I have many years of experience working with food in various work settings, including chain restaurants, healthcare settings, and a country club. I worked for several independent restaurants too. I worked at a supper club and a mom & pop-type restaurant. I also worked at Café Balaban, a staple of the food scene in St. Louis, for many years. I also bartended for several years. Everywhere I worked taught me new skills and provided unique learning experiences. It took all this experience and more to open and run my restaurant.

In addition to allowing me to continue to learn and grow and make great food, owning my restaurant allowed me to continue to grow and develop many other skills. Time management and organization, sourcing and costing of food and menu items, and interpersonal communication. But the most significant learning experience was forced creativity and learning on the fly. Changing and adapting, sometimes daily, to improve workflow, refine recipes, create new recipes for our rotating dinner menus, and develop a soup and quiche of the day.

It pushed me out of my comfort zone. I didn’t have time to overthink things. Sometimes, even if a recipe or plate wasn’t perfect, I had just to put it out and let it go.  It wasn’t always easy, but it was a great learning experience.

Being a working owner of a restaurant was an excellent way for me to challenge myself and push past perceived limitations. Really putting in the work allowed me to grow in ways I never thought possible. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a challenge.

My original intent with the restaurant was to start a blog documenting the process. I was never able to find the time with everything else going on. Now that I have time, I will share some stories and recipes. I\\\’ve started with a few favorites. There is much more to come.