Member Spotlight: The Chef & I


Who is The Chef & I and what should we know about you?

The Chef and I is a company headquartered in Nashville, TN with the flagship restaurant that has recently moved from the Gulch to midtown to expand their space and availability. The brand is a love story, and began 15 years ago when Chris Rains and I met on eHarmony. We both had given up on love… and it all changed when we met. We knew instantly; we started The Chef and I just a few months after we started dating. Now, we are an interactive culinary experience, a restaurant, a team building company, a venue and an award-winning Nashville restaurant. We won Best in Business 2020 with the NBJ and are currently #4 out of 2,400 restaurants in Nashville on Trip Advisor! Last year, we were named one of Yelp’s top 100 restaurants in the country. We exist to help people find the enjoyment in dining, bonding over meals, cooking together, and slowing down to appreciate experiences. We are known for our engaging events and manner in which we operate all facets of our company. Team building is our fastest growing division and corporate clients utilize us when they come to Nashville as an option for their groups.

What's the best thing about doing business in Middle Tennessee?

As a Nashville native, there is an unspoken bond among Nashvillians and surrounding areas in Middle Tennessee. I am a true Nashville unicorn, born at Vanderbilt as were all three of my siblings, attended St. Bernard for eight years, and MTSU is my alma mater. I couldn’t be more proud that this is my hometown! While we are a small town that has grown into being a bigger ‘it’ city, there’s a loyalty and a feeling that we are truly watching out for each other. The presence of business organizations and groups is impressive and I highly recommend any business owner exploring which organizations speak to them and join them. I feel safe and supported, and that’s the best thing about doing business in Middle Tennessee!

What has been the most valuable aspect of your Chamber membership?

Again the word ‘support’ is what comes to mind when thinking of my years of chamber membership. Over the past decade, we’ve had so much love and support from the chamber at different levels from my NELA nomination and win to highlighting our business and referring us to potential clients. It feels good to know that my friends at the chamber can trust us to deliver a consistent standard of excellence when they are suggesting us to other members and visitors as well! Relationships are the most valuable aspect, as we have fostered literally hundreds of relationships over the years that originated through the chamber.

What’s your best piece of advice for other business owners?

If you are just getting started, the two things you should do before you even open your doors are: 1. Ask for help from everyone you know that loves and supports you. Call in your favors. Don’t feel guilty about it, you’ll help them some other time in life. They don’t expect anything back anyway if they are truly your people. 2. Get a capable accountant. Even if your business is just a one-man or one-woman show at the beginning. That CPA will help you find money, save money, stay legal and sleep at night. Spend your money on them first. They will help you find that money and then some to quickly show an ROI.

If you’re farther along as a business owner and feel a sense of burn out, frustration or helplessness, especially in the wake of labor shortages and a shift in consumer behavior, have these conversations:

1. Talk to your team/employees about what you aren’t currently doing but could do that is in your industry and uses your skill sets and proven business experience. Diversify your client/customer portfolio AND diversify the revenue streams that lead to your bottom line. One could become obsolete, but by then, the hope is the others are strong enough to keep the ship afloat without many waves.

2. Have a conversation with your marketing advisors. What are people buying these days? How are they buying? Is there a better way to advertise and tell your story? Are there different ways they could benefit from using your company’s services and/or buying your products?

3. Finally, whether you are new, seasoned, or in between, my biggest piece of advice is to accept that the people you are selling to first are prospective employees. If you have a company that has a staff, you are likely seeing that the balance of power is shifting and to stay in the game you’ve got to come strong with your benefits, pay structure and quality of life provided. Attracting talent is the number one pain point I am hearing with folks I am mentoring and even with my own mentors. Take care of your people first. Make them number one and your customers number two. If this is truly the case, your team (we call them our family members) will be happy, thus effectively and genuinely representing your company and making customers happy and you successful as a by-product. And you will have attained that success in a way that feels good and is authentic.

How do you stay involved in the community?

One of my favorite events that we curate at The Chef and I is called ‘Sparkle Hour’. We’ve been doing it for about four years, and we partner with non-profits to help spread the word, advocate, recruit volunteers, raise money, increase awareness and more at these monthly events held at The Chef and I Backstage. I also host a new video cast show on our Youtube channel called ‘Coffee Talk with Erica’ where I interview others in a warm, fun environment and let them talk about the non-profits they are passionate about. I utilize my years in radio and tv to provide a platform for non-profits that humanizes the organization in this casual ‘talk-show’ format. We partner with other companies consistently to create community collaborations, and I love working with others in my hometown, especially when we are helping others!

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