Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jesus Fernandez Garcia. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Jesus, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
I have been working in the kitchen now for over 35 years. It’s a hard job. You are on your feet for over 8 hours a day. There’s a lot of pressure to perform. It’s hot, you are on a time limit and the reward is minimal. But why do I do it? I just love creating food. When I see people enjoy what I created, it keeps me coming back.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Right now I’ve started a small catering business focused solely on the taste and flavor of Spain, my home country. My goal with this company is to bring the regional flavors of Spain to the masses in America. Spain is not just tapas and paellas, it’s a culture with variety from the Iberian pig to the grilled fish of the Mediterranean the flavor is unique and quite new to the American palate. New as in we don’t see a lot of Spanish restaurants in Los Angeles. And I would like to change that. Right now we are focused on pop-ups and in-home dining but hope to expand to larger corporate and event catering in the future.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
One is discipline. The other is consistency. And the last is innovation. My one piece of advice: if you cry every night but wake up every day with passion for the kitchen, then this is for you. You need a lot of resilience for this job and it’s not for the faint of heart.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
I was not a great student and my parents put me in private school with private tutors. I was still a handful. But their support of me when I wanted to become a chef was a huge sacrifice from them. If not for their encouragement and financial support I would not be here today.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: spaintogo.la
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jesus.fernandez.35762241/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesus-fernandez-58130347/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/spain-to-go-los-angeles
Image Credits
Stephanie Laemoa
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