By: Matt Ledesma
1904 Staff
Don’t be afraid to try something new.
Patrick Lyne (NDCS Class ’04) has taken those words to heart.
First it was leaving the comforts of his home state to start anew in the Orange State.
Then it was leaving a steady, well-paying job for the uncertainty of an exciting new start-up company. In both cases, he found the payoff to be well worth the gamble.
Lyne, along with his wife Brittany, is the co-owner and operator of Farm-Haus, a food catering service specializing in ready to order homemade meals with locally produced,organic ingredients. Currently the business serves the Winter Park, Fla., area and is quickly expanding.
“In five years I see myself leading Farm-Haus from the neighborhoods we currently deliver to, to having operations across the state of Florida and cities like Tampa, Jacksonville and
Miami,” Lyne said.
Farm-Haus began whipping up plates in August 2014, when Lyne decided to leave his sales job with a marketing company in Orlando to pursue his passion for food. He said it all started with a conversation with his wife, who also runs her own public-relations service.
“We were talking about how we were both two busy professionals and although we loved to cook, there were nights where that was the last thing either of us wanted to do,” he said. “So we thought, wouldn’t it be great if someone would just send us a text message with a picture of a healthy meal we could purchase that day and be delivered hot to our door.”
Lyne said he researched the idea and didn’t find anyone in their area fitting that niche. In less than a week they had a web site set up and began selling meals the following week. With diverse gourmet options like braised lemon and capers chicken with wild mushroom risotto, he says business has seen improvement every week.
Lyne is no stranger to success. As a former athletic standout at Notre Dame Catholic School, he led the city basketball standings in scoring as a shooting-guard his senior year. It was that same year that also produced one of his favorite sports memories.
“Our football team had an amazing group of guys and coaches that we loved playing for. One game in particular, against Grapevine Faith, is my favorite. Everyone had a great game and we took down a great team.”
And whether it be sports, business or life in general, Lyne said his message to current NDCS students is the same.
“Don’t be afraid to try different things until you figure out what you want to do,” he said. “Once you figure out what you want, attack it with a reckless abandon."
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Above: Patrick Lyne and wife, Brittany, became co-owners and operators of Farm-Haus in August 2014.