We were lucky to catch up with Chef Matt recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Matt thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.

Exclusivity, flexibility, and creativity are at the foundation of what makes my private chef company different and I really try to provide a more personable dining experience when comparing to the conventional restaurants around Summit. However, the business model couldn’t work anywhere; it’s highly contingent on the tourist market and a revolving door of families from all over the world. You really need a highly transient economy in order to sustain this type of concept, and you lose the sustaining income without it. I think people are really starting to see the value in this when compared to the industry standard.

I’m fortunate to call Summit County, Colorado my home, but so do 5 of the largest ski resorts in Colorado. With an annual residency of 25,000 people, ballooning to 150,000 in peak winter season – it’s not difficult to conceptualize the need for dining diversity outside of what the county’s infrastructure can currently support.

Families spend tens of thousands of dollars for sometimes just a few days in Colorado’s ski country. For some, it’s really no dent in their wallet, but to others, it’s a trip of a lifetime that families have methodically saved and planned for.

As a consumer, I would absolutely hate to spend the type of money ski country demands, only to spend my time eating disappointing food, receiving absent service, and having to fight for a reservation amongst all others in a county that never supports its demand.

Restaurants were a tough business before Covid and now they are even tougher. Every restaurant has a “help wanted” sign but yet we have a tourist market growing at an unprecedented rate. The dichotomy of a growing market and a regressing work force can be felt in every facet of the community. Employers are forced to hire at premium wages with no relevant or limited work experience – and it just trickles down from there to the consumer. Oh, and you’re paying 30% more for it.

You have options with my company. You know who is cooking your food when you hire me and you have the opportunity to be as engaged in the process as you’d like. It’s a very personable experience overall. You get cooking lessons, recipes, and that face-to-face connection which is what hospitality is all about. I feel as if we’ve really lost that in Summit since Covid, and I really try to tailor towards that in my marketing. Sure, it’s a business, but my clients generally become friends. I just don’t feel it’s fair to expect that with restaurants, given what they have been going through for years now.

Matt, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m 32 years old and I grew up in Statesville, North Carolina. I got into cooking around 12 years ago and had a humbling start as all young cooks do. I remember being promoted to Kitchen Manager at 22 for a Sagebrush Steakhouse in Mooresville, NC. I made a whopping $25,000 a year and although it was barely livable – it showed me the backbone of restaurant operations. The intrapersonal & organizational skills that came from that were well worth the poor wages looking back today.

It was always important for me to learn “from-scratch” cooking. I wanted to do it like the greats, not necessarily like Claremont Restaurant Group. Anthony Bourdain, Eric Ripert, Marcus Samuelson, Sean Brock, and Massimo Battura were all big inspirations, but I didn’t necessarily plan to cook at a young age. I didn’t come from a culinary background and frankly, it wasn’t a respected career in the land of Waffle House & Cracker Barrel. My family definitely didn’t see the appeal in it, that’s for sure. I just kind of fell into it because I needed to work and one thing led to the next honestly.

I moved to Seattle in my early twenties excited to be somewhere new. After getting my feet wet around the city for a while, I started working at Marmite, a top 50 Bon Appetit Magazine French restaurant. Marmite really allowed me to come out of my shell as a cook but as an adult as well. I really grew out of the novice cook persona and into a more competent, well-rounded chef by the time I left.

However, I was still very green, but I took every opportunity that sounded interesting to me from there on. I wasn’t worried about how long I would be at a place or how it would look on a resume – I just left when I thought I needed to. I worked as a chef in central Alaska at a wilderness lodge, a farm-to-table bison ranch in Utah, various places in Seattle, and a farm-to-table 100% gluten free restaurant in Boulder, Colorado to name a few.

My twenties definitely bring me a sense of pride when I reflect on them. Going against the grain of what’s popular, what’s normal, and what’s expected is so hard at that age when you know nothing and you’re terrified of failing. You just have to believe it’s going to work out for you and I think that’s an invaluable skill to have in your twenties. Due to the lack of life experience you have, you tend to question yourself more and lean on those who have lived a little more life. It can be a blessing and a curse.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Things were definitely interesting for me growing up, and if it wasn’t for such a strong supporting family, I’m not sure how things would have turned out.

I was incarcerated a handful of times as a minor during high school. By my junior year, I had been arrested 3 times and had missed more than 60 days of school. I wasn’t going anywhere fast and was told I wasn’t going to graduate. Into my senior year, I was given another chance by going to live with my older brother and husband in a different part of the state. Without the chaotic nature of home, things started to turn around for me academically and I did indeed graduate on time. It’s amazing what you can do when your mind can breathe a little. I know I drove them crazy, but it really did allow a sort-of restaging of my life.

Shortly after my graduation day, a judge held all of my pending cases and decided to expunge everything, giving me a chance to start over as an adult. There is a lot to unravel from my past, but all I can say is that I’m truly thankful for all of those who had my best interest at heart during this very confusing time.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Word of mouth honestly. Although, I can’t stress enough the importance of learning SEO and managing analytics when you’re a new business. Google does kind of dictate whether a new business will be successful in that sense, so, there is a lot of emphasis on that type of stuff when writing content for my site. Other than that, it’s really just about making a connection with people, being genuine, and delivering a premium service.

Hiring a private chef can be a big expense and trust is everything. My clients know they will have a great experience and they want their friends to have a great experience when they vacation here as well. It definitely can have a snowball-like effect to it.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.chefmattryan.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chef-matt-ryan-94b148178/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/chef-matt-ryan-breckenridge