Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Daron Goldstein, Owner of Provender Kitchen + Bar, located in Ellsworth, ME, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Provender Kitchen + Bar is a full-service elevated American food restaurant. My customers are everyone who loves great food and great service. From lawyers to lobstermen eat at Provender. We have devised a concept where anyone can find something on the menu to eat.
Tell us about yourself
I'm a father of two amazing boys (8 and 6) and a husband to my beautiful wife, Joy. I started in this business just like a lot of other chefs, as a dishwasher. I climbed through the ranks, eventually becoming an executive chef and now chef/owner of my own restaurant.
Success is what motivates me to do a good job. Knowing that my hard work and perseverance will help me achieve greater professional success keeps me going. I feel that aligning the company’s vision and values with my own is one way to achieve that. When I know that my efforts are following the correct path, it encourages me to push more. Hence, for me, success is important both at a personal as well as at an organizational level.
Motivation is seeing the organization grow, which ultimately leads to personal achievement and success. There might be instances of failure or stagnation, but it does not demotivate me anyhow. On the other hand, I feel re-invigorated to perform even more. The taste of success after a failure is what keeps the fire going within me, no matter what the circumstance.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Well, I don't know if this is an accomplishment or not, but one thing I'm most proud of is how we navigated through the pandemic. We flipped our concept; we didn't close our doors and kept all employees working the whole time. We also fed over 1500 front-line workers hot meals along with free school lunches for the school kids when schools were shut down. I'll never forget how we all came together and made it work.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
I think, for me anyway, one of the hardest things is controlling work-life balance. The restaurant is literally 24/7, and splitting time between family and work is often difficult.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Write a business plan.
- Fund your business.
- Surround yourself with the right people.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Being a small business owner may be one of the toughest jobs, but it’s also one of the most rewarding. Small business ownership has many benefits, and they often far outweigh the negatives. One important benefit of owning a business is the satisfaction of knowing you are the creator of whatever product you put out. You are the vision behind it, and you put it in motion. You get to do what you love in a field you enjoy. You no longer have to drag yourself to a job you hate every morning.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.eatprovender.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ProvenderKitchen
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chefdarongoldstein/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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