During the 1940's whenever there was an occasion or gathering of people the host would depend on their friends and relatives to lend a hand and contribute a dish or plate of their specialty During this time, Marie Cerny, after whom the business was eventually named, had just changed jobs to take on the managerial position at a local three story building in Chicago. Her husband was ill and it was up to her to support the family. The building housed two large classrooms where the Czech language was taught, six days a week. The other rooms in the house were used for social events and dances. Marie would volunteer to help with the cooking and preparation for these events until she realized that she could make some money while doing it. She had been trained in Europe as a cook and upon coming to this country earned a living as a cook and housekeeper for many of the neighborhood wealthy families. Now she had the right combination of skill and determination. It was real home cooking and the word spread quickly, soon she was cooking not only in her own hall but also all over the city of Chicago. Parties were held in local gymnasiums, Fraternal Lodge Halls, backs of taverns and church basements. More and more people decided it was better to hire a skilled person to provide the food for their party and take out the worry allowing them to enjoy their own party. Hence came the inevitable, and catering was in full bloom. Many Saturday nights she was catering five or six parties in various locations.

Her daughter Lorraine became very involved in the business while she was still in high school, earning extra money and creating part time jobs for many of their friends. In 1949 Lorraine married Ladd Hynek, and Marie closed the business never realizing that it would ever again be reopened. Ladd and Lorraine had their first child in 1955 and since Lorraine had left her job as secretary, she needed something to keep her busy while raising her family and the flame of the catering business became rekindled. She felt this was something she could do from home and still be with the family. It started very slowly at first, one or two weddings every month or so, and they worked from their second floor apartment, roasting one turkey at time for a total of five or six. By March of 1963, after continual growth and success, the business was officially incorporated and named Marie's Catering Service after it's founder. Marie was very much a part of the business and in 1968 decided to move to Berwyn to be closer to the action. Unfortunately within the year she became very ill and passed away within a few months. This left Lorraine with the decision of whether or not to carry on. There was too much going on to do anything but carry on, and so they did.

With continued family sacrifices and help from friends, the catering business became such a big venture that Ladd no longer had time to devote to his own business, so he closed that and became involved full time when the opportunity to run the food service at the Village Greens Golf Course became available. They obtained exclusive right to the food and beverage concession at the golf course and the banquet facility. In June 0f 1980 a restaurant was opened at that location, until eleven years later when the banquet operation was eliminated from the clubhouse.

In the spring of 1983 the Hynek’s opened a restaurant at the Hinsdale location in addition to the catering business. This gave them the exposure they needed and again the business grew and the clientele expanded In 1988 a fire destroyed the Illinois Bell Telephone facility in Hinsdale. Marie's proximity to that location gave them the opportunity to furnish the food services to the personnel needed for the renewal of that facility. That renovation took several months to complete. Marie's fed all the workers and executives involved in restoring phone service, four meals a day, around the clock, feeding hundreds of people at each meal. The profit realized from this undertaking helped to finance the collateral needed to establish the Ashton Place banquet facility where we are currently residing in Willowbrook.

Son Steve now heads the two companies, Ashton Place banquet facility and Marie’s Catering Service. The Hynek’s are now retired, but still continue to participate in the business. Marie's Catering Service is now operating from that location and has grown to command the reputation of an outstanding caterer in DuPage County. There are 25 full time employees and over 100 part-time members of their service staff. We are currently the premiere caterers of Katherine Legge Lodge, the Levy Center, Danada House and many other prestigious locations.

We are in a class of the finest caterers in the Chicagoland area. We not only provide food but also full bar services and an extremely well trained serving staff, impeccably attired in tuxedo uniforms, and party coordinators proficient in the art of executing events.