On the episode, Ami Kassar interviews Tim McDiarmid, Founder and Owner at Tim the Girl Catering, The Good Kind & Ivy Hall Events, on managing a restaurant through the pandemic. 

Tim grew up in Canada and always dreamt of being a chef. She loved watching her mother cook and aspired to one day work in a restaurant in New York City.

As a young woman, Tim headed to the “Big Apple” in search of fulfilling her dreams. She lived and worked in New York for nearly 20 years in every restaurant position imaginable from front of house, back of house, bartender, and eventually as a chef. This was a great learning experience, allowing her to observe all aspects of running a restaurant. Tim was able to really hone in on her craft and gain lots of knowledge from other culinary leaders in the community.

In 2004, Tim and her husband (at the time) had a son, Tappen. Unfortunately, the relationship was toxic and she needed to escape. So in 2011, Tim packed up her six year old son, and together they moved to San Antonio, TX. It was the hardest thing she’s ever done. Living in a big city, with no family, as a single parent was difficult. She had to be scrappy and work hard.

It was here that Tim began cooking from home and started her catering business, Tim The Girl Catering. This allowed Tim more time to focus on her son, continue her passion, and grow what is now a very successful group of businesses.

In 2015, Tim had the opportunity to open her very own restaurant, called The Good Kind. The concept specializes in healthy grab-n-go breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack items, plus large and small scale catering. The Good Kind builds on Tim the Girl Catering’s vision to provide the San Antonio community with food that is clean, nourishing, sustainable, and delicious.

The restaurant started as an incubator project in a popular downtown San Antonio shopping area called The Pearl. They had a Food Hall, which allowed Tim to grow and save for the chance of moving into her own space. Soon she was able to move into a beautiful garden property in the Southtown neighborhood of San Antonio.

Here Tim was able to open a permanent restaurant for The Good Kind and run an event venue, called Ivy Hall Events. It’s a beautiful garden space that can host weddings, birthdays, corporate events, and more. The three businesses work together beautifully allowing Tim to provide delicious food on the property, as well as for off-site events.

Recorded 02/02/2022.