Today we’d like to introduce you to Chef Leroy Walwyn Jr.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Since the age of five years old, I knew I wanted to be a Chef, I had an interest in food. I rather be in the kitchen then outside playing, My father is a Chef and growing up we had restaurants. My childhood wasn’t the typical childhood. I began helping out in the Kitchen at 7 years old. I began prepping small items and learning how to hold a knife properly. My mother would allow me to prepare my own breakfast and sometimes I would cook breakfast for the family. At 12 years old, I decided I wanted to own a variety of restaurant concepts. I began my studies of being an entrepreneur. I began reading books like Rich dad Poor dad and Cash flow Quadrant by Robert Kiyosaki. I enter high school focus with a plan of becoming a Chef and opening my own business. I enrolled in a variety of business classes throughout my tenure at Norcross High School and graduated in the class of 2005.
I also began my culinary career at Whole Foods Market working in the prepared foods department at 17 years old before attending college. My next step was crucial, I wanted the best education for me, but still wanted to stay close to home. I first look at attending the Culinary Institute of America in New York, My second option was the Johnson and Wales location in North Carolina or Miami Campus. due to having family in both states. Later, I heard about a new school that was built in Tucker, Georgia . Le Cordon Bleu Atlanta College of Culinary Arts would be the right fit for me. My mother assisted in my enrolling process. My college career began. I attended Le Cordon Bleu fast pace program for 2 year program including a 3 month externship prior to graduation. I was hired by Lake Lanier Islands back in 2006 and is where I decided to do my externship. I graduated from Le Cordon Bleu January 2007 after Graduating from Le Cordon Bleu, I decided to part ways with Lake Lanier and enhance my Career. I moved over to formerly Gwinnett Place Marriott, now known as the Sonesta. after working in Resort, hotels for the beginning of my career I wanted a change. I seek employment on a corporate structure Monday through Friday weekends off. I was introduce to Sodexo. I joined there staffing agency and within 6 months became a full time employee. I work Sodexo as full time employee for 1 years before I was promoted to Sous Chef of the Federal Reserve bank of Atlanta.at the Age of 21.
This was one of many Sodexo high-end accounts they have. I was blessed to have the opportunity to help cook for Ben Bernanke, former presidents and other elected government officials in the most secured building in Atlanta, For seeing so much success in my young culinary career my mother challenge me not to get to comfortable. I was already at the Sous Chef position for a Year and 6 months. I felt confident I could be a great executive chef and starting applying for jobs with Sodexo for another promotion. It wasn’t going the way I planned. I was becoming frustrated and wonder why another promotion isn’t going in my favor. My mother sat me down and we had a conversation about me believing and taking a leap of faith. So I did. I decided to leave on my two years anniversary 07/2008 and quit my good paying job to jump. I went full time into our family restaurant, we started couple months prior. I became the Executive Catering Chef of Caribbean Flavors Virgin Islands Restaurant. Located @ 1195 Scenic Hwy, Lawrenceville Ga, After I left my Job with Sodexo at the Federal Reserve Bank. the next week I was on Atlanta and Company promoting Caribbean Flavors and our Catering. The restaurant was a success for the three years we operated. We was best Caribbean restaurant in Gwinnett County. and the third rank in the state of Georgia. We decided to close the location due to the landlord foreclosing on the property and the bank taking over. My next goal would be to build our location. I also wanted not to be consider only as a ” Caribbean Chef so I had to create my own brand since. Caribbean Flavors is the family branded created in “1993”.
The business started off slow and I had to get myself in order so, 3 years after the restaurant closed I decided to go back to Sodexo.
In 2014, became the Catering Chef of Delta World Headquarters, I stay ed in this position for 1 year and 6 months and decided it as the time for another change. I wanted to learn more of fine dining so, I took a line cook job with Colletta at the Avalon in Alpharetta. Once I felt I learned an there were no more room to grow I left and focus on Chef Leroy Inc. I re-establish my website, paid for all my license to be reinstated and started up marketing myself again as I feel I have more knowledge under my belt. I joined Wedding wire to increase my clientele and marketing network. I did odd jobs here and only to keep bills paid but business began to pick up. over the last 3 years, we have steadily increased. I have average at least (4) wedding in a year and we have double our income. Chef Leroy Inc. is a company that provides you with the personal touch. we create your menu’s custom to your liking. We speak with each client to determine their financial goals and needs to create a wonderful experience. what makes us different at C.L.I. is we are so versatile we can prepare a vast amount of items from different cuisines when most companies only focus on one. Our process keeps it simple. We focus on flavor first then we want to catch your eye with our presentation. Don’t stress about your event just call your personal chef. ” one call feeds all” and my tag line is I’m taking Chef to another level.. Food is Art and Exciting it should not be a such a burden we need food in our everyday lives to survive. So, why not offer it at a high level for an affordable price. That’s what you get when you contact C.L.I. Quality food for an affordable price. My latest and greatest achievement is when I won the Top Jerk Chef of Atlanta in 2015 at the Atlanta Grace Jerk Festival. My ultimate Goal in life is to be the first Chef to feed 1 billion people on earth through all the restaurant concepts I will create and charitable events.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It’s never a smooth road, when your an entrepreneur. its a sacrifice, every day you wake up wondering how will today go. the unknown can be scary and intimidating if you don’t have a support system. My mother has always been a great support, My father has always given me words of wisdom. but the will always be some burden to stop greatness. I remember once our gas cut off in the restaurant and we were set to open in an hour. we set up propane and a fryer outside so we can service customers needs. we made enough money that day to turn the game back on the next day and I got a catering due to the customer who came and enjoyed the meal. sometimes you had to not pay the mortgage this month to pay the rent because it was a slower month. then we get a big catering or the restaurant became busy and didn’t have to worry you had the rent and mortgage for two months. it was remaining faithful and in belief that everything will work itself out. finding employee’s who wants to work was a challenge as well. GOOD help is hard to find but must go through the bad ones to receive a gem that may be hiding under the rubble.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Chef Leroy Inc. is a services that is here to help you with all your catering needs. we do personal chef services, we do catering, we provide you with the personal touch. most companies are standardized which I wanted to make us more personalize. the goal for C.L.I. is to become a hospitality and food service management company where we are providing the food for your corporate establishment, any catering needs, or personal chef needs you may have. we want to get food service contracts and provide food for as many people as possible that is willing to try our style of cooking.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If I had to start over I would get out of my own way. stop second guessing myself. something you may feel you don’t have enough to start a project when your more than equipped to get the job done. be more assertive and not so passive. I love being in the kitchen as it’s my playground so I pass a lot of things over that I feel is not important at the time and then later find out I could have had a better shot. I would have been more in tune with my lord and savior then as I am now, things would have been totally different if I seek after God first then as I am doing so now.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.chefleroyinc.com
- Phone: 678-629-7761
- Email: chef.leroyw@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chefleroy/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chefleroyinc
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/chefleroy
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/chef-leroy-duluth
Image Credit:
Amara Kursha
Chef Leroy Walwyn Jr.
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