TV PREVIEW
“Catering Wars,” 10 p.m. Tuesday, Lifetime
Reality TV producers love the word “war” in show titles, even if the “war” rarely includes bullets, military gear or any discernible threat of violence. For example, we’ve had “Storage Wars,” “Cupcake Wars,” “Deck Wars” and “Whisker Wars.”
Now it’s Lifetime’s turn to feed viewers “Catering Wars,” featuring four metro Atlanta catering companies bidding on high-priced events such as a “Bark-Mitzvah” for a dog and a Civil War-themed party. The setup is similar to A&E’s “Shipping Wars,” where companies bid to ship unusual items.
“Catering Wars” will debut at 10 p.m. Tuesday after Lifetime’s top reality show “Dance Moms.”
The female-friendly network appears to be using “Catering Wars” as a last-second fill-in for Atlanta-based “Pretty Wicked Moms,” Lifetime’s answer to “The Real Housewives of Atlanta.” Executives have bumped “Wicked” back an hour to the far less desirable 11 p.m. slot after disappointing ratings.
A “Catering Wars” trailer began airing on Lifetime on July 3. But as of Monday morning, its website mylifetime.com didn’t give the show anything more than a schedule listing.
Lifetime created a modest three hourlong episodes of “Catering Wars.” The catering owners hope viewers will flock to the show, leading to a much longer second season.
“It’s a level of advertisement I could never pay for,” said Pat Jackson, owner of Pat’s Party Perfect.
Lifetime has given metro Atlanta a lot of love. It shoots three other shows out of the area. Scripted dramedies “Drop Dead Diva” and “Devious Maids” currently air on Sunday nights. “Double Divas,” set in the bra-fitting store Livi Rae Lingerie in Kennesaw, returns Aug. 6.
Here are snapshots of the four companies in “Catering Wars”:
Ocean Catering
Location: Atlanta
What's special: The company caters thousands of events a year such as the Atlanta Cotillion, which has donated $1.2 million to AID Atlanta the past 11 years. Biggest clients include Emory University and Delta Air Lines.
Quote: "I was supposed to be a rock 'n' roll star when I was born. But I can't sing or play an instrument. This is my introduction into the TV world." — Shane McIntosh, owner
Contact: www.oceancateringcompany.com
Hottie Hawg’s Barbecue
Location: Vinings section of Atlanta
What's special: It's the only catering company that also has a restaurant, which serves Texas-style barbecue. It also uses a 35-foot barbecue rig and mobile kitchen it dubs the "18 squealer."
Owner's signature: Kyle Vaughn dresses like Boss Hogg from "Dukes of Hazzard" in a white suit and cowboy hat and calls himself (what else?) Boss Hawg.
Contact: www.hottiehawgsbbq.com
Pat’s Party Perfect
Location: Atlanta
What's special: Jackson said they do plenty of catering for festivals, nightclubs, films and music videos. "Our tagline," she said, "is 'Southern hospitality, elegantly presented.' "
Contact: www.patspartyperfect.com
Atlanta’s Finest
Location: Winston
What's special: This is a serious family business, which does more than 100 events a month. Owner Lorie Bomar, one of 12 children, said many of her employees are related to her: "We have the heart of a family so we go above and beyond."
Contact: www.atlfinestcatering.com
