We had the good fortune of connecting with Richard Hammons and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Richard, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I came up through high end hotels, restaurants, and sushi bars. When I reached the level of Executive Chef, I became a bit burned out and wanted to find out how to be able to cook for the love again. So, I started my business to be able to push myself and grow as an independent business owner.
What should our readers know about your business?
One of the main reasons I started my business was to be able to showcase the skills I have acquired over the years while studying food. The ability to be able to create very personal dining experiences for people in person is a very exciting thing to do. Being able to always meet new people, travel to new places, and have very connected conversations with clients, while cooking them amazing food, is one of the funnest jobs I’ve had. Starting your own business venture can be very daunting and it really took some time to build momentum. I am in my fourth year of running my business and have seen close to a 50% increase in revenue year over year. Of course, Covid put a bit of a damper on this last year but I was able to bring in slightly more than I did in 2019, instead of loosing money. I put a lot of credit into my drive and determination, plus my ability to cook in a wide variety of situations that helped me to find work during such a difficult time. One of the most rewarding things I did last year was to help a project that fed people in need when the first shutdown happened. In 2.5- 3 months I helped to feed over 175,000 people with the Denver Metro Emergency Food Network. As a small business owner I am constantly learning and striving to get better. Because my business is so seasonal, I have to constantly work to find ways to bring in revenue while reminding myself the busy season is just around the corner. The complete opposite mindset keeps me going through the busy season. When I feel completely overwhelmed, I have to remind myself that I only have so much time until things slow down again. Even if I have a week without an event, I am still working about 6 days a week to keep up on all of the small tasks that need to be accomplished, including setting up future events, book keeping, website updates, etc… Overall, I want people to realize that what I do takes a lot of work to accomplish but I do it because I absolutely love the service I provide!
Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
When I have friends come into town we always have way too much fun exploring all of the great things Denver has to offer! Oftentimes, I enjoy taking friends out to some of the great food halls that have popped up all over the area. It is always fun to pop into the Element Knife Company at Stanley Marketplace to see my buddy Elan Wenzel and have some Sushi at Misaki. Denver Central Market and RINO are always a go to with the plethora of great places to check out and all of the cool street art. Living in the West Highlands is always a great area to start in, since I am close to Tennyson street with great places like West End Tavern or popping over to Old Town Highlands to visit the awesome folks at Bar Dough. A trip up to the mountains is never a bad time, with so many things to do like fishing, hiking, and exploring the cool small towns Colorado has to offer
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I give a lot of credit and gratitude to Chef Simon Purvis who was my Executive Chef for about 6 years at The Four Seasons Resort (Scottsdale, Jackson Hole, Denver). He hired me on as a young punk kid and helped to whip me into shape over those years. Jesus Silva is also someone who I look up to as a Chef and Mentor. He runs the Broadway Market in Denver and is opening the new Golden Mill in Golden, Co. He works extremely hard, is constantly pushing himself as a business owner, and is a very versatile Chef.
Website: fivestartoyou.com
Instagram: fivestartoyou
Facebook: Five Star To You
Yelp: Five Star To You