We recently connected with Kathryn Hubert and have shared our conversation below.

Kathryn, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

Starting this business has, by far, been the biggest risk I’ve ever taken, In fact, I spent about 6 years in the dreaming and planning phase because I wasn’t sure if I was ready to take the plunge. I knew that starting up a restaurant, and a restaurant with a social impact model, would take everything I had: financially, mentally, physically, and emotionally. I knew that this business would forever change my life, and that there were no guarantees that it would work or be sustainable. You can crunch numbers, and plan, and train, and be as ready as you can and there’s still no way to tell how something is going to work until the doors open and you see if anyone walks through them. It’s an extreme moment of truth.

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.

I am the founder and chef of a French inspired cafe in downtown Greensboro, NC called Chez Genèse. We offer an integrated hiring model by training and employing adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, which make up over 50% of our overall team. As a team, we are on a mission to change the way our world understands neurodiversity and employs humans with disabilities.

Our cafe is most known for our bright and airy space, our love of plants, weekend brunch (especially our Lemon Ricotta Pancakes and avocado toast!), and an environment that encourages connection and conversation.

My love of food and cooking started at a young age, which eventually led to pursuing degrees in Culinary and Hospitality Management in college. This also opened doors to the restaurant world and ultimately to the Burgundy region of France, where I spent a year falling in love with French culture and food. I have three cousins with Autism, who have inspired and provided the initial heartbeat for Chez Genèse (translation: the place of new beginnings). I ultimately am fighting for a world where all humans belong, using my restaurant as a tangible and practical space for us to practice our mission and model, believing that good food brings people together.

The thing that makes me most proud and fulfilled is seeing my guests and teammates connecting with each other, sharing lives, stories, and experiences that build up and encourage one another. Second to that is seeing the head nods and happy faces when people take the first bite of their food…

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Word of mouth!! Before we had a restaurant space, I started teaching cooking workshops out of my home or in other people’s homes. It was a way for me to pay my bills while meeting people and telling them all about the restaurant I was working to start! My goal always was to establish a small community of people that were dedicated and excited about our concept and then let their enthusiasm for my business fuel the excitement within the broader City and community. My logic was, “you are way more inclined to try a new restaurant that your friend says you have to try that you are an ad or post”. Not all of my logic proves to be try, but that one has! By initially and intentionally inviting people into our story and community, those same people have turned around and intentionally invited others in. The majority of our marketing since our origin has come from people spreading the word for us. It’s been a big part of our brand and a powerful tool for growth and ultimately has fueled connection and created long lasting relationships with our guests!

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

It’s okay to quit. I grew up with the mentality that quitting wasn’t something our family did, which has (by and large) served me really well in life, That mentality has pushed me and helped me be a dedicated friend, employee, student, etc. There are, however, times in business life when quitting something is the best choice you can make, It can be dangerous to play the “sunk cost” game. Continuing to invest in an idea, or a person, or a dream because you’ve already invested so much. There have been several key moments when I’ve needed to cut ties and quit something in order to keep my business alive and push it towards the growth that it needs. Quitting doesn’t have to mean failure. Sometimes ideas and dreams are for a long season, and sometimes, we need to let them go.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.chezgenese.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chezgenese/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chezgenese
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kehubert/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@chezgenese
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/chez-gen%C3%A8se-greensboro

Image Credits
Barrier Photography for all of our pictures!