Healthy Tastes Great! - Chef Beau's Klean Kitchen

Team Subkit -

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food service but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with William "Beau" Blackburn, Owner of Chef Beau's Klean Kitchen, located in La Grange, IL, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

We are a first-of-its-kind, anti-inflammatory, auto-immune meal service in the country with a retail storefront for pick-up and delivery in the Chicagoland area.

Tell us about yourself

A friend of mine who's a psychiatrist told me that if I removed gluten from my diet, all my "craziness" would go away. I tried to prove her wrong, but she was right. After a week of detox from American Modern Wheat, all the noise in my head disappeared... I was sold and turned off a bipolar disorder. I quit my job and went back to school for another degree in the Culinary Arts. I have been cooking this way now since 2010.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Creating a niche business in a field where there is no one else. I run a legitimate business that has grown from $118k a year in sales to $625k a year, and we keep growing. From 18 clients to now over 100, we are a slow but consistently upward-moving company.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

Labor. I have to pay 30% higher cost than the industry just to find "good" help, and that's why I am not as profitable as I would like.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Be patient.
  2. Be determined.
  3. Have a plan!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://chefbeauskleankitchen.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CBKleanKitchen/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chefbeauskleankitchen/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wblackburn/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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