We recently connected with De-Ven Atkinson and have shared our conversation below.
De-Ven, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Any thoughts about whether to ask friends and family to support your business. What’s okay in your view?
As A Chef nd Business Owner the main way I tell people they can help all businesses especially Black Owned is to Support! Whether it’s ordering from that business, sharing their posts, sharing their videos, passing business cards along it all goes a longgggggg way! Even as Business owners we should support one another by doing the same as well, cause it’s enough at the table for everyone to Eat as I always say!! But Yes Genuine Support in anyway shape or form to business is a Great Help!
De-Ven, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Well first off I AM THE CHEF D, and if you don’t know oh you finnah find out just keep reading lol!!! De-Ven Jamal Atkinson aka Chef D, I am the Proud Owner of Mmmm Hmmm Good Catering Company Inc. and also Proud Culinary Instructor at Central Carolina Community College (CCCC). But my beginnings began at home, I come from a family of Amazing Cooks (the underdog Chefs) and I watched, and cooked along side with many of them as I grew up from my early childhood. I had no idea that doing that would light the Fiery Pasion and Love for food and Culinary Arts that I have now. Fast forward I went to Culinary School (Art Institute of Raleigh-Durham) and graduated with honors and top of my class, and from their IT WAS ON!!! My first job right out of Culinary School I was hired as a Line Cook and Banquet Chef at Millennium Hotel in Durham that’s were my knowledge, love, skill for Catering really began. Crazy enough my catering company began with me selling homemade cakes for $10 (NEVER AGAIN lol high as eggs are nie) to my coworkers at the hotel. Then one day I took a picture of some things I had prepared for a Hotel Catering I had and a good friend of mine asked had I ever catered I wedding before; I simply said “Naw but I can try”. And from that event on July 19, 2014 Mmmm Hmmm Good Catering Company Inc. Began! The journey has just been AMAZINGGG I have cooked for sooo many people I done pure lost count, I have worked with some of the best, and have just met some great people. It hasnt been easy, and still isnt But God is the foundation of my Business and that’s what makes the Difference! Mmmm Hmmm Good Catering Company is catering company like no other. If you have an event and need food Oh WE GOT YOU!! We have wide menu selection From Southern Style, to Chef D’s Jamaican Style, to Italian Style selections and so much more. We also offer Private Plated Dinners for 2ppl or a small group or 10-20ppl. We also offer cooking classes for all ages as well. We are here to take care of all your catering needs for any event you have planned (Wedding, Baby Shower, Business Meeting, Birthday Party, etc). Two of the main things that set u apart is our Customer Service from the time you call us or text us we make sure you feel that Genuine Warm Southern Hospitality. Our Food i s another factor that sets us apart, CAUSE IS JUST MmmmHmmm Good!!
I’m so proud of the growth of the business, it has come a long way and I’m so grateful for the Journey. I’m Proud of my Team (Yvette, Josephine, Jimmy, Miracle, Tanisha, Frances, Shauna, Nina, Kathyrn, Loree, Erica, Briana, James, Vaughn, Marcia, Cassandra, and Christian) thank you for your Continued Faithfulness!!!
To all Returning clients and New Potential Clients I want to say thank you for entrusting me with catering your event, and continue to keep me booked!!
To all supporters, fans, followers and etc THANK YOU and keep sharing, tagging, and etc cause yal know Chef D aint that tech savvy at all.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
I had to unlearn the “fear of competition”. Let’s be honest it is ALOT of Amazing Chefs here in NC. As I came up I use to allow fear of competition, or comparing myself to others keep me scared to just be the Chef God called me to be. It took some time but I soon broke out of that and created my own lane and did things the way Chef D wants to do them. I never look at other chefs as competition but as my fellow brothers and sisters in the industry, I support and push them just as they do me. Had I not unlearned that I don’t think I’d be where and who I am today as a Chef and Business owner.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
When it came to building (and still building) my social media audience, my main and biggest advice is to simply BE YOU!!! Anytime I made a post, a video, picture I was simply De-Ven. I never put on any wild antics or characters or etc I was just me and gave the people who I really was. That is key cause when I run into people in public they get the same genuine and authentic De-Ven/Chef D every time. Always be true to yourself and don’t try to mimic or copy what others are doing just be you!! And also don’t stress out if you don’t get all the thousands and thousands of followers and etc that others are. Trust the process and stay genuine!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cookingwithchefd.com
- Instagram: @mmmmhmmmgood93
- Facebook: MmmmHmm Good Catering Company Inc.
- Youtube: Cooking With Chef D