CHRIS KOLOVOS AND MANWELL BAROODY KNOW A THING OR TWO ABOUT RUNNING A TOP CATERING FACILITY IN SOUTH JERSEY. As business partners for over 20 years and owners of Lucien’s Manor in Berlin, they have a stellar reputation of hosting first-class weddings, corporate and social events. So it comes as no surprise they recently took over ownership at another premier event venue in the area—The Mansion on Main Street in Voorhees.
Also on board is Kolovos’ longtime friend, Jon Rubin, who previously worked as a sales leader for a business within a Fortune 500 company and made the transition from “Wall Street to Main Street.” He actually finds many similarities between his former and current jobs.
“Whether you are selling algorithms or weddings, you need to be an expert in that field to provide confidence and peace of mind to your clientele,” Rubin says. “In both areas you’re dealing with something that is extremely sensitive and delicate. They are very similar in that regard. From an opportunity standpoint, it gave me a chance to move closer to family and work with a longtime close friend to build something special.”
They saw potential in this property which hasn’t had many renovations or updates done in the last 30 years under the previous ownership. Accessibility also played a factor, as they all live close by and will be onsite constantly, ready to attend to potential customers and clients’ questions and needs at a moment’s notice.
“Part of the reason why we chose The Mansion is we wanted to stay close—we are onsite owners,” Kolovos says. “We run things differently. We like to be here and make ourselves accessible to customers, clients and staff. We’re here day to day—you’ll at least find one of the partners onsite, if not all of them. One of the important things to us is to keep it close to town. We all live in the Voorhees area.”
The Mansion on Main Street is known for its lush gardens, exquisite ballrooms, cascading waterfalls, an all-glass ceremony pavilion and beautiful outdoor ceremony space with a gazebo. Kolovos, Baroody and Rubin knew this property is something special and by making the proper updates, could make it stand out even more.
“The Mansion has so much beauty and is majestic—it’s one of the only places within this area where you can walk around and not be on the main road; you have visuals of tree lines and flowers and open space that surround buildings,” Rubin says.
“We have the experience; we’ve been doing this for a long time,” Kolovos says. “We know how to renovate these venues and know how to operate them. This is going to be basically what we did with Lucien’s—we’re taking something that has history and a story behind it and revitalizing it, bringing it back to its glory days.”
That includes giving the interior and exterior of the building a fresh, energized look, but not taking away from the classic look that has made The Mansion a popular place over the years.
“We are planning many substantial improvements that will take place over the next two years,” Rubin says. “We will be making upgrades to the exterior that’s just more aesthetics, adding new fountains, redoing our waterfalls and adding lighting. We’re also doing an expansion of every floor with a complete redesign, sticking to the classic nature of the building with a refreshing updated design. New flooring, new dance floors, permanent bars as opposed to roll out bars, all new design window treatments, carpets, flooring and chandeliers.”
Additionally, Rubin says, “updated technology to service the audio visual needs of any corporate or social function will be built into the ballrooms.”
Along with the renovations, Kolovos and his team provide guests and clients with unparalleled service, attention to detail and an impeccable execution for each and every event that takes place at The Mansion.
“Your experience from start to finish will be unparalleled because you’re going to get it all—a family-style type ownership, beautiful grounds, incredible cuisine and service that’s second to none,” Rubin says. “All to make sure your event is perfect.”
You can experience The Mansion’s award-winning cuisine, lush gardens, ceremony pavilion, gazebos and more at their Fall Spectacular Wedding Show on Sunday, Oct. 28. RSVP by Oct. 24 by calling (856) 751-1717.
The Mansion on Main Street
3000 Main Street | Voorhees | (856) 751-1717 | MansionOnMainStreet.com
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Family Magazine, Volume 9, Issue 7 (September 2018).
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