When Beverly Gallant named her five children, she never dreamed that their first initials would become the name of a new business she started this fall.

And Rob Gaudette never believed that the house next door to his grandfather’s in Mexico would one day become not only his home, but also the site of his own catering business.

Both Gallant of Rumford and Gaudette of Mexico have opened new catering businesses, each with their own specialties that promise to provide the area with a broader choice of what to eat and where to celebrate.

Gallant has poured her Acadian and Italian background and her lifelong love of cooking into the new business, which can provide everything from freshly made tortieres (a popular pork pie) and poutines (a potato dish) to homemade pasta and Italian sausages.

“I have a lot of great recipes from both my grandmothers,” she said of the Gallant family and the Giambattistas.

Over the years she has taken these recipes, handed down from generation to generation, and worked out the proper amounts of ingredients. Many of these recipes just gave ingredients but not the proportions.

Her business, located on Royal Avenue in Rumford, is named KLAS A Caterers, named for children Kimberly, Lisa, Angela, Stephen and Alyson.

Since the opening of her business, with the help of husband, Bill, she has prepared funeral buffets, pastries for Thanksgiving, and is planning a 45-person sit-down dinner at a local civic group function.

Cooking for Gallant is a great stress reliever, ever since she started at age 12.

“If I had a problem, I always cooked. I enjoy feeding people. It’s always a celebration, even in sad times when we get together and share,” she said.

She’ll cater everything from dinners for two to large functions, and has several people on call to help out when needed.

She may be reached at 369-0690

Gaudette loved the look of the century-old Victorian house on South Main Street in Mexico, overlooking the Androscoggin River and MeadWestvaco mill. That’s where he decided to set up his new business, Aromas, a reservation-only restaurant that caters to large and small groups.

The house – a former clinic, former site of Children’s Evangelism Fellowship, and site of several other uses – has stained-glass windows, filigreed gingerbread trim, and a huge brick fireplace.

He began renovations in April that maintain the Victorian character, and plans to continue over the next few months.

He caters sit-down meals for two to 25, and up to 40 for more informal gatherings.

“I’ve always wanted to do something in the hospitality industry,” said the 26-year-old, who went to Central Maine Community College to study machine tooling. That field, he said, helped him get the capital he needed to do what he really wanted to do – providing a fine dining atmosphere for large and small groups.

His extensive menu offers everything from chicken cordon bleu and Cajun shrimp and roast duckling, to down-home shepherd’s pie and pot roast.

He personalizes the dining room according to the number of people who will be served, and is experimenting with different foods.

So far, since opening in late October, he has hosted nearly two dozen events, ranging from a breakfast for a retired teachers’ group to several office parties.

Future plans include off-site catering and barbecuing; creation of cheesecakes, bruschetta spreads and other in-house foodstuffs; and outdoor catering and barbecuing at the restaurant’s porch and backyard. He may even renovate the adjacent barn into a larger facility for group events.

“I always want to keep it personal,” he said.

He may be reached at 369-0777.