Today we’d like to introduce you to Tavon Burrow.
Tavon, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I originally started cooking because I liked to eat. When I was in high school we had four electives you could choose to study. Business management, auto-mechanics, child care, and catering. As a freshman, I would see all of my upper classmates walking around with chocolate covered waffles and peanut butter cookies, etc. They would have them late in the day after lunch was over and I knew the cafeteria didn’t sell that. Upon asking where they got it I found they were in the catering program. Now, you had to wait until the end of your freshman year in order to choose your elective, but I knew at that moment, I wanted to be in catering, lol. When the next year started, we thought we would start cooking day one, but we were wrong. We had six weeks of book work. After that, we started to cook and little did I know, cooking would become my escape from the hardships of Baltimore City. I played sports my whole life and people thought I would go to school for that but I found a new love in the kitchen. After high school, I went straight to culinary school, then moved to Dallas a few years after I graduated. Over the years here, I’ve been blessed to be able to work for a few celebrity chefs like Tre Wilcox and Blythe Beck. Through this process, I learned that catering was what I wanted to do most. I loved the interaction with the guest and the ability to actually see them enjoy something I created.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Not always. The culinary industry is a tough one. You have long hours and sometimes, the pay doesn’t reward the work in the beginning. Starting your own business is a scary thing because of the uncertainty yet I wouldn’t want to go back to doing it any other way. When jumping out on your own, you have to believe in yourself when others don’t. You have to sacrifice time, fun, sleep, and sometimes relationships. Not having the slightest idea if you will make enough to sustain yourself is also something that you worry about. You’re building from scratch. You have to get people to believe in you as much as you believe in yourself. That’s a tough path to take and it isn’t for everyone, but it’s so rewarding.
Please tell us about Chubby Chef Food Company.
My company is a food service company. We do catering and meal prep currently. My goal is to have it become a full-service food company that specializes and all aspects of culinary arts from spices to clothing and even a temp agency for chefs. Being from Baltimore and living in Dallas for so long, I can give the best of both worlds. Seafood and cattle. I can make a steak just as well I a do a crab cake. My personality mixed with my style of cooking is what sets me apart. I believe that positive energy and food made with simple yet quality ingredients can bring a smile and joy to any situation or event.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I always say I would have ventured out on my own earlier, but I believe everything happens in its time. I genuinely feel like the moment I was supposed to step out and become an entrepreneur is the moment I did. Each lesson prior to me doing so was vital and necessary.
Pricing:
- Meal prep is $10 per meal plus tax and delivery fee
- Caterings differ from event to event.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 4692455068
- Email: Tavon@cheftb.com
- Instagram: Www.instagram.com/chubbycheffoodcompany
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