Burien-based catering company Lavish Roots said Tuesday, June 9, it is not closing its doors, despite a state filing affecting 263 employees that the company says is tied to the loss of a major client contract.
The statement came after reports about a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, or WARN, filed with the Washington State Employment Security Department. The filing, first reported by The Seattle Times, indicated that 263 workers at facilities in Burien, Seattle, Bellevue and Redmond would be affected beginning Aug. 9.
In a statement posted to social media Tuesday afternoon, Lavish Roots said the filing is related to one of its largest and longest-standing clients transitioning to a global vendor after outgrowing the capacity of local providers.
“One of our largest and longest-standing clients has experienced incredible growth, growth that has now outpaced what any local vendor can support,” the company said. “This is a testament to the work we did together, not a sign of our decline.”
Lavish Roots said the filing reflects positions associated with the departing client contract and does not represent the closure of the company itself.
“We’d like to set the record straight: Lavish Roots is NOT closing its doors,” the company wrote.
According to the WARN notice, the affected positions include cooks, pastry chefs and dish machine operators. The filing indicated the workforce reduction was tied to the closure of business operations at facilities in Burien, Seattle, Bellevue and Redmond.
The company said employees assigned to the contract are expected to transition to the incoming vendor.
“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,” the company stated. “These are not layoffs in the traditional sense. They are a supported handoff.”
The company said it plans to expand its services and footprint across the greater Seattle area, including new ventures such as:
- A potential restaurant project
- Retail cafes
- Senior services
- A deli partnership at Pike Place Market
It remains unclear whether the WARN filing will be amended or whether additional details about the employee transition will be provided.
Founded in 2014, Lavish Roots grew from a Burien startup into one of the region’s larger catering and corporate dining providers. According to a 2025 profile by the City of Burien’s Economic Development team, the company expanded from four owners to a peak workforce of more than 400 employees and provided daily food service to approximately 6,000 people.
“Burien is where we were born, where we were built, and where our heart has always been,” President/Partner Carly Duke told The B-Town Blog. “For years, the demands of supporting a large-scale client meant we couldn’t show up for our local community the way we always wanted to. That changes now. We are getting back to our roots — back to the neighbors, families, and community members who supported us from the very beginning — and we are doing it in a bigger and more impactful way than ever before.”
In a February video produced by Vistage Worldwide, an executive coaching and peer advisory organization, Lavish Roots Director of Culinary Brandon LaVielle discussed challenges associated with the company’s rapid growth, including managing taxes, laws and contracts as the business expanded.
LaVielle said in the video (included below) that the company had previously laid off about 90 employees after some clients reported that business was slowing. He described that workforce reduction as “the hardest thing we’ve ever done as a company.”
“There really isn’t a good way to do that,” LaVielle said. “You’re just really heartbroken. They’ve trusted us. They’ve built their life around the career that they’ve started with us.”
“As we approach our 12th anniversary this year, we are grateful for your continued support and could not be more excited about what is ahead,” the company said. “Lavish Roots is here to stay.”
