Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Juan H. Montier III, co-owner and executive chef of Chez Montier, located in Decatur, GA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Chez Montier is a chef-driven boutique catering and event decor company. We believe that every event should be a joyous celebration of life. We create incredible food, beautifully presented and flawlessly served. We combine that with floral arrangements, lighting, and event decor – all designed to create one-of-a-kind experiences for discerning clients who are food enthusiasts and fine-dining aficionados. We custom design our menus to meet the specific needs of our clients and work with them to realize their vision.
Our cuisine is a sophisticated, creative, and unexpected blending of international foods and unique flavor profiles. Our engagements include receptions and cocktail parties, buffet and plated dinners, corporate events, and weddings.
Tell us about yourself
The inspiration for Chez Montier was born out of my background as an architect and interior designer. I developed a flair for cooking and designing at an early age. My parents, both doctors, were often too busy to spend time in the kitchen, so I learned the fundamentals of cooking from our housekeeper. While my friends were watching cartoons, I was learning how to bake bread and make the perfect meringue. My TV heroes were Graham Kerr (The Galloping Gourmet) and Julia Childs, and it was by watching them that I developed a passion for cooking.
As fate would have it, in college at Kansas State, my roommate was a Food Science major. As part of his coursework, he would butcher every week, and he would bring back the unused meats. On Sundays, we were responsible for our own meals. Most students relied on pizza, ramen noodles, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for dinner, but Phil and I would rent the kitchen in our dorm and make everything from gourmet Omelets and London Broil to Duck à L'Orange for our dinners. We became lifelong friends.
Although I worked exclusively as an architect and interior designer for several of the top design firms, and I was recognized in the Atlanta design community for my award-winning work, to the delight of my friends and family, I was always cooking and experimenting with recipes.
For years, people encouraged me to take my cooking to a professional level, and in 2004, I did just that. After a four-week stint on ABC The View's "Next Celebrity Chef Contest," I began to leverage my foundation in interior design, evolving my service into a unique offering of Food, Décor, and Lifestyle. Chez Montier, which means "House of Montier," is the intersection of my passion in these three areas. My wife and business partner, Judith, who I met on a blind date while we were both working for the Olympics, lovingly refers to me as a "male Martha Stewart."
Preparing food that beautiful and delicious is my "love language." It's how I express my love and respect for people and how I offer gratitude for my gifts.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Prior to 2020, I would have listed releasing our book, “Designing The Gift of Food, participating in Super Bowl LIII, being a part of the Tyler Perry Studios opening, and the success of our Pop-Up Dinner events as key accomplishments. However, today, I’m proud to say that my biggest accomplishment as a business owner is staying in business for 14 years.
Our willingness to pivot, be nimble, and innovate outside of our comfort zone has been instrumental to our success, especially considering the pandemic. While transitioning from onsite catering to packaged gourmet meal delivery was a significant shift for us, we were committed to not giving up, finding new ways to deliver our cuisine to more people, and leveraging the depth of talent and expertise of our team. We are proud of our resilience and our ability to use challenges as vehicles for growth.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Entrepreneurship is fraught with challenges, and it is not for the faint of heart. One of the hardest things that come with being a business owner is realizing that while I’m the catalyst for the business, it cannot succeed without a strong, loyal team that believes in me, the vision, and the brand. When people truly connect with your passion and invest themselves in your business, sharing the glory, power, and profits of your “baby” with them serves as a magnet for greater success.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Make sure your venture is something that you truly love, brings you joy, and emboldens you to take risks. The challenge and the joy of it all are in finding a way to sculpt that passion into a viable, sustainable business.
- When I’m wrong or make a mistake, the fastest way for me to course correct is to accept responsibility, make a plan of action to fix it, and most importantly, do it.
- Build and nurture mentees. If you really want to have a legacy, you must have people around you with whom you can pour into by sharing your knowledge, experiences, and expertise. The process alone is a win-win and makes both of you grow.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Build a strong “brain trust” of people you trust who are smarter than you and use them!
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.chezmontier.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChezMontier/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chezmontier/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/chezmontier
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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