Discussion Forums
for the
Personal Chef Industry

Just found you guys and noticed the convention is this week.
Any one still here to answer questions?
The economy in Florida is cratering. How do you cope with penny-pinching?

Yes, there are still some of us "holding down the fort." There are still PLENTY of people out there who can afford our services. The folks I signed today have FOUR houses around the globe. When I told her what it would cost, her eyes kinda glazed over and she just got her checkbook.

Frankly, I think I'll be raising my prices....

I should add..."Penny-pinchers" are NOT your market as a PC; they are truly miserable to work for. Our market are people who SEE the value of the added time and convenience. THEY ARE OUT THERE!

Did I read it right that the Convention was one day long?
Seems like a short convention to travel so far.

Hi Faith,

Thanks for your messages. Sounds as if you might be a little blue , what with worrying about the economy "cratering" in Florida and the length of our conference.

Actually, our conference is tied into TWO other conferences so our members can be exposed to the most cutting edge information, systems and products out there these days.
The FENI conference and National Pork Board Taste of Elegance competition here in Las Vegas was open to our members 2 days PRIOR to the APPCA conference, then our conference for 1 1/2 days, now we are all at the CATERSOURCE Conference and Trade Show for the next two days, We are presenting a topic and panel at the educational portion of the conference at Catersource and have a booth at the huge tradeshow for 2 days. We also have access to the Restaurant and Bar show and actually have APPCA members entered in the ACF Super Chef competition at that show, so we're all here for more than just one day.

It's too bad you couldn’t join us because some of the topics covered in our meetings were about how to be a thriving business in a down or recession market. All of t he attendees had a great learning experience yesterday during our very full one day program that began with a representative of the greening movement bringing our members up to date on all that is going on in the CSA programs across the country as well as the move to eating local. The programs covered the gamit from serving medically challenged clients to successful marketing in a Recession – It is what it is, Faith, we’re in a recession and we had better have the information and tools with which to thrive. And we concluded with a demo by one of our member chefs that won the last year award for the best Mystery Basket menu at the CaterSource competition. All in all a very rewarding time for all those that determined that being in Las Vegas for a few days was going to be a great move to operating in a difficult environment.

Maybe we’ll get to see you next year.

Best wishes,

Jim Davis & Candy Wallace
(From the floor of the CaterSource Trade Show)
Don’t you just love technology?

Candy & Jim,
You are on the floor at CaterSource? Too much party time last night?Maybe somebody there can help you off the floor and into a chair.

Howard!

You should be here - everyone is asking about you (including the POLICE!)

We have been spending time with members, old friends and new friends all week and may actually wind up on the Tradeshow floor if we don't stop working so hard (?) and having so much fun. Guess who is here - Remember Gord Johnson? - and Michael Prine, too. Talk about a couple of blasts from the past - and Jenni Thomas, too, from South Dakota who stopped by to tell us that her husband who I remember was dead set against her joining us and taking the training because she would cetainly fail, is now working for her. I LOVE it!

Wish you were here - gotta go have dinner at Thomas Keller's restaurant. (It's my Birthday Party!) Life is hard, Howard. Sure could use your strong moral support.

Jim Davis says hi from the floor of the Convention Center!
candy

Well happy birthday young lady, 39 and holding just like me?
Gord mushed his dog sled down from Moose Jaw? Of course I remember him, the wasp version of Mamoon.
Time to reinvent myself again. My meal assembly deal went south. Imagine spending almost 24 months on development and $260k on fees & equipment and then not having enough capital for 6 months of salaries and expenses.
They should have attended an APPCA seminar.

Oh,Howard
I don't know what to say. It is a darn shame they were so shortsighted, and Ihate that it impacts you, but I heard a rumor that all of this happens for a reason...It is just difficult sometimes when we don't know what that reason is.

Please give me a call next week. I'd love to get caught up, and maybe we can come up with a new plot together.

Stay warm in Chicago - it looks like serious winter there.

Candy

Well, Ms. Chef Candy-

Happy Birthday! You spry young things,(except Jimmy! Lol) all have so much energy and youthfullness! I know you're all enjoying yourselves and getting quite a bit accomplished and setting a new class well on their way to success in our industry. How is good ol' Gord doing? Please tell him and everyone out in Vegas, I send my love and best wishes.

Anyone winning some CASH?

Hi, Howard, we're certainly missing out on a great and educatonal set and variety of events. Maybe we can both be there for the next one?

Take care Candy, and enjoy a wonderful Birthday dinner,. No doubt!

I'll hopefully catch up with you on your return to the APPCA corporate offices next week.

Love. - John

Sounds like a lot of "stuff" that has little to do with Personal Cheffing.
What about the small time operator? It was Italy and now catering and showmanship.

I'm not quite sure ar what you are getting at with that last statement, cheffaith.

What do you mean?

We all start out as small time operators. This is the main reason we join together as an organization in APPCA. Specifically for the support and guidance of one another. No materr of our region of the country or internationally. Thus no one ever feels alone without solutions to our individual issues.

We all go through our own difficulties for various reasons.

Faith,

Working as a personal chef (it IS a noun) is easier and more rewarding when one expands one's knowledge of the industry in all of its aspects.

As a PC, my income improves as my knowledge of cuisines, techniques, and showmanship expands.

Even the "smallest" operator benefits from exposure to what others are doing and achieving and many personal chefs ARE involved with on-site catering for social and business purposes as well as providing nutritious, appetizing, meal alternatives for a variety of needs, including those with special dietary wants or needs.

The annual summits serve one purpose, the periodic seminars offered by APPCA serve another that is more directed towards the day to day running of a personal chef business. Besides cooking, personal chefs benefit from understanding accounting, marketing, advertising, and customer relations as well keeping up with industry trends, best practices, food safety, and legal regulations.

Happy Birthday, Fearless Leader!

Before you go to Bouchon, read my restaurant review here:

http://personalchefforum.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/3596019501/m/17710372441

Faith, I have always attended food industry tradeshows, and found it to be great on many levels after leaving the restaurant industry to become a personal chef. It allows us to see what products may be of use for us. It runs from chefwear, to food, to equipment, to marketing tools, and the list goes on.

One of APPCA's purpose of having a booth at catersource's tradeshow was to enlighten other chefs on the personal chef industry. Many chefs around the globe, are seeking to get out of the restaurant industry, and become their own "boss".

Many of us personal chefs, will cater on-site, preparing meals for dinner parties and the list goes on. We don't attend the tradeshows for "pre-made foods" b/c we don't use them unlike full-fledge caterers. We don't have Sysco accounts, b/c of just that. But we go b/c there are many other vendors there that have products that are very useful to us. Hey, I just bought an Egyptian cotton chef's jacket for $15...and a chef's shirt for $7....so much better than paying $75 just for the jacket alone!

Since we partnered with ACF years ago, and it has opened many doors for the personal chef industry. Thanks Chef Candy for making that possible. Within APPCa, there are several ACF certified personal chefs. These fine chefs worked hard for it too.

I am glad the competitions are now open to personal & private chefs. It's wonderful. I am proud & very thankful that the personal chef industry is finally getting the recognition it deserves. Chef Candy worked very hard to achieve that goal, and what a very fine job she did!

I'm a "small-time operator" who does the very traditional PC business who WENT to Italy!! As I recall, most who went--were.

I don't want to do catering or other large things (at this point), but I sure am glad my association is blazing the trail in the event I ever want to "go there."

Cheffaith, the support this association provides is on ALL levels.

Cheffaith,

I am sorry to hear about the economy in your part of the great state of Florida! I am in the northeast of Florida and my business is doing great.

Like Carol said "penny-pinchers" are not our market. If you are any where near the coast, you can market resorts, vacation homes, etc. You should give Candy a call and she can tell you how the APPCA can help you market the right way for your area even if the ecomony is "cratering".

Good Luck!!

Denise

Faith - all the others have provided their views on how APPCA works for it's members. But as we say in this business...not everybody is our client. We may talk to many who simply cannot afford our services or do not think that our services would dramatically change their lives.

This group sets the standards for the personal chef industry with our ACF accreditation program and all of the other "First's" in the industry.

Just like clients, associations like this one are not for everybody...others that are merely internet chat rooms with lots of "atta go girl (guy)" conversations do not really add substance to the industry, but do fit the needs of many who either cannot or do not want to meet the standards of a more progressive group like this one.

Look carefully at your requirements and then associate with the one that can help you make your business successful.

Jim