What was the process of finding and setting up the interview like for you?

▪ What was the process of finding and setting up the interview like for you? What challenges did you face, if any, with this process and what would you do differently next time?
▪ Describe your interviewee. Provide interviewee name, job title, company, and a brief description of the type of work this person does.
▪ What types of questions did you ask?
▪ What was the most interesting or useful part of the interview for you? Was there an “ah-ha” moment?
▪ What impact did this informational interview have on your future career goals? Did it confirm your plans? Help you make a decision? Eliminate an option? Something else?
▪ Was there anything you did not learn from this interview, but wish you had?
▪ What will you do next? What are your action steps?
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Some background information I researched:
Informational Interview Research Questions Part 2
Question 1: What is their service or product?
Answer: Quality, organic fed chickens used for their menu items. It’s the home cooked chicken meals using chickens that is rich in nutrients and free of antibiotics, drugs, genetic modification, pesticides, growth hormones, artificial preservatives, flavorings and colors. They use all natural ingredients to prepare their dishes. They also use eco-friendly packaging (Utensils, take out bags and cups) is certified for industrial and home compostability for their to-go orders. They use as little plastic as possible, and are committed to being 100 percent plastic free in the near future.
Question 2: How long have they been in business?
Answer: In August of 2020, Chef Rahman “Rock” Harper (Season 3 Winner of Gordon Ramsay‘s Hell’s Kitchen) opened Queen Mother’s Fried Chicken as a loving tribute to his mom Carole Harper, affectionately known to most as “Mother.”
Question 3: Where is the company located?
Answer: 918 South Lincoln Street, Suite 2 Arlington, VA 22204
Question 4: What background, education, training, skills and experience is required?
Answer: There are no strict educational or training requirements to become a chef. For most, the knowledge and skills are simply gained during those long hours in the kitchen. However, those who want to reach the pinnacle of the profession could be well served by choosing a culinary degree in addition to an apprenticeship.
At minimum, a high school diploma is needed to become a restaurant owner, but completing a degree or certification program in hospitality or restaurant management or culinary arts is helpful. Prior experience working in the food service industry beneficial and voluntary food safety certifications are available.
Question 5: What are the advantages and disadvantages in working in role/field?
Answer:
ADVANTAGES: People got to eat. For years upon years, people have been hardwired to grab something to eat when they are hungry. This is a major advantage for any startup restaurant. The only thing you need to consider is the future of your product, and will there be a demand for it in your local geographical area. People have to eat and here in the U.S. and around the world is something we all enjoy to do. It’s not like opening a haberdashery. Food is universal, and our very basic senses can lead us there. We’re lucky to live in a country where you can try cuisine from all over the world without having to travel to those parts of the world. When people see a restaurant they know there will be food, but now you have to get them into the door and we’ll discuss marketing later on in this guide.
DISADVANTAGES: Labor. Food businesses need a lot of employees to function properly and smoothly with the majority of those workers being low-paid. That leads to a workforce of unreliable employees with a high turnover rate. Finding and keeping qualified employees is a major challenge for the food industry.
Low margins – The food industry is very price sensitive, more so in the world of fast food chains. This leaves you with a very fine line to walk with cost of goods, labor and making a profit. It’s true that food franchises often see high revenues but the net margins are often overlooked. You are also susceptible to food spoilage and theft along with other issues only found in the food industry. I’ve seen anywhere from 4%-11% depending on rent, food and labor cost.
Expensive initial investment – A restaurant will require a substantial investment in order to get started. You need to pay for many items up front in order to run the business. Not only do you need to pay for the food and labor, also ovens, grease disposal, venting, furniture, point of sale (POS) system, and maintenance among many other expenses.
There will always be more disadvantages in the restaurant business then there are advantages. I think more so in the food business with thousands opening up a restaurant in the U.S. not to mention all over the world. There are people out there that are great cooks at home, and that’s where they belong at home unless they’re ready to face some of the challenges that are far from cooking and there are many. Building out a restaurant can be fun or a nightmare. Setting up a POS system can be easy or hard. Dealing with the State and County is never easy. These things have nothing to do with cooking; unfortunately, it has to be done to open the doors.
Some of the things that are specific to the food industry to be aware of include:
•Managing restaurant staff
•Government regulations
•Taxes
•Safety concerns
•Recipe costing
•Menu cost and pricing
•Vendor item pricing
•Ordering food and other inventory supplies

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Write Up should be based around these questions:

Informational Interview Questions: Part 2
▪ Think about your initial list of questions that you drafted: What questions were not answered? What new questions came to mind as you did your research? What would you like to ask an insider? What do you need to know to determine if this career is a viable option for you?
▪ Use the Informational Interview Guide located in the Additional Resources section of Week 1for ideas about how to ask appropriate questions in an informational interview.
▪ Type your questions below, submit them in Week 5, and use them during your interview.
Professional:
1When did you realize you had a love for cooking?
2When did you decide you wanted to be a chef?
3Is there a chef you admire? Who and Why?
4What professional training did you obtain to be an amazing chef and restaurateur?
5Before your entrepreneurial and restaurateur career path, what did you do for work?
6If you were told that your menu items were too costly, what 3 things would you look at first?
7What was the driving force to compete in Hell’s Kitchen?
8Can you tell me about a challenging situation you encountered (in food service) and how did you handle it and what was the outcome?
9What do you do to stay current with the new trends in the industry? What trend stood out to you the most?
10What is your favorite cuisine(s) to prepare other than the foods on your menu?
Personal:
11Who is/are your inspiration(s)?
12What motivates you to keep pushing forward when it feels like you’ve hit a challenge or stuck point in your life?
13What is your “why?”
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Last Completed Projects