Today we’d like to introduce you to Krishna Chapatwala.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Krishna. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
In 2014, I moved to Atlanta and launched my business, local Green Eats. Atlanta’s earned a ranking for its food, and locals have a healthy appetite for good food. So this city has been great for me as a personal chef and caterer, who is devoted to cooking for clients who want fresh and delicious meals. From the beginning, food has been an important part of my life. My mom and grandmothers always cooked for our family. When my family moved from India to America, cooking was an important constant that helped me adapt and learn about a new culture.
But I didn’t always know feeding others would become my life’s passion. As a college student and then as a working professional, cooking for others brought me joy. And after earning a bachelor’s degree and a stint in the corporate world that did not fuel my appetite, I pursued culinary arts degree in Cincinnati as a fun activity with a friend. What started as a hobby quickly turned into a business and I launched the first iteration of local Green Eats n 2009. I’ve moved twice since starting my business, which has created challenges and opportunities. I first moved to Germany, lived there for three years. It was an eye-opening experience, traveling around Europe and trying variety of cuisines. The time there taught me a lot about food and helped me grow as a chef. What we call Mediterranean is so much more than that. Turkish food is uniquely different, even though it shares a coast of the same sea as many other countries. There is a pizza-like dish in Turkey called lahmahcun (pronounced, lah-mah-jun) that’s akin to the Italian pizza but all it’s own.
If there’s one thing this business has taught me in the last ten years, it’s that satisfying people’s appetites with delectable food is rewarding for me personally. For instance, soon I am catering a dinner party for a group of girlfriends visiting Atlanta for a weekend. For these ladies, I’ve created a spring-forward menu complete with Roasted chicken with herb butter sauce, Roasted Baby Potatoes, and Mint, Green Pea & Asparagus Salad with Burrata and Spinach Pesto and a Lemon Curd Tart for dessert.
Has it been a smooth road?
As many readers may already know, being a minority and a woman who owns a small business creates plenty of obstacles to overcome. It isn’t easy! I have encountered many people that don’t respond to my pitch but it pushes me to work even harder! It makes me appreciate my current clients and step up with potential collaborators because these individuals are giving me a chance. And I know once someone tries my food, they will absolutely love what is in front of them and working with me. Of course, stereotyping is also a challenge. As an Indian- American woman in the food business, I often get asked to make Indian food, which I do really well. But I can also make an unforgettable chicken shawarma with hummus. (The secret is in the chicken marinade.)
Building this business hasn’t been easy but it has been gratifying. I often find creative ways to reach new clients. I have worked with local wine shops to create a small bites menu to pair with their tastings. At one of the Pinot Gris tastings, I brought turkey burger (sliders) with green tomatoes and chive aioli; I couldn’t grill the burgers fast enough because the green tomatoes and the turkey paired flawlessly with the crispness of the wine.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Local Green Eats is a personal chef, catering and cooking class company. I cook for clients who want healthy meals prepared in their own home. Each week I meal plan, shop for ingredients and cook a set number of meals for families in their kitchens. My clients come home from a busy day to personalized dinners to enjoy with their families. As a caterer, I offer customized menus for at-home events. These events can be as small as dinner of 6 to as large as a party for 100 guests.
I am most proud of serving food that’s fresh, delicious and good for whoever it eating it. Think Soy Glazed Salmon with Broccoli-Cauliflower Stir Fried “Rice”, a winter-spring dish I am excited to make. For a recent birthday cocktail party with an appetizers-only menu, we featured Artichoke Crostini with Feta and Olive Tapenade along with Steak and Arugula bites. Time and again, I’ve had people try my food and say they absolutely love how it tastes. As a matter of principle, our clients eat well.
As a chef with wide-ranging expertise in food, private and public cooking classes give me an opportunity to share my recipes with those interested in cooking and learning about new foods. Turmeric is all the rage right now; I taught a private class explaining the benefits of Turmeric and also provided recipes that are simple to prepare at home using the fresh and dried form. One of those recipes was Braised Chicken with Turmeric & Carrots. The classes are designed so we cook together as a group, I answer questions and share tips and at the end, we finish with a glass of wine or sparkling lemonade with the food we’ve prepared together. More importantly, I have a chance to connect with individuals in these classes and hopefully grow my weekly client base.
My services are geared to individuals and families that want personalized attention to their meals and events. I provide custom- created menus to each one of my clients based on their needs. The clients that get weekly meals have all of their meals cooked with their preferences in mind. If a family doesn’t like olives, they will never get a meal from me that has olives! The same goes to clients that want parties and events catered. If a client has a theme specific dinner they want catered, I create the entire menu around that theme so they get to enjoy the food and event stress-free. For instance, the tapas themed party we catered had all types of Spanish recipes including Albondigas (meatballs), Shrimp in Garlic Sauce, Patatas Bravas (roasted Potatoes), Grilled Octopus and Cheese stuffed Piquillo peppers just to name a few.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Atlanta is definitely a great place to start a small, food business. Atlantans are adventurous eaters and will try new-to-them foods once and return to in the future. This has helped me create and offer menus that are unique and memorable to my clients.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.localgreeneats.com
- Phone: 857-ATL-EATS
- Email: contact@localgreeneats.com
- Instagram: localgreeneats
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/localgreeneats/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/local-green-eats-atlanta
Image Credit:
Shannon Marsh, Salud Cooking School, Whole Foods
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