Today we’d like to introduce you to Robert Thomas
Hi Robert, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’m just a Buffalo Kid from the Eastside of Buffalo, New York born and raised one the toughest parts in Buffalo, New York but a city of good neighbors. I am 33yrs old, married since 2015 and I have 9 children. I was a troubled kid growing up getting into a bunch of fights, hanging with the wrong people and just being a kid with no good direction. I found love for food by watching my mother cook/host almost every family event. I was my mother baked macaroni and cheese shredder, lol. Maaaan that shredding cheese was a tough job my hands use to hurt. I use to be excited about Saturday mornings because my mother use to cook breakfast her home fries and scrambled eggs was to die for. My first restaurant job was “McDonald’s” I was 16yrs old making $6.25 I thought I was the man, lol. At 17yrs I had my first child “Jaivon” and that’s when I knew I had to change my ways and change my surroundings because I had someone to take care of. So I started looking for better paying jobs so I could help out with bills at my mother house, help myself and take care of my child. So I dropped out of school my jr. year and focused on making a living for myself and my son. I got a better paying job as a dishwasher at this 5star restaurant called “Hyde Park” and loved it until a black chef named Chef Bobby Anderson a Hell’s Kitchen contestant told me, you’ll be where I am some day! I replayed those words in my head for years. I then got another job right next door washing dishes at this restaurant called “Bar Louie” known for $1 burger night “It’s Burger Night Bro” lol and that’s where I grew from a dishwasher, bar back, salad station, fryboy, grill and sautee. They couldn’t pay me what I was worth because I didn’t have a education so at 20yrs old I signed up for Cassadaga Job Corps for basic culinary skills and I obtained my certification in American Culinary Education and they paid me what I worth once I came back to work BUT that wasn’t enough for me I started feel like it was more out there for me so I started jumping restaurant to restaurant learning different cuisines from America, Jamaican, Thai and Soul Food. So I’m like a tornado of cuisines, lol. At the age of 25yrs I went to college for culinary arts and I’m not a book type of guy so I didn’t do too well and plus they were teaching me French cuisine and I knew that wasn’t something I wanted to learn in life but I tried it, I didn’t do well so I went back to the drawing board to figure things out. That same year 2015 I started selling dinners for the first time and made my first $300 and I was excited, in 2016 100 hundreds of ppl started lining up outside my house for my famous “Philly Cheese Steak Lasagna” it was a hit! After awhile I started feeling like it was too much hustle and not enough money being made so I started catering and that’s when I realized that catering is the key to success. In 2018 my mother passed away and ever since then I just been working, working and grinding my way to the top because I know how proud my mother would be of me if she was alive because I was my mother worse child and I did a 180 on my life just by doing something she loved for free now I’m making a living off of it. Me and my family of (6) moved to Columbia, SC in 2022 and my business has taken off like no other. Like I always tell me Columbia, SC brought the best out in me, Buffalo Rasisd me and God favored me!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Some of my struggles were staying focus and actually believing in myself.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Chubbs New York is my brand that I started building in 2016. Chubbs New York is a versatile brand that offers, private dinner for 2, brunch, bridal showers, baby showers and weddings up to 200 guests. What sets apart from everyone is my flavor!
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I love that it’s word a mouth here in South Carolina it brings me back to the old days vs only supporting people based off popularity. South Carolina has been keeping me booked and busy.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: privatechefrob_16
- Facebook: Rob Thomas
