About Us

Owner, Chef, and Contractor Don Scroggin Explains the Story Behind His Unique Company

Meet the Man Behind Hammer And A Fork

Growing up on an acreage, I learned at an early age how to fix and build things. My father was an OTR truck driver, so it was my responsibility (along with my brothers') to keep our place in top shape while he was away. The first big project that I can remember was converting our old lambing shed into a workshop. I rewired the entire building, took siding from an old house, and lined the inside to finish it off.

By 1994, I started a small landscaping business in Allison, IA, providing turf management, retaining wall installation, and more. At that point in my life, the saying, "Doing what you love never feels like work," couldn't have been truer. Unfortunately, unforeseen circumstances caused me to close my first business in 1999, but my passion to create and build with my own hands never went away. In 2015, after building my own home, I started my own construction company. Since then, I've been framing homes, building additions, and remodeling spaces, decks, and retaining walls for clients in central Iowa.

How the Catering Side Came to Be

So, we've covered just half of Hammer And A Fork. What about the food part?!? Let's take it back all the way back to my childhood again (I'm not going to add the year here). My grandmother heavily influenced my passion for food. She taught me to bake when I was six and bought me my first cookbook when I was seven. Through high school, I worked at a world-famous and highly respected pizza establishment (Pizza Hut), where I learned the ropes of food preparation and worked my way into their management program. My time at Pizza Hut sparked an aspiration to start a restaurant of my own. Since then, I've spent my free time innovating BBQ, Italian, Tex/Mex, and comfort food recipes. My first catering gig was my son's high school graduation celebration, and 280 Philly cheesesteaks later, this business was born.

Ready to Serve You

So here I am today, hanging out my shingle with Hammer And A Fork. If you need an event catered or have a construction project that needs attention, I hope you'll consider giving me a call. I promise each of my customers that I'll do my best to provide delicious food and quality contracting services at a fair price!