Meet Carlos Burke of 33Napkins in Covington

Today we’d like to introduce you to Carlos Burke.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Seven years ago, I made a decision that changed my life forever. At the time, I was 22 and living at home in McIntyre, GA, a rural town in Central Georgia. Fishing, hunting, loving my family, and attending church played a huge role in my everyday life. Although I didn’t come from a wealthy family, we were rich in love for one another. I still remember getting off of work, walking through the doors of a double-wide trailer that stood on stacked, pale white bricks. Regardless, I was happy, and I was home.

Many nights in McIntyre, my friends and I would stand in my backyard and burn wood in an old rusty tin barrel. Firing up the grill, I would cook a few of my favorite meat choices, such as venison, smoked sausage, leg quarters, or smallmouth bass. One of those nights, my friend suggested I try out for a T.V. cooking show. Cooking had always been a big part of my life. My mother and grandmother were well-known for their delicious and savory Sunday dinners. As I contemplated my friend’s suggestion, I laughed and said to myself, “My food is good, but not that good.” At the time, I was working as Care Provider at a group home that provided services for the elderly. I found myself cooking quite often. The clients really enjoyed my food, although a few co-workers were a tad jealous of my culinary skills (LOL).

Watching television late one evening on my day off, I can remember the Art Institute of Atlanta commercial airing. I envisioned myself attending the culinary institute and committing to doing something that makes me happy. My goal was to secure a career by working for myself and starting my own business.  As a dad, I felt compelled to a family business that could be passed down to my children and future generations. The next day, I went home, did my research, and made a few calls and e-mails. I call myself a “spur of the moment kind of guy.” My mind was made up, and there was no turning back. I told myself, “I’m sticking with it, even if I’m alone.” Thankfully and shockingly, I was accepted into the Art Institute of Atlanta culinary program. When I informed my family of what I decided to do, no one believed me. Everyone thought I had lost my “everlasting mind” to make such a sudden move and change. I call it “God’s Calling”. I had no idea what to expect, moving to a large city and attending a prestigious culinary institute. I gave my family and friends my last goodbyes and moved to the Sandy Spring area. Although my family thought I was crazy, they fully supported my dreams. This made the move easier and accomplishing my dream doable.

I worked hard, attending classes and studying daily because I knew what I needed to do, which was finish school and begin my new career. There were many times when I wanted to give up, but I knew my purpose and the things I wanted to achieve. While attending school, I had a hard time finding work. I worked several minimum wage service industry jobs. I worked at chain restaurants, hotels, and universities, but the pay wasn’t enough to cover my bills or take care of my family. My fiancé was pregnant with my youngest daughter and I was stressed about how I was going to provide for my family.  It gave me a new appreciation for hard work. The breakthrough in my career came when my toughest Culinary Instructor offered me a job. He was so hard on me in school, I thought he didn’t like me at all. Now, I realize he was hard on me because he saw potential in me. I was offered a line cook position a prestigious private country club in Atlanta, GA. I gratefully accepted. A few months later, I finished my Culinary Arts Degree. I hit the road, running hard and moving forward with a determined mind to discover what was in store for me.  This position has shaped me into to chef I am today. My executive chef, Chef Patrice, was a French perfectionist. He was strict and disciplined. This was the most stressful job I had ever had. I felt like I was in “Culinary Bootcamp”. I remember coming home telling my fiancé, I am going to quit. She would always say, “It’s only to make you stronger.”  Chef helped transform my mediocre skills and groomed me to be a topnotch professional chef with and superior culinary skills. Through hard work and listening, I evolved and mastered these skills. Two years later, I was promoted to Sous Chef. Now, the roles have reversed. I train and mentor younger upcoming chefs the same way Chef Patrice mentored me. Funny, but I am now the strict perfectionist I was trained to be.

Even though I had a great job in a career I loved, something was missing. After sleepless nights, I came up with a plan to start my own private chef business. I sketched out a few drawings for logo purposes and one stuck with me—33Napkins. I came up with the number 33 because I played a lot of sports during my high school and college, and it was my favorite number. I even have the tattoo to prove it. Napkins came to me unexpectedly. If you ever see me out, or if I’m eating, I will always have a napkin on me or close by. So, I just added it to 33. Establishing the name was the easy part; however, starting a new business was scary because of the unknown, but I was fearless. My wife was a business major in college, so we put our minds together and made it happen.

I received a great deal of assistance throughout the years that helped shape and mold me into a better businessman, partner, and person. My parents have always supported dreams. My stepfather is a business owner himself, and he too contributed to my professional development. My mother, aunt, sister, and grandmother have always been the driving force no matter what I decided to do. From the beginning, my wife has also believed in me. She supported me in my random decision to move to Atlanta to pursue a dream without a job. She was always willing to take leaps of faith with me even though the outcome was unknown. She is my business manager, and she comes up with new and innovative ways to expand on my visions. In addition, the community in which I serve has been very supportive. When I first started this business, my only clients were friends and family in the Central Georgia area. They were willing to take a chance on the “new guy,” and I appreciate them for it. In fact, my first catering event was at a small house warming party for one of my most loyal clients, who still use our services today.

Today, 33Napkins has grown substantially. It is now the parent company to CleanMeals, a meal preparation service providing weekly meals to clients. We offer catering for small private parties to large wedding receptions. I am very proud of the success my team and I have achieved. We hire high school and middle school students for our Central Georgia events. These students will have the opportunity to learn professional catering skills and develop a work ethic. In my opinion, they work harder than most adults. They love the idea of getting paid for their efforts and serving others. They are dedicated young people, who provide quality service and take their responsibility very seriously.

Our vast catering menu is flexible to meet any customer’s needs. One of my specialties I enjoy cooking is shrimp and grits. It is our most requested item. People from all around have heard about the dish. I also enjoy breaking down and cooking any kind of fish, as well as presenting awesome dishes. If you are ever in the Atlanta area, feel free to look up 33napkins.com. We would love to please your palate with a wonderful experience you will never forget.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
My biggest obstacle over the years was the fear of the “unknown”. First, when I decided to attend Culinary school and I did not have a job. I moved over 3 hours away from my small country hometown to larger Metro Area. I didn’t know how I was going to pay my bills. I lived on school refund checks for a while. When I finally was able to get a job it only paid 7.25 an hour. I had to keep the faith knowing it is better days ahead. Second, when starting 33Napkins, I didn’t have any clients. I was afraid no one would hire us because we were “new and unestablished”. Again, I had to keep the faith. Thankfully it all worked out.

33Napkins – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
33napkins is a catering company. We cater large events of 300 or more people to small private dinners. We are known for our “Shrimp & Grits” it is our most requested item. 33napkins hires high school and middle schools students for events local to Central Georgia area. It gives the students the opportunity to appreciate hard and be rewarded for their efforts. We are known for professionalism and our dedication to provide excellent service.

In addition to catering, we host “Burn &Bottles” BYOB cooking classes for groups of 20 or less. Attendees will learn to expand their cooking techniques while enjoying an entertaining experience. “Burn & Bottles” with kids teaches children ages 10 and older basic cooking skills. Adult supervisor is required.

Finally, our newest venture is CleanMeals. CleanMeals is a meal preparation company offering three or six-day healthy meal plans per week. We currently service customers all over the Atlanta area. We are affiliated with several gyms in the East Atlanta Area. Whether you are a fitness athlete or just wanting to shed some pounds, we can help you accomplish worry-free eating.

We are most proud of our ability to grow so quickly. We have been fortunate to have people support the 33napkins brand. I feel 33Napkins success is based on the people who run it. We are an honest company and treat every customer with the value they deserve. We enjoy making our customers happy with the food and service we provide.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I believe success isn’t a quantitative amount. I measure my success qualitatively. Am I doing something that I love to do? Is my business making my customers happy? Am I coming up with new and innovative ideas to grow my business, by either making new partnerships or investments into new programs. If I can periodically answer yes to all of those questions. I feel I am successful.

Contact Info:

• Address: Covington, GA 30014
• Website: 33napkins.com
• Phone: 6782059298
• Email: 33Napkins@gmail.com
• Instagram: cleanmeals16
• Facebook: Carlos M Burke
• Twitter: 33solracB

Image Credit:
SHEdriven Photography
ShotChic Photography
Red Carpet Photography

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