09/06/2026
“You cook so well, you should open a restaurant. “
“My retirement plan is to open a small cafe”
“I will invest for you, you just cook”
Your recipes are amazing! You are depriving people from your good food by not going commercial”
How many stay at home moms have heard this? Well I know I have…not once, not twice but multiple times.
But there is a harsh truth about being a chef, a caterer, a restaurant owner, a cafe owner or even a food truck owner that no one tells you about!
ITS DAMN HARD WORK! AND YOU CANNOT DO IT ALONE.
Having been in this business for a few years now I can tell you when people say they want to invest invest in you most only want to invest to make their money and you work for them. It’s easy ROI.
No one who tells you you are amazing knows how hard it is to go to work day after day, miss social events, miss your kids milestones, have your back hurt, have your feet and calves turn into stone and keep smiling at people you would never even want to talk to.
No one tell you that once you open up your place without without investor the same people who once told you how awesome you and your cooking are will now suddenly give you tips and tricks and tell you how amazing their mutton curry is compared to yours and how your food is great homemade food, notice I say homemade and not restaurant style that they told you when you fed them for free. Because now you are asking them to empty their pockets.
And this is only the emotional damage. The physical damage is ten fold. You stand endless hours, go back home with blisters, back pain, shoulder pain and rarely any motivation to go work out.
It’s also not just you that makes you successful. It’s your family. The really family and friends who come and wash dishes with you, clean your floors watch your kids and sometimes the kids do all this too. Mine did. Your success is not just yours it’s your whole family.
And then after all this you will also hear- well you are not the primary breadwinner! You don’t pay the bills now does your business. 😢
So why do I share this, because I was at Findlay today and I saw anchu and co- the lady that makes dosa and is all over social media . I saw me in her. The whole family standing together and serving out one of the most authentic dosas I have had, and the food trucks that comes in front of common b**r company, and Tony Ferrari, and Paul Barraco I have seen their families stand with them and they are who they are because of work family and passion.
We are not who we all are without our family, failures and lessons. So next time you see a chef family look beyond the food and -oh my gid you are awesome and credit them for more than you think you see.
Tag this post with as many people as you can and share a small business owner you think you want to support.
I will go first-
Mom 'n 'em Coffee & W**e
Flamingo drive
The governor
The common b**r company
Adesso
