Some chefs prefer to stay in the kitchen, letting the party-goers dine and mingle amongst themselves. Not Chef Lee of Sugar Beach Events, a household name in Maui’s wedding industry. She has mastered the art of hosting a party, all the while providing spectacular culinary dishes inspired by her Southern upbringing and influenced by her Hawaiian home. So when she decided to open an oceanfront wedding venue after years honing her craft in the restaurant and catering scene, we knew it would be a wonderland for her creative talents. We caught up with Chef Lee on the heels of her grand opening party at Sugar Beach Events— a fabulous evening filled with friends, entertainment and of course, thefinest food and drinks.

After running a successful catering company for years in Hawaii, you took a leap of faith and started construction on a custom wedding venue. Tell us a bit about making that decision. I really wanted to start my own catering company (a dream of mine for years) and do something more personal and different. I’ve worked in restaurants my whole life, always in the kitchen. When I first moved to Maui, I set out to learn  ”the front of the house” and became the Banquet Manager at Spago at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea. It was exactly what I needed. I learned all aspects of the business.

My father approached me 10 years ago with a great spot on Maui where he wanted to do a wedding chapel. The property took us 8 years to develop. We got all the permits and broke ground a year ago! It’s just such a special property— I designed the kitchen nearly 5 years ago! It was like Christmas when it was actually being built. It’s absolutely my dream come true. The best part is the dishwasher and the walk-in cooler! I’ve spent 5 years washing dishes by hand. My pastry chef, Natalie O’Brian, worked with me for 5 years with my former catering company and she’s handling all of the baking in house. I knew I couldn’t tackle wedding cakes. She is a hard-working girl!

What was the biggest challenge you faced trying to open your doors? I worked very diligently with my neighbors through the liquor license process, trying to assure them that I was going to be a good neighbor and keep the community here very special and quaint. So far, so good!

What was your main goal in designing the space? I wanted it to feel comfortable when you first walked in the door, like you’d been here before. We wanted to blend contemporary design with different Hawaiian cultural aspects throughout. My interior Designer (and on-site event designer), Yvette Crosby chose all the details in the space. The beautiful interior space holds up to 200 guests and the exterior space can accommodate 200 guests, as well.

The best part is this place was designed with weddings and events in mind. It’s not a house repurposed for events. It was designed keeping the flow of a party in mind. My favorite details: The Koa bar hand-crafted from a mill on the Big Island is an absolute work of art, the poi pounder-shaped columns on the front of the house, the lava rock bar outside (guests have raved about it) and the bridal suite is a dream come true. Yvette made it perfect.

Tell us your philosophy when it comes to hosting a party in the islands. I try to bring food and fun to the event to make my guests feel welcome and comfortable. My food is a nice blend of Pacific cuisine, with a little bit from the south (my home) and my favorite place to travel, Italy. Catering is so different— people come from all over the world to dine at an event. This may be the one time they get to come to Hawaii and I want to make sure everyone has an amazing experience here.

What are some of your favorite places to dine in Maui? At a friends house— for me its about the people I’m with and enjoying time with friends. I love Tommy Bahamas, Spago (of course), and the bar at Nick’s Fishmarket for pupus and cocktails.

{Photos by Trish Barker}