No one has ever said the restaurant industry is easy, although some make it look that way. Long hours, high stress, thin profit margins, and extreme competition can all take their toll. And yet, most wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Sometimes, however, we need a little inspiration, a reminder of why we got into this business in the first place. According to Oxford Languages, inspiration is “The process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something.” It’s also “The drawing in of breath.”
During the hard times, we need to remember to breathe. During the best of times, we need to share our passions and creativity with the world.”
Here, we’ll explore the people who started in the trenches and worked their way up to the top, sharing their inspiration and creativity. We’ll also look in on the man responsible for the World Famous egg roll.
Get ready to be inspired.
Thomas Keller
“When you acknowledge, as you must, that there is no such thing as perfect food, only the idea of it, then the real purpose of striving toward perfection becomes clear: to make people happy, that is what cooking is all about.” –Thomas Keller
Keller started as a very young dishwasher at the Bay & Surf, a restaurant in Laurel, Maryland, that was run by his mother. According to Reuters, he discovered an important lesson that’s critical in the restaurant industry. “As a dishwasher, I may have been considered the lowest person in that restaurant, but I learned that I was just as important as anybody else. If I didn’t do my part, then nobody else could do their jobs.”
Today, Keller is known as a renowned chef and restaurateur. He is the only chef born in America who holds two three-Michelin-starred restaurants: The French Laundry in Napa Valley, which consistently ranks as one of the world’s best restaurants, and Per Se in New York City.
In 2017, The French Laundry voted to give the Core Award, their most prestigious company honor, to Jaimie Portillo, a dishwasher.
Shawn Lalehzarian
“Inspired by Passion, Driven by Results®” –The motto of The Red Chickz
In a recent Founderology podcast on Fast Casual, Lalehzarian shared his origin story. He came to the U.S. by way of Iran. He didn’t know how to speak English and got his first job as a dishwasher. Eventually, his language improved, and he worked his way up to cook and then a server at the same establishment. He never left the restaurant industry.
After spending two weeks in Nashville looking for authentic recipes for Nashville hot chicken, Lalehzarian found people who invited him into their homes and shared their knowledge. The Red Chickz opened in 2018.
One of the moments that greatly influenced the brand occurred about four weeks after opening. They received a 1-star Yelp review that called them the Taco Bell of Nashville hot chicken. Lalehzarian took it to heart and thought, “Why not become the Taco Bell of hot chicken?” That’s where the idea of franchising started.
They also put effort and money into social media. In 2019, they began on TikTok and, within the first 6 weeks, had 12,000 followers. Their following quickly grew to over 500,000 with only one location. Now, they have over 1 million. Today, there are four open locations, 24 in development, and many more franchise agreements in the works for 2025.
Chris Brown
“Be passionate—if you don’t care, why should anyone else? People need to feel your excitement coming through your product, whether it’s unique flavor combinations that knock their socks off or a solution that no one ever dared create, the only way to truly disrupt is to be fired up yourself.” –Chris Brown from Medium
Chris Brown’s World Famous egg roll brand started as a food truck in 2014. Today, it’s five food trucks and the winner of several awards, including the 2018 People’s Choice Award winner at Miami’s Croquetta Palooza. It’s also a brand defined by social media.
His creativity lies in his skill as a chef and in creating egg rolls from around the world. He perfects classic signature dishes and wraps them in a crispy wonton. Aventura Magazine shared some World Famous classics:
- Italian Egg Roll: A combination of Italian sausage, onions, peppers, and Alfredo pasta
- Cubano Egg Roll: A blend of mojo pork, plantains, black beans, onions, and cheese
- Soul Food Egg Roll: A mixture of barbeque chicken, mac and cheese, and collard greens
Now, that’s creative.
A lot is going on in the news today that can leave someone wondering how they ended up in the restaurant industry and whether they were thinking clearly. When pondering your choices, remember the many who came before you who eventually found their passion in this challenging arena.
What better way to end our inspirational journey than a quote by Dr. Seuss, “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And you are the guy who’ll decide where to go.”
