Today we’d like to introduce you to Rose Archer.
Hi Rose, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hello!
Im Rose Archer, and I am the chef and founder of Luscious Supper Club. I worked under 3 Michelin-starred chefs in my 20s and then left cooking to lead a more balanced life, become a mom, and earn more money. 16 years went by, and in 2022 , just as we were creeping out of the COVID lockdown, I quit my corporate job and thought it would be fun to host a dinner party once a month for 14 people. A table where strangers could become friends. I wanted to lean into my chef skills, make a little cash as a side hustle as a single mom trying to pay my mortgage, and bring our community together after so much separation. I read an article in The Atlantic titled “We need to party more”. The summary was that we were not attending events, or not attending them like we used to. Dinner parties, backyard barbeques, weekend cocktail parties, and kids’ birthday parties had all ceased during COVID, and Americans were not throwing these events or attending when invited. And as a result, we were more depressed, disconnected, and lonely than ever before in history. So I thought these once-a-month dinners could be my way to helping with this problem. I used to say that Luscious is mental health support for Bend!
In January of 2023, I made a post on a local Foodies Facebook group. And sold out three months of dinners in 24 hours. After doing the first dinner, I realized, at the quality and the number of courses I wanted to do, that it had cost me more to host the dinner than I had made. So that wasn’t going to work! I quickly added a second night each month. Within 4 months, I was serving a 7-course dinner to 20 people, three nights in a row each month. So 60 people a month can have this experience. We have done three years and nine months of dinners. And we have sold out every month since day one.
I never repeat a menu, and I network with as many farmers as possible to buy local, organic food grown and raised by my neighbors. I have Oregon Coast seafood brought over from the coast, and I have wild foragers bring me the best wild mushrooms, huckleberries, and truffles you can get in the state.
What started out as a mission to create connection has grown even more under the current administration. I start out each evening with a warm welcome. And then I invite everyone to help create an evening where all humans are treated as sacred, because we are. The divisiveness in our country is hurting all of us, no matter where you stand. And being in rooms where people remain open-minded, open-hearted, and welcoming is what our souls are craving. And Luscious provides that space.
The overwhelming response speaks volumes: our community craves meaningful connection, and Luscious Supper Club delivers it through shared meals and open-hearted conversation.
At its core, Luscious Supper Club is about cultivating that sense of belonging—creating an inclusive, welcoming space where people from all walks of life can gather around the universal language of beautifully prepared food.
I have been working for a few years to grow the business and take it out of my home. Finding a commercial spot to move it has been really hard in Bend. But I was finally able to buy a commercial restaurant property on Galveston Ave. It’s on Bend’s west side just outside of downtown. We are renovating the entire property this fall and hope to move the business to our new location in December.
We will expand our offerings to include event rental space, cooking classes, guest chef dinners, and, of course, we will continue to offer our special supper club dinners 4 nights a month.
In our new space, we will be able to offer wine pairings for all dinners with our level-three sommelier. Wine dinners in partnership with winemakers, etc..
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Smooth!!! hahahahahahah Nope! Not exactly. And in other ways, I have not felt more blessed, cared for, supported, or humbled by the incredible abundance that has shown up to make Luscious what it is.
But here are some of the bumps.
The health department tried to shut me down after I had sold months of dinners. It was so scary. But then they helped me with the details to be a private club, so I didn’t have to shut down. When does a government agency help you through the rules and red tape to get a yes?!!
My appliances needed to do the dinners take up too much electricity and trip all my breakers. So I have to run an extension cord down my back alley to my neighbor’s house so we can continue.
I am running a full company on 60 seats a month. Which means I can’t afford to hire all the help that I need. So it means years of asking friends and neighbors to help me move all my living room furniture to my garage and set up all the tables and chairs. It means I am doing all my own floral arranging at night, after all my cooks have left. I’m transforming my living room, which means I work 3 days in a row of 17-hour shifts in the middle of an 8-day work run. I will be 50 next year. Physically, I am a puddle by the end of every month. I have been working harder than I ever have before, for about as much money as I made in my 20s. But I have had a gut feeling it would all be worth it. And it is!
Running a small team that only works one week a month means I am competing with their other jobs, families, etc. So sometimes there are staffing scrambles to ensure every shift is covered.
I am literally turning my house into a restaurant for one week every month. So my house is getting beat up; I have wine glasses stored in every closet; my office looks like a storeroom, with kitchen Metro racks reaching the ceiling, filled with equipment, dishes, paper goods, and appliances.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Luscious is successful for many reasons, but I think the thing that keeps people coming back is my insane desire to make the most memorable evening that I can. My creativity and my desire to learn and push my own limits are never-ending. I lead with generosity by bringing in surprises and elements people aren’t expecting and wouldn’t see elsewhere. Our motto is that we do “The Bare Maximum”.
I grow as many edible flowers as I can, and all spring, summer, and fall I use them to garnish the plates. I freeze berries, flowers, herbs and citrus slices inside of square ice cubes to use in the welcome cocktail. We send everyone home with a beautifully packaged gift. The gift is an element from their dinner.
And then I never repeat a menu; every plate is as exciting for me to cook as it is for the guests to eat. We are all in the newness together. I am known for seasonal, local, peak-ripeness ingredients and for mixing cuisines on the same menu.
Im also a master gardener, and my back garden is overflowing with flowers and edibles all season long. It’s a huge expression of my inner fairy! We start the evening in the garden, and it starts the night out in nature, which I love.
And I’m also known for being authentic, real, funny, openhearted, and for asking people to show up in a room full of strangers and be more loving than they would have thought. The night is deeply meaningful to me, and you can tell. We are in dark times. This experience is for people who are drawn to the light.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
Playing Big – Tara Mohr
The Soul of Money – Lynn Twist
Learn your Enneagram type – then study it. LIFE-CHANGING.
How I Built This with Guy Raz Podcast – You will see that every successful business almost failed at some point: the grit to keep going and the heart of a true entrepreneur. It’s not for the faint of heart.
Pricing:
- $185 per person
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.eatluscious.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luscious_supper_club/
