Business and community help local caterer: “We’ve always looked out for each other…”

New businesses are no strangers to struggles. Almost every establishment has hurdles to clear on their roads to success. But for one new entrepreneurship in Houston County, the adversity started even before the business came into existence, and with one of the business partners suddenly falling ill shortly thereafter, the struggle has been real.

Donnie Pearson relocated to Warner Robins near the end of 2019, just a few weeks before the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. He took a job as a local restaurant and soon reached out to his close friend, Monty Freeze, asking him to uproot from where he lived in Texas and join him at the establishment as a chef. The two worked side-by-side there until they were blindsided with an abrupt termination.

“We were fired when the person we worked for found out that we were thinking of starting a business of our own,” said Pearson. The “we” he referenced included Freeze and Pearson’s fiancée, Alyssa Bonardy. All three had been employed at the same business.

“A news article came out about our plans,” Pearson continued. We never said when we were going to open the business; we were just letting people know about it and were trying to get a little buzz. It wasn’t supposed to open right away. It was something we were planning for sometime in the future, so we still went to work every day like normal and did our jobs with our employer.”

According to Pearson, it all came to a swift end once their future entrepreneurial plans were revealed. On a day when he and Bonardy were off, they received a call while Freeze, who was at work that day, was brought into the office.

“We were told that we were in violation of our contracts. So, there’s a whole legal thing we’re dealing with right now with our attorneys because it was done wrongfully. Anyone aspiring to have their own or who wants something of their own to pass to their children shouldn’t have to ask for permission to plan that,” Pearson stated. “We didn’t see that being right. We had never gotten into any trouble and we were good employees who were always at work and doing our jobs. What we were planning for our future in our free time after work should not dictate our job security.”

The termination placed Pearson, Freeze and Bonardy in somewhat of a tailspin. Pearson said they found themselves struggling to make ends meet, and a business that they had projected in their minds would launch, at its earliest, in 2022, all of a sudden had to be placed on a fast track. The three were terminated in January of 2021, and One Night Stand Catering opened its doors just two months later. Shortly thereafter, Freeze became ill. Like many residents of middle Georgia, Freeze had a battle with COVID, but as he was being treated for that, another, more serious condition was discovered.

“It all started when we noticed him getting sluggish and tired. We thought at one time, because the weather was so warm, that the heat was messing with him,” Pearson recalled. “But we started seeing different signs that kind of alarmed us. He went to the doctor and was told that his numbers weren’t right. He went to the hospital, and that’s when everything came to light about his heart condition.”

The diagnosis will call for a costly surgery for medical professionals to repair or replace Freeze’s heart valves. Once the owners of One Night Stand Catering were fired from their previous job, they were forced to find outside insurance, which they did. However, they have not had it long enough for it to cover all of what is needed.

“That’s why we began really reaching out to the community to get them to come together and help us raise the money that will help him out,” Pearson explained, further stating that their new outside insurance is “not going to cover his entire operation. It’s not going to cover all the meds, the rehab and the nurses that have to come to his house to give care. We just want to be good partners and get the community to help us take care of our own.”

Members of Houston County and other supporters have already begun answering the call. A sign and a jar are visible inside the restaurant where those who desire to help can drop their donations. Additionally, a Facebook fundraiser has been set up whereby people are giving toward the cause.

“If anyone goes on Facebook and visits the One Night Stand Catering page, they can see how to donate. It doesn’t have to be hundreds and thousands of dollars that they donate. Every dollar counts,” said Pearson. “A dollar goes a long way and they add up when a whole community gets involved. So, whatever they can give toward the goal is appreciated.”

Pearson said that he understands that in this day and time, one of the biggest burdens on people is, “How am I going to…?” he said they always finish that off with whatever the case or the situation is for them. Since COVID hit, that’s been one of the biggest stress factors for people everywhere—trying to figure out how to do the next thing.

“That’s what we don’t want Monty to have to stress about once he has this surgery. We don’t want him worrying about how the bill is going to get paid. We want him to come out, focus on his recovery and know that everything else is taken care of.”

Describing Freeze as a good guy, a generous person and one who believes in working hard for everything he accomplishes, Pearson went on to say, “He’ll do anything for anybody. If he has it, he’ll give it to you, even if it’s the shirt off his back. He’s prideful, but at the end of the day, it’s nice to know that somebody has your back. He’s an amazing chef, an amazing person and an amazing friend and anyone who really knows him, knows that.

“He has always been there for us no matter what. For a person to leave where they are living and established and move several states over to help a friend in business—that speaks volumes. We’ve always looked out for each other, and that’s what we’re trying to do now. We’re putting everything toward his health, even if we’re not left with a dollar or a dime,” Pearson stressed. “It’s great to have a business, but it means nothing if you’re not healthy enough to run it.”

Due to the recent rise in COVID patients at the hospital, Freeze’s surgery was postponed because doctors did not feel it was to his benefit to be in the hospital following such a fragile surgery with so many infected people being housed at this time. A successful surgical procedure will fix his heart valve and bring the excessive tiredness and irregular heartbeat patterns under control.

“It’s a little bit of a relief in our eyes,” Pearson said of the postponement. “It gives us and the community the opportunity to try and raise more money for him, but it’s also a bit scary for Monty because he’s just ready to get it over with.”

Pearson admitted that seeing what his friend and business partner has been through over the past few months has put things in perspective for him. “Certain things have become secondary in my life now. We can’t take health for granted. Our health is important.”

Those who desire to be a part of this community effort to help with the expenses involved in Freeze’s medical care can visit the restaurant’s official social media page at www.facebook.com/OneNightStandCatering or stop by One Night Stand Catering located at 6009 Watson Blvd., Suite 420 in Byron, Georgia.

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