Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kyle Shankman. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Kyle thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. It’s easy to look at a business or industry as an outsider and assume it’s super profitable – but we’ve seen over and over again in our conversation with folks that most industries have factors that make profitability a challenge. What’s biggest challenge to profitability in your industry?

As private chefs and independent restauranteurs, we of course have to deal with our raw product costs increasing due to supply chain issues and inflation. That being said, I still think profitability is a two-way street. What we pay is important, but what we charge is much more controllable and may actually be the biggest challenge to profitability in this industry.

For a lot of reasons, we fear raising prices to keep up with our expenses. Beyond that, I believe there’s room to increase pricing further beyond the (in my opinion) antiquated system of trying to run a 25-33% food cost. Instead, I look at what I need to produce in revenue to not only cover expenses, but to also ensure that myself and everyone on my team thrives, still leaving enough to reinvest back into the business.

A well-paid team with access to the right tools and products inherently delivers a better experience to the guest. And that brings us to the real goal:

Deliver an experience that goes beyond an “I make food, and you eat it” foodservice transaction.

Decide what you want to charge, and then take on the responsibility of making that number worth it to your customer. Elevating an experience doesn’t necessarily need to cost you more. Creating a comfortable and clean atmosphere with every glass and piece of silverware polished allows your diner to truly relax and enjoy the meal. Asking the right questions allows you to know your customer better. Knowing that one of your diners is celebrating a birthday and getting them a card personally signed by the whole team, or being aware that a guest is joining you for the 20th time and personally thanking them goes a really long way.

These are the types of things they tell their friends and families about. And, to get back to the original point, these are the touches that make them completely unconcerned with whatever the bill was at the end of dinner. I think we’ve resigned ourselves to things being pretty one-sided, with the guest being the only one gaining something. For our industry and the lives of those in it to be sustainable, every transaction needs to be mutually beneficial.

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 initially entered the food industry somewhat by accident. As a high schooler, I mostly just wanted independence. So I worked in restaurants, as they were really the only ones willing to hire 15/16 year olds. While I set out initially to go in to business or architecture, I was actively becoming very comfortable in the kitchen. When my time as an architecture major at Georgia Tech didn’t feel like as much of a good fit as I thought it would, I pivoted to an industry that I’d originally seen as a means to an end. Once I decided to truly focus on that craft and go to culinary school, I found a real aptitude and passion for cooking.

Over the coming years, I would work as a line cook, an executive chef a few times, a culinary instructor, a restaurant consultant, and a private chef. These days, I spend most of my energy building our pop-up restaurant Speak Easy Supper Club. This is an invitation-only “underground” tasting menu experience for a maximum of 14 guests at a time. I’ve never felt more creative or excited for what’s next.

I think the thing that sets our supper club and our private chef experiences apart from others is our primary focus on what we call “The Vibe”. I’m a firm believer in the marketing theory that people care less about what you DO and more about how your product or service makes them FEEL. Every choice we make is designed to curate a feeling of comfort and an atmosphere that leads to conversations and new relationships. I am of course really proud of our food, but I still see the food on the plate as no more than an ice-breaker.

The main thing I’d like potential customers to know about me is that I’ve put myself in a position where (if I’m feeding you) I am excited and motivated to be doing so. That leads to no corners being cut in the sourcing of ingredients, the preparation of every course, or the end experience.

Any advice for managing a team?

Give everyone a bit of ownership in the process. This doesn’t always have to be a monetary thing. Allow them to make important decisions. I liken it a bit to parenting. If I want my daughter to be a happy and independent toddler, I try to provide her with opportunities to make her own choices. Whether it be choosing her outfit for the day or taking part in the making of her food, Lennon feels that she has a level of autonomy with me just being there to guide her and keep her safe.

If you don’t trust someone to develop a dish for your menu or to implement an idea for service, ask yourself if you’ve given them enough training and attention. If you have and still don’t trust them to be anything more than a silent worker, ask yourself if they should be on your team at all… or if it’s you that needs to work on some trust issues.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

For us, the most effective strategy for getting new clientele has ironically been to focus more on the customers we have already. In the early days of my business, I reached out to food bloggers and tried to leverage free meals for publicity. While their posts got us a lot of attention, it never really translated into sustained new business or customers. It’s because nothing about it felt personal. It felt like an ad. By being actively engaged in my conversations with our guests, I think I create a level of trust. That then translates into them thinking of me first when recommending a dining experience to a friend. I think it also makes their social media posts about my company feel more genuine. Nothing is more gratifying than having a table full of new diners and then finding out all of them individually found out about us from one of my regulars. It shows that the process and approach is working. Slowly but sustainably.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.chefshankman.com
• Instagram: @speakeasysupperclub and @chefshankman

Image Credits
Jordan Shankman