Quote Originally Posted by Fengzi
You sound a lot like me VaporDaddy. I also love to cook and have dreamed of being a chef. Also, like you, one of the big things that has kept me away was the thought of the hours and basically never seeing my family again. Fortunately though, I have a pretty good job which I don't hate but..well..let's just say that if I won the lottery I'd be gone in a flash.

One other thing you may look into, like Villui already mentioned is opening your own resturant. To avoid the dreaded "chef's hours", however, you might think of going lunch only. Depending on where you live and the industry around you, this might be a pretty good option. I work in the middle of the Silicon Valley in an area dominated by the high tech industry and shitloads of office buildings. There are quite a few lunch only places around and they do a booming business. They key is locating yourself in an area that has enough lunch time traffic to make it viable. Also, I've noticed that these places do best when they have some kind of catch, something sepcial that differentiates them from the rest and brings more customers in.

The personal chef idea is good too, and another one I have thought of for myself. Not to sure about the name "Affordable Feasts" though. I haven't really looked into this, so you probably have more insight into the industry than me. My initial thought, however, is that the typical clientele for a personal chef would generaly be somewhat affluent. For these folks, throwing a fancy dinner party, affordability may not be as big a factor as the image obtained by having a personal chef. For someone looking for bragging rights, the "affordable" part of the name might actually be a turn-off. Then again, I might be way off. Plus, with the right marketing, you might just develop a whole new market for this service and the name "affordable feasts" would be perfect. Just something to consider.
Thanks for the feedback. Actually a personal chef mainly prepares meals in one day to cover a clients dinners for a week or 2. The chef prepares all the dishes and side dishes to be finished off and reheated by the client as per the chefs instructions. The main clientelle would be working families who don't have the time to cook a good dinner.:jointsmile: