We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Devin Epps. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Devin below.

Devin, appreciate you joining us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

Primetime Hospitality Group officially started in the Winter of 2023 as a way for athletes and sports executives to efficiently source private chefs for various needs. Still, the seeds for this business were planted well before any food hit the fire. Basketball has always been a huge part of my life, and the idea began during my collegiate career at the University of South Alabama to make some extra money in the off-season. At the time, there was no NIL for college athletes, and the budget for non-scholarship players, such as myself, was only for the necessities!

I would frequently cook not only for the general student body but for my teammates as well! Some had strict dietary restrictions, others just wanted a satisfying meal that reminded them of home. I quickly noticed how that effort translated into my teammates reaching their goals quicker and overall performing at a higher level.

After graduating from university in the Summer of 2018, I decided to pursue a full-time culinary career. I started as a server at our local country club, moved to NYC to intern at the Food Network, talked my way into a few line cook positions in Manhattan, and eventually moved back home to Nashville and began my private chef career at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

My very first clients were a handful of young NFL players for the Tennessee Titans! Like most of Gen-Z, we met on social media after a year of me posting “Chef Dev” food content, hosting “Speakeasy” style dinner pop-ups, and servicing my friends and family with home-cooked meals through that difficult time. The 2021 NFL season was about to begin, and my designated role was to be the MEAL PREP KING! I worked out of my parents’ kitchen to make close to 100 meals each week and slowly saved up enough money to move out and become a primary source of nutrition for professional athletes in the Nashville area.

After 2 years of this grind, I found that my clientele had grown to a level that I could no longer handle by my lonesome and began the steps to put other talented cooks into position for a new and fulfilling career in sports nutrition! We have now serviced dozens of clients in the sports industry and have ambitious plans to become a leading source for teams and agencies that want their athletes to eat the best!

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

If you’ve never met me before, I don’t come across as a stereotypical chef. I didn’t go to culinary school, my ego is minimal, I think simple is better than fancy, and I love business equally as much as I love cooking. I got into the culinary industry because I felt like it was my best chance to express myself and have some level of enjoyable success right out of college. I got into the sports industry because I could relate to our prospective clients and their needs on a higher level than your average private chef.

My original aspiration was to be a food media star! I wanted to host cooking shows, write best-selling cookbooks, and sell the cheesy kitchen utensils – I truly thought that was going to be the path that satisfied my ambition. Along the way, I noticed that I was most satisfied leading a team and solving problems for people with whom I could relate. Starting Primetime was an organic transition that blended my love and knowledge for food and sports.

Currently, we focus on providing in-home and hand-delivered nutrition for professional athletes, collegiate programs, sports executives, and busy entrepreneurs. My wish is that this niche is not exclusive to the general public, but instead that it is structured in a way that it is ideal for the fast-paced life and demand for privacy of our target audience. With this in mind, we can provide specialized meal plans and trustworthy services to clients who need a superstar in their kitchen.

My favorite line when someone is on the fence about our value: “You don’t put cheap fuel in a Lambo.”

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson I had to unlearn in this business is that it is not about me or even MY vision for this company. The market has a brutal way of telling you what they want (or don’t want), and by blending two very cutthroat industries such as food AND sports, the leash is short. I’m never afraid to take responsibility for how my actions or lack thereof in our inaugural year caused the company to lose clients, cooks, and stagnated the company’s growth. I believe that starting and running any business comes with this set of challenges at some point.

On the back end of these negatively charged truths are positive learning experiences that gave me a new perspective on my role as an owner/operator. We are now quickly approaching 3 years in business, and as the leader of our company, my role is to recruit and develop talented cooks while regularly touching base with our clients to make sure their needs are consistently met and course-correct where needed.

Business is a tactical game. But the best, most genuine growth happens when the people in charge can develop themselves and others around them on a human level first.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Reputation is everything in this industry! Trying to keep a squeaky-clean image is impossible and arguably pointless. Instead, I choose to be as genuine as possible and focus on actions that will help the people who work with and for our company reach their goals. Sometimes, that means I’m the nice guy who gives a listening ear and words of affirmation. Sometimes, I have to be the one who leads tough conversations and makes business decisions.

Because of this, it’s increasingly become important for me to make my best effort to develop personal relationships with our clients and cooks so we best understand how to serve one another effectively. If you were to ask the people who choose Primetime for their private chef needs or place of employment, my wish is that they would say, “Chef Dev really cares about the people in his life, and his team are a group of dawgs that always make it happen!”

At the end of the day, the kitchen and the court have taught me that all you can control is your effort – but God controls the final outcome.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.primetimeprivatechefs.com/
• Instagram: https://devinepps.com/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devin-epps/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@_ChefDev_

Image Credits

Thomas Crowder III (@tc_7k) and Bryan Roberson (@YoBreezye)