Thomas Catering, including from left, Jayme Palmer, Skip Thomas, Patty Hudson, Jesse Serna and Jorge Delgado, provides to-go meals to attendees of a Soboba drive-thru Christmas event in December. Valley News/Diane A. Rhodes photo
Skip Thomas said he didn’t always plan to be in the food business, even though he worked in restaurants while in college majoring in international studies. Before moving to the San Jacinto Valley in 1971, he was earning his master’s degree in African studies and African economics at the University of London. Due to political unrest in England during that time, he was unable to further his studies and returned to America.In March 1972, Thomas purchased DJ Restaurant which he had supervised construction for and managed for eight months. He didn’t think of branching out until one of his servers asked if he could cater her upcoming wedding. It led to more requests and catering calls soon came in from local churches and mobile home parks that were hosting social events.“In 1990,
