We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Vetrica Taylor a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Vetrica , thanks for joining us today. Almost all entrepreneurs have had to decide whether to start now or later? There are always pros and cons for waiting and so we’d love to hear what you think about your decision in retrospect. If you could go back in time, would you have started your business sooner, later or at the exact time you started?

My career was started at the perfect time. Before I became a business owner, I was an Executive Chef at Regional One. I learned so many aspects on running a business from the financial side. A lot of the things I learned were not taught in culinary school. From creating a spreadsheet to control food costs, scheduling employees to control labor costs and much more.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Growing up, I’ve always had a deep passion for food. I remember searching for culinary arts schools nearby. Memphis,TN was the closest school. I stayed in Jackson,TN at the time. I was so determined to become a Chef, I drove almost 2 hours everyday to go to school and then to work. Eventually, I ended up moving with my dad so that I could be a little closer to school. There were many nights I would fall asleep at work and while commuting back home. In the end, my determination and will power allowed me to graduate with honors. A lot of people may not know how much I constantly think about food. How to create new dishes is most satisfying to me. Being able to provide meals that most of my customers only see in magazines is so intriguing and motivating for me. The thing I’m most proud of is being able share my gift with my community and surrounding counties.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I’ve always believed in flavorful food. While attending culinary school, one of my chefs had a high salt level in taste. He would always tell me ,it needs more salt. Eventually, I developed a high salt level and my customers did not like it. I had to unlearn to not be so heavy handed with salt.

Let’s talk M&A – we’d love to hear your about your experience with buying businesses

I purchased a brick and mortar business at the same time I was a Chef at regional one. The fact that I had signed a 2 year work agreement with regional one and I had a year left had me troubled. If I opted out early, I would have to pay a fee. I ended up negotiating a deal with my vice president and all fees and the contract were waived. It was a strenuous process when I purchased my building. There was no equipment in there and the place was left in a mess, it needed to be painted, the floors had to be redone and etc. it took me about 5 months to get the building up to code. It was a journey but well worth it. It still amazes me that I’ve been at this building for 3 years and customers from this community still didn’t know I was here.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.otastecaterer.com
• Instagram: chef_vetrica_taylor
• Facebook: O’Taste & See

Image Credits
Eddie Nichols Vetrica Taylor