Seattle-area Lavish Roots lays off 263 local catering workers

A catering company serving the Seattle area is laying off 263 employees, per a recent state filing.

Lavish Roots, a caterer, will lay off workers in Seattle, Bellevue, Redmond and Burien, starting Aug. 9, according to a worker adjustment and retraining notification received by the Washington State Employment Security Department on Monday.

But those employees need not lose hope: The layoffs are a result of an end of a contract and the workers will be transitioned to a new contract, President Carly Duke told The Seattle Times on Tuesday.

Lavish Roots is NOT closing its doors," Duke said. "What is actually happening is a planned and positive transition."

She added that "these are not layoffs in the traditional sense - they are a supported handoff."

Founded in 2014, the company employs culinary, pastry and hospitality professionals, according to its LinkedIn page. It caters private events and provides corporate dining.

According to the notice, the layoffs will affect its company's headquarters in Burien, five sites in Redmond, another five in Bellevue and one in Seattle.

All of those locations, except the headquarters, are at Meta offices.

Meta didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

"One of our largest and longest-standing clients has experienced incredible growth - growth that has now outpaced what any local vendor can support," Duke said. "As a result, they are transitioning to a global vendor to meet their expanding needs."

Roles impacted by the layoffs include cooks, dish machine operators and pastry chefs, according to the WARN notice filed by chief of staff Meagan McKinnon.

But "we want to be clear: they are not being abandoned," Duke said. "Lavish Roots and the incoming vendor are working together to ensure a seamless transition so that every team member moves into the new contract without a gap in service or a loss of income."

Over more than a decade, "the company has expanded rapidly, growing from four owners to a peak of over 400 employees," the Burien Economic Development team wrote in a feature about Lavish Roots last year.

As of November, its clientele included major tech and retail firms, and the company provided "daily food service for about 6,000 people," the article says.

Brandon LaVielle, director of culinary, hinted at hurdles in a YouTube video posted in February by Vistage Worldwide, an executive coaching and peer advisory organization for small and midsize businesses.

"As Lavish Roots grew, my friends and family knew less and less about what I was experiencing every day: taxes, laws, contracts," he said.

As the company approaches its 12th year of business, it plans to expand, Duke said, with new retail cafes, senior services, a deli partnership at Pike Place Market and a potential restaurant.

"Lavish Roots is here to stay, and we look forward to serving you, Duke said.

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This story was originally published June 9, 2026 at 4:58 PM.