roles in numerous organizations, received countless honors - including induction into the Texas Business Hall of Fame - and always embodied grace, kindness, and a deep love for her community. 

Obituary

Rosemary Kowalski, loving mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, passed away on December 10, 2024 surrounded by her family. From her modest beginnings on the southside of San Antonio to industry magnate and longtime community contributor, Rosemary became an integral part of San Antonio’s history and a driver of its future as a hospitality leader. 

Rosemary Kowalski during a 2020 ACE-nominated event with THE RK Group. Photo courtesy The RK Group

In looking back upon her remarkable life founded upon her strong spiritual faith and commitment to serving others, it would be impossible to properly tell her story without also including her own words. 

Born on September 27, 1924, Rosemary was the only child of Virginia Mergele Hughes and William Upton Hughes. First attending Blessed Sacrament Academy and Incarnate Word Elementary School, she went on to graduate from Incarnate Word High School. 

In 1945, she married her Air Force sweetheart, Henry “Hank” Kowalski. Together, the couple pursued their own business dreams and using Hank’s military mustering-out pay opened the doors to Uncle Ben’s Bar-B-Q Diner in 1946, serving a steady stream of neighborhood devotees from a tiny kitchen. As Rosemary herself described, “we worked side by side in what was basically a ‘beer joint’ that catered to Trinity and St. Mary’s students.” 

Notably too during these already-busy days, Rosemary and Hank also welcomed the arrivals of daughter Mary Virginia in 1949 and then son Greg in 1951, both of whom would ultimately take active and influential roles in growing the family business. 

Word of the diner’s offerings spread as did orders for its food service offsite at social and business functions. Making deliveries in “Geronimo,” her 1946 Chevy truck, Rosemary became a familiar sight around town as more and more event requests were received and she popularized the business of catering - which at the time was a very unique concept, particularly one that was woman led. 

Rosemary continued extending the business’ reputation for exemplary cuisine and gracious hospitality. The clientele list grew to include the city’s most prominent individuals and families, politicians, corporate heads, and scores of local residents seeking to host their own celebrations that had the distinctive “Rosemary touch.” The business served events of every size, from intimate family gatherings to galas and other largescale affairs, including a birthday party hosted by then-Governor Dolph Briscoe for 15,000 guests. 

Then In 1963, the decision was made to close the original diner and concentrate solely on catering, which fortuitously preceded the company’s landmark participation in HemisFair ’68 held in downtown San Antonio. During this historic global exposition, Rosemary and her team catered 90% of the VIP events for international dignitaries and provided food service for the majority of the exhibit's 112 pavilions. 

As she had explained, “By the 1960’s, the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce had asked me to change the company name to Catering by Rosemary. My staff and I worked tirelessly with city VIPs to prepare and execute catering services for HemisFair 1968. This year-long event - where we served over 100 pavilions - put San Antonio in the national and the international spotlight. And it led to our city nurturing the business of conventions and tourism and provided a new horizon for our own business.” 

The experience likely inspired the City of San Antonio’s decision in 1972 to award Catering by Rosemary the exclusive food and beverage contract at what is now known as the Henry B. González Convention Center (HBGCC), which continues to this day under the leadership of her son, Greg Kowalski. 

Increased service to convention clients as well as the multitudes of San Antonians who relied on Rosemary for their catering needs soon demanded larger quarters to handle the expanding business. In 1981, the company took over the former Ed Steves & Sons Lumber Yard at 1220 East Commerce Street, occupying the six acres within walking distance of the convention center. By this time, the original catering business had also grown to include equipment rentals, environment design and décor, floral design, and meeting services. 

Rosemary now presided over a business that garnered global attention, with dignitaries at home and around the world choosing the company’s catering and events services for their functions. In 1987, Rosemary and family personally prepared all meals for Pope John Paul during his Papal Visit to San Antonio. This was a labor of love and spiritual passion as the event required for security reasons staying overnight in the Pope's temporary residence. 

Additional requests from notable personalities soon followed. In 1989, Rosemary traveled to England at the request of United States Ambassador Henry Catto to teach Texas style cooking to the Embassy Staff in London. She and her teams have catered events for other high-profile individuals including three sitting United States Presidents and First Ladies; seven Texas state governors; William Randolph Hearst; Charles, then-Prince of Wales and now King of England; and a long list of popular celebrities such as Bob Hope, Willie Nelson, Grace Kelly, Robert Redford, Johnny Cash, Mick Jaggar, John Wayne, Frank Sinatra, and countless others. 

Then in 1993, Rosemary elected to focus her full attention on her already-extensive charitable and civic efforts. Assuming the role of Chairperson Emeritus, son Greg took on the position of President and CEO of the multi-company operation that was newly christened The RK Group. 

Rosemary expanded her volunteerism to take on multiple board and related roles with a vast number of area organizations San Antonio Museum of Art; San Antonio Zoo; The DoSeum; Afternoon All Stars; Respite Care of San Antonio; Blessed Sacrament Academy; Texas A&M San Antonio; San Antonio Area Foundation; Any Baby Can; Daily Bread Ministries; Hope for the Future; Hispanic Heritage Center; American Heart Association; American Diabetes Association; Girl Scouts – Trefoil; Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center; and many, many others. 

In 2003 she was named to Les Dames d'Escoffier, joining the ranks of Julia Child and only three other distinguished members. Previously inducted in 1998 to the San Antonio Hall of Fame, in 2004 she became only the fourth woman to be honored with induction to the Texas Business Hall of Fame, adding to her growing list of honors. In 2012, she received the Legacy Award from the Najim Charitable Foundation and in 2014 she would be named Legacy Leaders by the San Antonio Business Journal. 

Her list of distinctions would continue to grow, serving in 2016 as Grand Marshal for the 125th Battle of Flowers Parade. In 2017, she donated her personal and company records to the UTSA Libraries, chronicling her journey as one of San Antonio's leading caterers. In 2018, Rosemary was awarded the Lifetime Achievement award, Corporate Philanthropy and Nonprofit Awards, San Antonio Business Journal. As recently as this year, she received the inaugural Visionary Award from Morgan’s, San Antonio TX, the Marcia Nasatir Award from the San Antonio Film Festival, and had been named to serve as Grand Marshal for the 2025 River Parade. 

The flagship company that began so many years ago in humble settings now numbers more than 15 specialized brands and operates on the campus of the company headquarters at The Red Berry Estate. Rosemary’s legacy of hard work, always saying ‘please and thank you,’ is and will be carried forward by all those who cherished her insight and her genuine love of people. 

Rosemary often said, “It's important to remember what's important to people you meet, and people who mean something to you.” We all will remember Rosemary, her spirit, her steadfast devotion to service and to God, and the kindnesses extended to so many. And we will continue to be inspired by her acts and her extraordinary impact on countless lives. She was truly one of a kind. 

Rosemary is survived by her daughter Mary, and husband John Carrington; son Greg, and wife Bekki; step-grandson John Eugene and wife Noha; grandson Travis, and wife Jamie; granddaughter Jennifer, and husband Todd; and seven great-grandchildren John Baron, Harrison, Claiborne, Colton, Tessa, Wyatt and Hadley. 

ASM Global’s culinary division SAVOR, which provides elevated food experiences for the globe’s most prestigious arenas, stadiums, convention/exhibition centers and performing arts venues, has announced that its Team USA has been crowned as champion of the world’s only competition for young culinary and hospitality talent.  

SAVOR’s Team USA, consisting of Thomas Mendel, chef from Hamel Winery; Jaclyn Bisantz, waitress from Harbor House Inn; and Marco Guillen, mixologist from Four Seasons Napa, were selected as global winners of the renowned World Young Chef Young Waiter and Young Mixologist (WorldYYY) competition — the only event of its kind – bringing home the crown and a grand prize of $15,000.  

The world champions were chosen from nine Young Chefs, nine Young Waiters, and nine Young Mixologists, each aged 28 and under, from nine participating countries during the WorldYYY finals at At-Sunrice Global Chef Academy in Singapore in late November. Finalists were judged by a panel of esteemed culinary experts, food critics, and industry leaders. Among the esteemed chef judges were Dave Pynt, Kirk Westaway, Mark Wee, Paul Longworth, Angela May, Gibran Bayoun, Andy Downton, Rob Edwards, Sarissa Rodriquez- Schwartz, Luke Barr, Paul Robinson, and Julian Burgur.

Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa, an oceanfront, luxury resort just south of St. Augustine, promotes Woody Mitchell to Director of Food & Beverage. With more than 20 years in the culinary industry and most recently the Assistant Food & Beverage Director, Mitchell brings years of experience to the food and beverage program at Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa.  

During the past few years, Mitchell worked diligently at Hammock Beach to help concept, design, train and open the Pizzeria, Gelato, and Beach Brew venues. Mitchell has a proven track record of collaborating with diverse teams to achieve local and regional company goals. He has successfully developed individuals and entire teams, enhancing professional growth, guest experiences, and team member satisfaction while driving efficiency and profitability. 

Beginning his career as a restaurant manager, Mitchell successfully opened new restaurants by writing opening procedures, training manuals, schedules, and ordering guides. Mitchell became the Food and Beverage Multi-Outlet Assistant Manager at River City Casino and then Multi-Outlet Manager at Belterra Park. Later he became the Food & Beverage Director at Boomtown Casino’s and then at Ameristar Casino Hotel in Iowa where he was named Vice President of Hospitality before moving to Palm Coast, Florida to become the Assistant Food and Beverage Director at Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa. 

In partnership with Döhler, The Perfect Purée of Napa Valley introduces Tastecraft, a new line of freeze-dried fruits that offer the flavor, shape and nutritional value of just-picked fruit with the convenience of shelf stability. Tastecraft comes in seven flavors: Dragon Fruit Crumble, Strawberry Slices, Pineapple Pieces, Whole Raspberries, Lime Slices, Orange Slices, and Lemon Slices. All flavors are vegan and produced with non-GMO fruit. All flavors except Raspberry are kosher-certified. 

Tastecraft is a dynamic, multi-application ingredient designed to enhance a variety of recipes by adding texture, flavor and visual interest. It appeals to chefs and bartenders alike with lightweight stay-fresh resealable packaging and a shelf life of up to 24 months. Freeze-dried as opposed to dried or dehydrated fruit preserves the fruit’s structure, color and flavor, resulting in a light, airy and crispy rather than chewy texture. Freeze-dried fruit has a longer shelf life than dried fruit due to its extremely low moisture content. Also because of its low moisture content and crisp texture, freeze-dried fruit can be ground into a powder and added to liquids for flavor. 

Tastecraft has countless applications as an ingredient, garnish or topping. Try it in cocktails and beverages; smoothies and smoothie bowls; candies and confections; ice cream and sorbet; pastry and dessert; and savory dishes and salads.