Discussion Forums
for the
Personal Chef Industry

I am a Registered Dietitian and excited about
the APCA and the prospect of becoming a PC
and would like to ask what percentage of
meals prepared, typically, are prepared for specific dietary needs.
This is a great forum...thanks for all the
information. I look forward to visiting
again and soon to becoming a member.

Diana,
I am a new member (as of last November), and have learned lots on this forum. I am also very interested in your query. I know that the APCA is planning a survey of selected members. Hopefully there will be some light shed on this subject by the survey.
Good luck with your transition,
Linda Heilpern
Linda@LotsaFlavor.com

Er, that would depend on how you define "specific dietary needs"...

If you mean something more specific than "I want to eat lower calorie or lower fat or want to eat more vegetables or whole grains", then I would say, specific dietary needs are in the minority, but it's a very significant minority.

Oh, my gosh, I've been living in Wash, DC too long -- that is sooo bureaucratese!

Okay, if you take all of the clients we all serve in a big ol' basket, the majority have some kind of dietary desire -- lower fat, lower sodium, lower calorie, more veggies, more whole grain -- just "healthier".

But there's still a host of folks who just want good foods. And a very significant percentage of folks who do have what I would call specific dietary needs (as the layperson I am...) such as restricted calorie, elimination of allergens, specific diets such as Atkins, renal diets, etc.

The catch, in trying to come up with any numbers for you, is that, depending on the region, some of us specialize in one type or another -- so some chefs have almost all special diet clients, others don't do special diets, some have a mix.

Some of us set out to appeal to a certain group -- our marketing materials and menus then appeal to that group -- and, lo and behold, those are the clients we get! Sometimes your first client or two has a special diet, and by the time you do all of the research and menu development to solve that person's needs, you figure you might as well seek out others with the same issues -- or you get referrals from your current client.

I have never had a client that just wanted "good food" without some desire for eating "better", whether that was just a fuzzy desire to have lower fat, lower sodium, more whole grains, etc., or a more specific "my cholesterol is borderline and I'm having trouble adjusting my diet. Now, these were the folks I targeted -- my menu offers many "lightened" traditional dishes, heavy on veggies, whole grains, lean meats -- so those are the folks I get.

There are other chefs in the area who have items like homestyle fried chicken on the menu -- they're pulling those "I want really good food and I want to be able to have it at home without going out" clients. Other chefs in the area service those "special" diet clients.

I would imagine, with your qualifications, you could really attract clients with specific dietary needs. You could choose to target those clients specifically -- but if you're worried there aren't enough in your area (doubtful, but if you want to hedge your bets...) do two brochures! One that emphasizes your qualifications as an RD and your ability to design menus to address specific health needs, another that emphasizes your strengths as a great chef -- and by the way, I'm also an RD.

(Again with the Washingtonese -- you just wanted some damn numbers -- but like any good politician, I can't just shrug my shoulders and say, I dunno...)

Who would have ever thought I'd be touting the virtues of THE BUSINESS PLAN?

You're going to be doing your marketing, so you'll develop materials that appeal to the types of clients you want. I've found that I'm more successful with a narrower target group. I think as more people surf the net for chefs, and as there are more and more chefs to choose from, it helps the potential client to have a hook to hone in on.

Your qualifications can be a huge selling point. You can market to hospitals, dialysis centers, oncology services, anywhere that actively instructs their clients to eat within certain parameters.

Your business plan can lay all this out for you and make your path more clear. When I started, my plan was pretty much: I'll put up flyers and cook anything for anyone anywhere. I was scattered all over the place, and did jobs that I didn't enjoy, and that set me up, since those clients told their friends about me and I ended up doing more jobs I didn't enjoy.

My business plan is a lot more specific now, it tells me what kind of a company this is, who I want to serve, and how to market to them. It works well for me to have some structure to refer to. It's been a trial and error thing, as I learn what works for me.