Today we’d like to introduce you to Kim Gandhi
Hi Kim, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I have spent the majority of my career in technology services in various roles and rose in the ranks at each company I was at. However, almost 4 years ago, I took a leap into a new career in a small start up that offered a marketplace to customers where they could find private chefs to come to their events for a variety of occasions. That first leap didn’t end well for many reasons but the concept of the marketplace really intrigued me. I was sorting out my next career move that summer.
With my son and his girlfriend’s birthdays coming up, I was at a loss on what to get them. My husband suggested I look up private chefs near where the kids live as we loved the idea and the kids are huge foodies. My google search led me to Food Fire + Knives. I booked an experience and the outcome was fantastic. The reservation process was easy to follow. Once booked, the chef reached out to introduce himself and the kids said the food and chef were simply amazing.
I reached out to Food Fire + Knives to let the CEO know that I felt he had a really great concept and was doing it right for both customers and chefs. After some discussions and 3 months of telling him I would love to be part of the team, he hired me. For the past few years, we have worked hard to grow the company but keep our mission for supporting local chefs in each city while the chefs deliver 5 star experiences. When I started, we were in 5 cities and now we are in 43 states and over 450 cities and their surrounding areas. We just got our first chef in Puerto Rico so we are continuing to expand.
Our mission hasn’t wavered. Food Fire + Knives’ mission is to empower culinary professionals, connecting them with food lovers all over the USA. We’re excited to promote the work of talented chefs within a framework that allows them creative freedom, flexibility, and the compensation they deserve for their amazing work.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As with anything, nothing comes without bumps in the road. I started my career in retail and was told many times by management that women should get married and stay home-why would they want to aspire to be executives etc. Yes-I was from that era.
But as I jumped into technology, I found the playing field leveled out. Still didn’t always get my seat at the table, but I pivoted my career and where I worked multiple times. Sometimes it meant taking a step down to be able to run up a few more stairs to get to an executive position. I led small teams and large ones through out my career and I learned along the way. A good piece of advice from someone I trusted was that there are times you can go over the mountain, but looking for ways around the mountain may mean things take longer but they are infinitely less frustrating. Wish I had learned that lesson many years earlier.
I love working within teams – many of the teams that I was a part of are still in contact with me today. Definitely makes my life fuller as we all work so many hours with those teams that when you do change companies and roles, it’s nice that it wasn’t just a job. The respect I have for the people I worked with is immense-so much talent and I love cheering them on in their careers too.
For Food Fire + Knives, Covid had a huge impact on the company. Before I joined(which was at the end of the pandemic), the company had to do major refunds when everything shut down. I think it made us tougher and definitely frugal to make sure we could always pay our chefs on time and as things got back to normal, I think FFK benefited from the changes that Covid brought. People were tired of carryout and didn’t feel ready to be back in restaurants. Besides having great food and experiences, we were a lower risk for those customers than mingling with more people at restaurants.
Private Chef experiences have definitely gained more in popularity. We have worked very hard to bring in experienced and talented chefs plus checking their backgrounds for safety as well. However, it’s still a people business. Chefs can get sick or hurt etc and we scramble to find a backfill when that happens so that we don’t let our hosts down. I definitely think that sets us apart from other services or individual chefs that don’t have our community network. I do think I get at least one more grey hair every time the call comes in that we need to scramble. Luckily it doesn’t happen too often! Our chefs take a lot of pride in being reliable.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Food Fire + Knives has created a singular resource for home party hosts. Our nationwide network of culinary professionals wear the apron, bringing you elevated fine dining when you hire a chef with FFK. We take care of our customers, with payment protection and fully-insured and vetted chefs for your peace of mind. With our competitive, transparent pricing, you’ll never see a hidden fee, either! You host the party, we bring the fine dining, achieved with the skill of a talented, seasoned private chef.
FFK’s online platform markets the skills of accomplished chefs in cities across the USA, reserving private events with food-loving clients. Our chefs are the foundation of all we do. They create a la carte menus according to their specialties. They set the prices. If you need a more customized menu, they work with you to tailor menu items to your specific needs.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.foodfireknives.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foodfire_knives/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/foodfireknives
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@foodfireknives9487
