Today we’d like to introduce you to Khalil Jones.
Khalil, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I grew up cooking I watched how food brought my family together coming from a much separated family, I always wanted to have that effect on the world. I’ve been professionally cooking for five years now growing up how I knew at an early age I wanted to be a chef sounds so cliche but honestly, when I was eight years, I found the show Chopped on Food Network. I was so fascinated and Intrigued how they took nothing and made into something you’d never think of. I started taking Thanksgiving leftovers and creating stuff I remember taking the turkey and making BBQ turkey sandwich. I moved to Dallas March of 2015 from Kennett, Missouri a small town in the boot heel of Missouri to start culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu Dallas, In 2016 I started Show Me Catering. I would in the future like to expand my business into the food truck world.
In 2017 I was selected to be one of the Chefs for the Super Bowl in Houston, after the Superbowl, I moved to Austin to study the food truck scene. I lived there for a year met some awesome clients and friends. Worked for some cool food truck owners networked well. I Moved back to Dallas in 2019 understanding what and how I need to go about doing things I understood the business more, the summer of 2019 I worked with Terrance Ferguson of the Oklahoma City Thunder. I’m a firm believer that networking builds your net worth from there I would gain three more NBA clients just recently started working with Shawn Marion former Dallas Mavericks Champion. Business and life have been a test of faith but I’m praying for better days all 2020! I just had my first son Josiah having him showed me my purpose I cant no days off now, I have a amazing little family Rose, Josiah, Chuey. I never had a father figure so to be able to be one is really important to me, Im a father first, entrepreneur and chef second. I call it a DADpreneur.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Negative!! But I maintain never complain. I feel like anything in life you want or willing to work for isn’t smooth, Some of the struggles is always consistent business Catering gets slow you have to learn how to improvise, I would sell lunch plates through the week. Gotta have faith and perfect your niche as much as you can. We all are great. We have to dig deep and find our purpose. “Weather the storm until the sun shines again” Working in the food industry is a labor of love, becoming an entrepreneur takes learning how to fail and accepting failure as a lesson because failing means there is room for growth. I feel like failure is the best teacher because you get another chance t it with more understanding. It is the bad times that make the good times feel so good though, take the leap of faith and pursue your dream before your time expires. I come from being homeless but kept going cause nothing comes easy at life, its some amazing people who played apart of this journey I could name they know who they are. S/O to my day 1’s Quez, DJ Eazy love them like thy my mamma sons.
Please tell us about Show Me Catering.
Show Me Catering is an on or off premise special in catering for any social event, Weddings, Corporate events, baby showers, private dinners and meal preps. I create menus for events, I can accommodate any catering need from set to clean up. I don’t specialize in a certain cuisine but I am heavily inspired by the Mediterranean and southern comfort cuisine. I specialize in everything, so my clients aren’t put in a box when they inquire about my services, I aim to sell an experience because people only remember a meal for so long but an experience last forever. So if you ever have an event, you’re planning and can’t decide what you want to serve book Show Me Catering take a culinary trip around the world we would never have to leave the kitchen..
I’m most proud of I get to do what I love for a living, and self growth because it hasn’t been easy, but you have to stay focused. The clientele I have now wide range from athletes to doctors, I just ask God favors keep working my way. I’ve been blessed with a bunch of opportunities. Very thankful for everything..
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I wouldn’t take gaps in my business. I would be more consistent early when i started. But my course is my course I feel like if I went through or did something different maybe I wouldn’t be where I am now could be worse could be better. I am grateful for my journey because I wouldn’t have met the people I know today or know the things I know.
Contact Info:
- Email: showmecatering35@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/chef_tune
Image Credit:
Oklahoma City Thunder
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