Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Quincy Chapman.
Michael, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
As a youth, food and I established a lifelong relationship. Unsure of how I fit into world, I began eating nervously. Food was always there to comfort and listen to my problems. Now as an adult, I spend my time studying and working with my oldest friend (food). I completed my undergrad study at Benedictine University. After graduation, I began taking cooking courses at The Illinois Institute of Art – Chicago and College of DuPage.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The road hasn’t been smooth or friendly. It’s been a nonstop effort to stay relevant. Since everyone’s a chef and there are so many foodies across our country and even Chicagoland area. I started my company and my first product wasn’t food per se. I wanted to separate myself from the pack and started by selling liquor infused lollipops. I used to have a very shy, not very outgoing personality. So I didn’t wanna launch a brand with my name on it and fail so early. So I created “Chi City Hard Shots” and from its Facebook page, I began my networking. I use to work a lot of vending events and gave away samples. My hope was, if I can get people to believe that this guy just cooked some wine candy and it had actual liquor in it that they were able to taste, then they would believe I could do anything. So I became the drunken candy guy. My biggest supporters early on were women doing ladies nights and would love to have a fun novelty item.
From there I would be asked, well chef, what else do you got and started selling finger foods with the suckers. Light stuff like crescent sandwiches and other appetizers. Now days I do less suckers and now handle the Private Chef/Catering needs for my clients city wide and in a few other states. I’m now more of an events specialist and followed the underground “Pop Up” chef model to here, today and the now.
Chef Quincy Culinary – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
What makes me most proud as a company, is my company’s ability to serve an underserved community and communities. For the longest, the idea of hiring a private chef seemed reserved for people with money. I’ve taken the approach of going into areas others wouldn’t go. I’ve made deliveries to the south side and have done in home dinners on the westside. Another thing I can say I’m proud of is not being tagged with the label “Black Chef” or “Soul Food,” but what we are known for is good food. Now I specialize in Creole flavors and my “Shrimp and Grits” are the best ever!!! And that’s not me saying this. I’m always told, I’m the best tasting outside of New Orleans and what I would say is I’m even better than New Orleans when it comes to flavoring dishes they pioneered. I bring that bold up in your face attitude I’ve adopted from living here.
So what separates me from others is my ability to adapt. My menu isn’t mines per se, it’s a collection of plates that the people have requested and anything that one person wants, I then assume 10% of the population would also want that same item. Like the strangest request I got once was from a client who wanted some meatloaf. Now as a chef I’m like “this is boring and cheap” how can I make her happy and make myself happy serving her. So I asked, what else did she have a take for. She replied, “jerk chicken”. So I happened to have some left over jerk chicken in the fridge. So I proposed a Jerk Chicken meatloaf. But I wasn’t gonna use ground chicken, that’s boring. Even though there are tons or recipes on the web with people using ground chicken and then seasoning it with jerk spice. Meatloaf needs beef, jerk chicken should be jerk chicken. So I chopped the thighs up and mixed them into a ground beef mixture. So now it’s the only meatloaf I serve and it also comes in meatballs and mini Jerk Chicken Sliders. So maybe it’s my ability to listen that separates me.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I personally define success by a simple matrix. I look at the number of people following and supporting me. I hate to say it, but I can’t be successful without them and I mean all of them. Each and every one person out their holds part of my overall success. It’s been one plate at a time, one person at a time. And I’ve been successful in my campaign. I’m a kid from the burbs, but everyone in the city thinks and feels like I live right next door to them. They look at my food and menu and want me now, that’s success to me. So once I get enough people to fully understand who I am, then my future successes are already guaranteed. But if I can’t convince the people to follow me and trust me in the area of culinary, then I’m gonna fail before being able to explore other opportunities like opening a restaurant.
Contact Info:
- Address: 7413 Chestnut Ct., Woodridge, Il 60517
- Website: ChefQuincy.com
- Phone: 7082051574
- Email: chefquincyculinary@gmail.com
- Instagram: qdivisionquincy
- Facebook: Quincy Culinary
- Twitter: ChefNTraffik
Image Credit:
Michael Quincy Chapman
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