We recently connected with Hailee Moore and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Hailee, thanks for joining us today. So, let’s imagine that you were advising someone who wanted to start something similar to you and they asked you what you would do differently in the startup-process knowing what you know now. How would you respond?

In a way, over the last three years, I have been “starting over” with Simply Hailee, slowly and thoughtfully., and in a different location than its place of origin.

I built this business almost 10 years ago, in a major city within a highly competitive industry. When COVID hit, it was lights out for my business (for a while). Decisions had to be made quickly, and I packed it all up and moved back to my hometown, Fort Worth. I had a place to live and took a job in a brand-new restaurant when people weren’t eating out. All the while (and still) working on getting my business off the ground in a new city.

This time around, I have patiently sat with myself + Simply Hailee and brainstormed, brain-dumped, and strategized. I have actually pulled out the hard copy of my original business plan and revised it and simplified it. What kinds of services do I want to provide? What kinds of services do I want to avoid? Who is my new target market? How far am I willing to travel for my services?

Doing this, I have found I adore executing smaller events/occasions and intimate private dining services. They allow me to be more creative with menu planning, and true to cooking techniques, there is also increased quality of the food and product. The small occasions also give me a chance to create a relationship with clients during the planning process as well as during the event/dinner. Having clients who appreciate the process is validating.

I have also realized that though they aren’t as necessary as when the pandemic was in full force, I do enjoy an occasional meal doorstep delivery service once in a while. At the beginning of the year, I began offering once a month a list of items/meals that people can either eat within the week or keep in their freezer for those moments they don’t have time or energy to prepare a meal.

During this starting over phase, the main thing that is crystal clear to me is my value. I know what my time and effort are worth. Hiring a classically trained private chef is a luxury, and the price tag can reveal that. There were many times in the past I would lowball myself in order to get the gig, and would find myself dreading the process. Through experience, I have learned to kindly decline certain dinners or events that weren’t going to bring me that sense of joy.

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.

Hi! I am Hailee Moore the Executive Chef, Founder, and CEO of Simply Hailee, a premiere event catering and private chef service. Simply Hailee is widely regarded for innovatively simple, elegant, and delectable menus. Food is sourced out of natural, local, homemade, and sustainable ingredients carefully prepared by myself. With more than 20 years in the culinary business, at the intersection of my passion for cooking and love of good, fresh food, Simply Hailee was born.

Simply Hailee hosts a wide variety of menus and tasting options for all seasons and occasions from formal seated dinners and passed hors d’oeuvres to home-cooked family meals served right at your kitchen table. Simply Hailee’s culinary philosophy is fresh food is clean, easy, healthy, and embodies the essence of family and memories.

I was classically trained in the French style, at the once-legendary French Culinary Institute under the tutelage of master chefs including Jacques Pepin, Andre Soltner, and the late Alain Sailhac. After graduating, I continued my tenure with the acclaimed French Culinary Institute as a valued instructor and mentor for students.

For almost eight years, I shared my culinary talents as a cook in the 5-star/5 diamond kitchen of the award-winning The Four Seasons Hotel in New York City. Additionally, I have served as a private in-home chef for an array of notable clients including Fortune 500 CEOs, celebrity talent, Emmy Award-winning producers, and everyday Manhattan, Westchester, and Dallas/Fort Worth families looking for healthy and delicious, gourmet food cooked in the comfort of their own home, for themselves and their loved ones.

Our mission is simple:
Simply Hailee is a chef-driven private dining and catering company with a mission to create simple, classic, and memorable dining experiences. Simply Hailee keeps focusing on delicious, wholesome food + friendly and clean service, wherein family, friends, and acquaintances will relish until the next table is set.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Sources that seem to be working in my favor lately: -word of mouth, especially within Facebook Mom groups
-Yelp. This source didn’t occur to me until a couple of years ago, but after building a business profile, I have gathered a significant amount of new clients.
-I would very much love to build my presence on social media (i.e. Instagram), but I haven’t quite learned how to strategize within this category.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

Having worked for years at the notable Four Seasons Hotel in New York, I have learned that customer service is key. Their top-of-the-line “standards” system has taught me to give clients first-class service. Once a congenial relationship has been established, my clients know I will go above and beyond to meet expectations.

In 2018, Simply Hailee had the honor of being selected as a member of the Goldman Sachs + Tory Burch 10,000 Small Business Program. This is an entrepreneurial program where I learned about the nuts and bolts of my business and just business in general. I was taught and mentored by some of the finest women (and men) in small businesses.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.simplyhailee.com
• Instagram: @simplyhaileeny
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SimplyHailee
• Linkedin: Hailee Moore
• Yelp: Simply Hailee