Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kim Hunter. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Kim, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.
As a chef and former restauranteur, my mission is for food to serve as a medium for love and connection. Inherent to this mission is the practice of sourcing the best quality, sustainable ingredients that are grown in a manner that gives back to the soil and nourishes body and spirit. I focus on bringing awareness to where our food comes from and the nourishing path of food from the soil to our table and back to the earth. The meals I serve and food related programs that I offer are intended to encourage connection with community and even with ourselves, through the visceral and important act of eating.
This mission drives my business practices and has influenced several tough decisions over the course of my work, starting with restaurant ownership in 2013. The restaurant/food service industry is measured on many conventional metrics such as food cost, guest check average, butts in seats, and table turns. All very useful for financially sustaining a business, but not helpful in measuring the heart, intention, or community impact of one’s work. Being a new and bright eyed restauranteur at the time, I may not have been fully prepared for how to operate both a financially sustainable and community-focused food establishment. Connecting community through food isn’t what is taught, encouraged, or supported, in the standard operation of a restaurant. To do this, one has to be willing to be very different – swim against the current – and it’s hard.
After a handful of years, thin margins and a high stress environment impacted operational decisions that left me feeling burned out and not particularly impactful. My restaurant had many successes including a creative and delicious menu, and a devoted customer following, yet something was missing. We weren’t hitting the mark on our mission, and I realized I was unwilling to dedicate so much of my time and energy to something that didn’t feel deeply connected and joyful. What was the point?
I decided to close my restaurant and since then have been working as an independent chef, creating pop up culinary events in unique locations, collaborating with other food creatives now and then, teaching meditative cooking classes, and cooking for retreats and events that align with my mission. Being a “chef without a restaurant” allows me to be more nimble in my work, more selective in the jobs and opportunities I am willing to participate in. I have found that this way of working brings me the most happiness and fulfillment, which in turn is naturally the best way that I can contribute my talents to the world. Adhering to my mission is an ongoing practice and a challenge at times. Occasionally I veer off path. But I find myself coming back, time and again, to what feels right and what inspired me to pursue this work, and so far, I’ve found that is always the right answer.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
The culinary field was my second career. I started my adult life working in software sales as a young single parent who needed a practical job and didn’t feel I was in a position to pursue my passions (nor had I fully identified my passions at that time). After 10 years working a “desk job” in a field in which I had developed a high level of competency but did not feel excited about, I decided to move into the business of sustainable food and culinary arts. I was no longer willing to do work that didn’t feel meaningful, and I knew I wanted to work with my hands. I had always had an affinity for food and ingredients and as a kid, thought about opening a cafe. I freelanced in software sales for a couple of years to pay the bills, while moonlighting in restaurants and picking up catering gigs, working at an organic farmers’ market on the weekends and making efforts to learn, connect with chefs and farmers.
Fast forward 15 years and I have opened and closed a farm to table Korean restaurant, learned a lot, hosted numerous culinary events and classes, created a new brand that better defines who I am and my offerings today as a chef and curator of culinary events that connect community around the table. I am working on offerings and programs that deepen our connection with food, the land, and each other. Topics related to food as medicine, ceremonial meals, and closing gaps in food equity.
Something that sets me apart is my unwillingness to settle for anything that doesn’t feel right or feel like the most impactful way that I can utilize by skills and passions, while also meeting needs in the community (related to food and wellness). Although it can at times feel scary and intimidating to try new things, start a new endeavor, or be a pioneer in one’s field, I view the alternative (not doing that thing) as not an option. I’m that person that says “let’s do this” and I’m willing to take risks in the name of doing good meaningful work.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
Letting go of others’ opinions or ideas of what is good, and leaning in to my own wisdom.
I spent the early part of my culinary career in a fairly insecure state of mind. I was new to the field, new at restaurant ownership, didn’t know a lot (or so I thought) compared to my peers. I still had a lot to work though in my own personal growth as well – managing stress, self regulation, and working through some past stuff. Looking back, I relied heavily on the opinion of others and spent a lot of energy seeking validation from the outside world. Customer reviews would make or break my day. Being included in what I thought were notable chef circles boosted my ego.
Seeking advice and learning from people, especially those with knowledge and experience in our fields, can be of great value. But I have found that turning towards our own truth, gut, inner wisdom – is the most beneficial voice we can listen to.
Another story along these lines – a friend and experienced restauranteur gave me solicited advice when I was opening to “not make the dumplings”. Dumplings were a specialty item that I hand made. From a business perspective, his point was that I as the owner should not be the person actually making those foods. Sage advice for a restaurant to grow and sustain. Business publications tell us to work on our business, not in it. Making dumplings is still one of my most meditative, zen activities and I had to come full circle in my own time on whether or not to make the dumplings. I make them!
Do you have any stories of times when you almost missed payroll or any other near death experiences for your business?
In the early days of restaurant ownership, there was more than one occasion of not knowing how payroll would be made. I’ve done everything from sending a little prayer up for a busy Saturday night of business in order to have enough cash for Monday checks, to taking out a couple high interest loans or credit card cash advances. There was one time that a couple of employee checks did not clear the bank. We definitely made good on them and it did not happen again but that can be the hard reality of small business ownership. One Valentine’s Day weekend when cashflow was feeling particularly vulnerable but I was hopeful for a solid boost in sales from the holiday celebrations, I was victim to a financial scam where a phone caller said our electricity was going to be shut off at the restaurant if we didn’t cough up a large sum of cash immediately. I normally wouldn’t have fallen for that but my stress levels were so high I wasn’t thinking clearly and my mind immediately went to preventing power shut off on a busy night. My health declined during restaurant ownership – cortisol levels were very high and I noticed other abnormalities in my body that seemed to be attributed to stress.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.soulfirefoodevents.com
- Instagram: soulfirefoodevents
Image Credits
Stacey Sprenz Photography