We recently connected with David Sweeney and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, David thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.
I’ve always been interested in food, and specifically, healing foods. I’d dreamt of having my own “health food” restaurant for years. I wanted to help people cure, heal, and do this with food. Prior to my career as a chef, I worked in luxury retail. One day I found myself in front of a female customer having a hard time making a decision over which Gucci handbag she should purchase. She was utterly distraught, unable to make up her mind. In that moment, I knew I wasn’t going to help this woman. I knew a handbag was going to make her happier. It made me realize, if I really wanted to help a person’s well-being, I would need to follow this passion in the form of preparing healthy food for people.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
My first job in the food industry was working alongside an incredible biodynamically trained German chef. She bestowed a wealth of skills and knowledge on me. How to eat in season. How to source sustainably & how to cook from the heart. In the early 2000’s I had a small vegetarian delivery service in Munich, Germany. I’d prepare, and then deliver meal kits to any location within the center of town. At the time, I read all I could about the nutrients in fruits, vegetables, grains and pulses. I basically studied in an auto-deductive way, creating nutritional info for every meal delivered.
In 2006 I opened a vegetarian restaurant in Atlanta GA with foods that I’d been creating and focusing on for years prior. My mission was really to serve food that would help people maintain their health and immunes systems in order to better handle life’s stresses. My mission and work has allowed me to become one with my local agriculture. To become a part of the food-supply system, working with farmers and sourcing the best, freshest ingredients I can get my hands on.
Have you ever had to pivot?
I had to close my restaurant. I wasn’t experienced enough to be a chef and run a restaurant.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
I’m honest about my ingredients.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.chefdavidsweeney.com
- Instagram: @dishesbydavid
- Facebook: Robert David Sweeney
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidsweeney2/
- Twitter: @dynamicdish
Image Credits
Andrew Thomas Lee & Liz Chai