Meet Marvin Lim | Co-founder & CEO

We had the good fortune of connecting with Marvin Lim and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Marvin, what’s something about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?
The biggest thing outsiders are probably unaware of is just how fundamentally inefficient the traditional restaurant model is, and that a private chef experience is no longer an unattainable luxury, it’s simply a smarter way to dine.

For decades, the perception has been that private chefs are only for the ultra-wealthy. But that perception is based on a bloated cost structure. The truth is, a huge portion of your bill at a restaurant has nothing to do with the food; it’s paying for the expensive lease, front-of-house staff, and massive operational overhead.

Our entire vision is built on unbundling the restaurant. We stripped away the four walls and all the associated costs, creating a direct, asset-light connection between talented chefs and customers who want an exceptional meal. By doing this, we’ve made a premium experience radically accessible. We’re delivering personalized, stress-free dining for an average cost of just $32.66 per person.

So, the one thing to know about our industry is that the future of dining is being decoupled from expensive real estate. We’re proving that you can have a better, more personal experience for less, and we’re building the platform to power that shift.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The story of TheKitchenTable is deeply personal, born from a problem I was living every day. While juggling three jobs, I saw how broken the dining industry was for both busy people like me and for talented chefs who were burning out. I knew there had to be a better way.

Our solution was to unbundle the restaurant. We stripped away the expensive rent and overhead, creating a direct connection between customers and chefs. This makes a private chef experience, once seen as an unattainable luxury, radically accessible. I’m incredibly proud that we’re delivering this premium experience for an average cost of just $32.66 per person, while our chefs earn 3-5 times the standard industry wage.

Getting here wasn’t easy. Building a two-sided marketplace requires relentless hustle, and the biggest lesson I’ve learned is the power of focus. Once key mentors taught us to perfect one core service first, we started seeing real traction. That focus has been a game-changer, leading to acceptance into programs like Founder University and an investment from a legendary investor like Jason Calacanis. The most exciting part is seeing that vision validated in the market, with our bookings growing over 40% month-over-month.

If there’s one thing I want the world to know about our brand, it’s this: The future of dining is personal, accessible, and happening in your own home. We’re building the platform to power that shift.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
This is a great question because I have this down to a science. I call it “The Marvin’s Tour,” and it’s an intense, perfectly curated 3-day weekend designed to show off the absolute best of Colorado without wasting a single moment.

Here’s how it would go:

Day 1: The Icons Tour

We’d start by heading straight from the airport to downtown Denver for a killer bowl of ramen at Jinya Ramen Bar. After that, we’d burn it off with a quick hike through the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre before driving down to Colorado Springs to see the surreal landscapes of Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak. We’d end the day with some authentic, no-frills Texas-style BBQ at Rudy’s.

Day 2: The Alpine Beauty Tour

Day two is all about high-altitude beauty. We’d drive up through Boulder to Estes Park, the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park. We’d spend the day hiking the trails around Bear Lake, Emerald Lake, and my personal favorite, Lake Haiyaha. The best part? When we get back to our Airbnb, exhausted and happy, a private chef from TheKitchenTable would have a gourmet meal waiting for us. They’d even prep a delicious, easy-to-pack lunch for our adventure the next day.

Day 3: The Mountain Towns Tour

For the final day, we’d hit the classic I-70 mountain corridor, driving through the stunning scenery to check out the world-class resort towns of Vail and Breckenridge. After a full day of exploring, we’d come back to our Airbnb one last time, where another incredible, multi-course meal from one of our chefs would be ready and waiting.

For me, it’s the perfect combination: hitting the most epic spots in Colorado by day and then coming home to relax with incredible, stress-free food at night. It’s the best of both worlds.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Absolutely. No founder does it alone, and my story is a testament to the incredible village that has supported me.

I have to give a huge shoutout to my mentors: Jon Rossi, Jim Waldrop, and Amanda Winkelmann. They provided invaluable guidance and challenged me when TheKitchenTable was just an idea, and their expertise has been a true guiding light.

I also owe a massive thank you to the accelerator programs that sharpened our vision. The UCCS ‘Scale to $1M’ bootup camp gave us a critical framework, and getting into Jason Calacanis’s Founder University was completely transformative. It’s a high-intensity environment that forced us to be better.

That leads me to Jason Calacanis himself. Having a legendary investor like Jason not only believe in our vision but also write a check has been a game-changing vote of confidence.

From my early mentors to the world-class programs and investors who have backed us, I am deeply grateful. TheKitchenTable wouldn’t be where it is today without them.

Website: https://www.tkteats.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thekitchentable_official/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thekitchentable/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61567215235144

Other: Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thekitchentable_official
Google: https://g.co/kgs/CKTdCnE

Image Credits
All pictures taken by TheKitchenTable Inc