Hello there :)

[-Cp]

Hello to everyone...

Just found these forums via google...

I started cooking about 5yrs ago and got the bug from a combination of business travel (eating at find dining places) and the freakin' FoodNetwork...

I have worked briefly as a wine-rep but have been cooking non-professionally for about 5 years, doing food/wine dinners for friends and family. Recently, I started catering family events as well.

I'm a noob by any strech and would love to act like a sponge here in order to soak up the vaulable information from those of you in who are the Pro's.

My passion is food and wine - when asked often by folks "Why don't you start your own restaurant" - I tell them "I'm worried if I did, that I'd no longer enjoy cooking as then it'd become a job"....

Can anyone here relate to that?

 

[kitchenelf]

Welcome and I can definitely relate to that. I had to stop not because I didn't enjoy it (I loved the rush more than anything!) anymore but because the 13 - 17 hour days was a bit tiresome!

Pull up a chair, take a look around.

 

[Uncle Bob]

Welcome to DC -CP....Might I add, think twice before jumping from the frying pan into the fire! Rather.....



Have fun & Enjoy!!!!

 

[kadesma]

Welcome to DC, CP.
Get to know a few of the members and just enjoy the forum..Maybe running a dining establishment is the thing for you and maybe not..It's a lot of hard work and time consuming..Get some advice from others and see what you think about all this in a few weeks.. In the meantime, look around and have some fun.
kadesma

 

[Katie H]

Hi, -Cp. Welcome to DC. I understand what you are saying about having your own restaurant. Buck and I considered that quite a few years ago. Never did it, for a number of reasons. However, we did decide that we would much prefer to enjoy cooking for ourselves and our family and friends as a "fun" thing than as a job. Having a restaurant can be a 24/7 kind of thing and we treasure our "off" time too much to commit to that kind of lifestyle. No regrets with our decision because we've had plenty of opportunity to pursue our cooking passion.

 

[Dave Hutchins]

Welcome friend/foodie. I owned a restaurant for five years and was successfull but it took a toll of 12 hour days and meeting a large payroll when business would be off. Any more there is so much more to running your own place, licence's for all most every thing
taxes out of sight, vendor who short your orders, cooks that don't show or come in drunk. Been there done that no fun.. stick to what is fun and enjoy it as a great hobby
Dave Hutchins retired exutive Chef, owner/operator/restaurant manager etc.

 

[-Cp]

Thanks guys.... part of me still wants to spend some time "learning the ropes" in a professional kitchen - just for the experience....

Someone I know who's a restaurantuer says "If you want to make $2 Million dollars in this biz, then you need to start with $4 million"

Prolly very true...

 

[Dave Hutchins]

CP who ever said that was very true