Chef Michael Rivera understands a life on the go.

He worked as a high schooler at a French restaurant in New York City’s Rockefeller Center before coming to Rhode Island for college at Roger Williams University. He worked in various local haunts and was director of admissions at a Fall River culinary school before having a career change of heart and got into wealth management and financial planning. He’s lived in more places than he could quickly recall off hand.

So when he was deciding how he wanted to spend the next chapter of his life, he decided he’d go back to his roots, and start a company with the sole mission of removing the pressure from those who want to serve a delicious meal without worrying about the preparation or subsequent cleanup.

After getting his food preparation certificate through local food incubator Hope & Main, Rivera started Black Basil Table — a company that strives to provide a high-quality, gourmet meal wherever the client wants that meal to be served; whether from their own home or from the temporary kitchen of a short-term rental they’re staying in during vacation.

“The idea is that people can enjoy a nice gathering with friends and family without having to do the work and enjoy the things that are more important to them,” Rivera said. “A lot of people want to have get togethers but they don’t want to have to do everything that goes into that. Our tag line is ‘Reinvent the way you entertain.’”

While Rivera’s goal is to build the company into a full catering operation with his own food cart, the model currently works by communicating with clients to form a customized menu and course list. He then procures the food, brings it to the location, and then handles everything else, soup to nuts.

The company is still very new but has already earned some acclaim, with Rivera in the running for a “Favorite Chef” competition run by the James Beard Foundation. He has made it into the Top 20 of the nationwide competition and is in second place among his group. The winner will take home a $25,000 prize and a spot in “Taste of Home” magazine.

After so many years working for other people, Rivera said he felt it was the right time to do something for himself.

“I’ve spent 20 years helping people grow their wealth and creating businesses for them,” he said. “I just decided to go after my passion and create something I do every night anyway, cooking gourmet, and bring my passion to other people.”

You can find out more about Black Basil Table at their Instagram (@blackbasiltable) or their website, BlackBasilTable.com.