We recently connected with Daniela Perez-Reyes and have shared our conversation below.
Daniela, appreciate you joining us today. What’s one of the most important lessons you learned in school?
Cooking is an art form and a passion that people love sharing with others. Those who typically choose to follow this career path go into culinary school with the idea of learning new techniques, recipes and ways to improve their talents, but rarely do they think about the business side of things. Many artists are stumped when they realize that if they want to make it in their industry, they cannot only rely on their ability to put a good dish on the table or paint a beautiful picture, they have to know how to run a business as well. My professors in school put a lot of emphasis on budgeting and accounting because they knew that talent can only take you so far, but as young Chefs and artists, those were the last things we wanted to focus on. Even after school, many Chefs go into the workforce without knowing how to budget and end up in positions where they are not making as much money as they would like. They will end up working for someone who typically underpays them, or they will try to work independently with little to no success because they don’t know anything about costs and margins. There was a moment in my career when this lesson clicked for me. I was executing a 700 person event as the head Chef, doing all the hard work but getting paid a mediocre salary, while my employer was making huge profits. The day before service, we received the Banquet Event Order from the Executive Chef’s secretary, and she had forgotten to delete the price from the document. I was able to see that they were charging $150 per person, yet I was only getting paid $400 plus tip for the whole weekend. This was an “aha” moment for me because I realized I was already doing all the work, and if I could I further focus on budgeting, I could open a successful business on my own.
Daniela, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I was raised in Peru and grew up eating amazing organic food. When I moved to the U.S. to go to college, I started cooking at home, and friends and family always complimented my meals. Since cooking came naturally to me, I felt motivated to transfer from my Fine Arts degree to the Culinary Arts. I worked in the restaurant industry since my early twenties, serving and bartending my way through college. I thrived in culinary school, and loved the thrill that comes from working in the kitchen! I proved that small girls can also belong in the kitchen and be leaders in the culinary world. After graduating from the International Culinary School at the Art Institute – San Diego, I decided to go back to Peru to reconnect with my roots through cuisine. There, I attended Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute, and discovered the fulfillment I felt when sharing my culture through food.
I also lived in Hawaii for seven years where I worked at renowned restaurants, hotels, and private catering companies. I had the chance to learn from the most talented Chefs in Oahu, and gained vast experience in the wedding/catering industries – making this field my specialty! I fell in love with the tropical island lifestyle, exotic ingredients and culture, so I incorporate a lot of Hawaiian flavors into my cuisine until today. After moving back to San Diego in 2016, I decided it was time to open my own catering business; and I have been growing and thriving as a sole entrepreneur ever since!
Besides being a Private Chef and Caterer, I also have vast experience with hands-on cooking classes and meal preparation. I love to teach my clients the ultimate expression of this beautiful art, and serve clean and delicious food that also serves a sustainable purpose.
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
I used all of my savings to start my business and had no outside funding. I worked month to month for about two years before I started making a steady and consistent profit. It was nerve wracking at first, but I never gave up! After six years in business, I have been able to make my money back and save three times more of what I originally invested.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
Moving from Hawaii to San Diego was a pivoting moment of my career. Although I was really happy living in Oahu and I loved the people, lifestyle and the beautiful scenery, I felt that I had to make a big change in order to take my career to the next level. San Diego offered more opportunity and the fact that I speak Spanish is an asset here, while in Hawaii it was not of much value. This felt like a huge sacrifice at the moment, but it was a risk that definitely paid off. I learned the valuable lesson that sometimes to get something we really want in life, something else gotta give.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.marableu.com
- Instagram: @marableu
- Facebook: marableu
Image Credits
Outdoor Portrait by Romi Rossel Media Indoor action shots and food photos by Melissa Montoya Photography