We were lucky to catch up with Christopher Montgomery recently and have shared our conversation below.
Christopher , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Crazy stuff happening is almost as certain as death and taxes – it’s technically “unexpected” but something unexpected happening is to be expected and so can you share a crazy story with our readers
We’ve been in business for two years, April 5, 2023. In January, At 7am on January 15th, I received a call from the landlord of the complex saying someone broke into our restaurant.
All I could think was they took the food, how am I going to repair the window, it’s’ been slow due to the holidays, what a way to start the year. I just imagined all of our windows were shattered. On the way to the restaurant, I was thinking what did they take, what else did they destroy.
I got to the restaurant, just to see, only the glass door was broken. I went inside to see what other kind of damage was done and what was stolen. The only thing that was missing was $30, that was left in the tip jar over night. ALL of this for $30??
Of course, a great sigh of relief fell upon me after the realization, but all of this for $30??
Christopher , 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?
I’ve been a professional chef for over 15 years. I’ve helped various chefs and business owners open their restaurants. It was only a matter of time when I would be the one opening my own restaurant. It was so crazy how it happened. In the thick of the pandemic, a local restaurant that I would visit from time to time sat vacant for months.
I started inquiring about the space saying how I wish I could take it over and open a restaurant. At first it was a thought and then I began to manifest opening my restaurant. How was I going to open a restaurant with no money? The world was suffering the effects of a pandemic, especially the restaurant industry. How can I make it work? I remembered my grinding days in New York. It was either go big or go home, it was all or nothing. I cried some tears, made some calls, begged, prayed, kicked and screamed. I needed this. I had to have it. Alas on November 22nd, 2020, I signed the least to the building of my very first restaurant. Even though I am a fine dining Chef, I knew I could make my mark starting small and casual.
This is just the beginning.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
Prior to opening my restaurant, I had a hard time getting a job as a full time Chef. The personal chef gigs were far and in-between. I started driving lyft and Uber for a little over a year. This was one of the most humbling times in my life.
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
This business opened with 4 donations from friends and family along with small change that me and my lady had in the bank. I reached out to a bunch of people for help, offered percentages, anything I could do to get the money. We had at least 7 potential investors. It wasn’t until the week I was supposed to sign the lease, 3 people backed out. My time to have the money expired. The previous owner put a sign on the door seeking other potential buyers. Each time I saw the sign on the door, I would rip it off. I knew this business belonged to me.
I was able to work out a deal with the previous owner and the rest is history.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cealo-la.com
- Instagram: cealo_la
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CEA-Lo-LA-100724971973132/?hc_ref=ARRnN-7mNJbWxUCC_YstdbNtkIGQVbTLfN8WAoa-kF4rHBTYXGnX4hl6jTe7SxDs4XA&__xts__[0]=68.ARB9DWbp-1R2Ev-Yl-xNG67eQ2XLLK5Nw8ckeABWEhyPCdoN8sLgCEegkXG0RrfAOK9dRxjCyxot_8M7kCH6jyBTrA06mfHvlCCtMySbyh2uc24GAG2i5st4kOzulfOZMoHztBRSPO9OIs0g9aXrcEfV7JXJM36n62G5OykKFOLADDKNh0w8jjHMKo5aEAoZ-eaB_vRgZD1vIHsvGuECyJKBVYVt9U8Xl9oBmuSiFpi3dsFrUclFZA4CC-8NpNpYNHwC5xDsAXHWJ910FsOm49wab1RtYv7DDi0tO8fVqbch3mXUTkSGej1ml97xVcaU-vsJGott0UHJfq5oFS4BTxHRl2-mng1_Gv9gxSvY4TXxdY_3V_RL0g0yFlHHCU7eQNuSuM-xuhmPCB22JUvgcMvumXPcONmc
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/cea-lo-l-a-sherman-oaks
Image Credits
Tyree Harris