How Kwame Onwuachi Went From Selling Candy to Becoming a Top New York Chef

19 Sep 2024 (3 months ago)

Kwame Onwuachi's Background and Influences

Kwame Onwuachi is a Nigerian American chef who opened the restaurant Tatiana in New York City. (25s)
Onwuachi's mother had a catering business and his father was a contractor and architect. (2m51s), (3m38s)
When Onwuachi was 10 years old, his mother sent him to Nigeria for two years to live with relatives because he was disobedient. (5m24s)
Kwame Onwuachi's grandfather was a proponent for civil rights for Black people in America, which instilled a sense of purpose in him to uplift his people's culture. (7m45s)
Onwuachi's decision to change his life came after witnessing Barack Obama become the first Black president of the United States, inspiring him to pursue a more fulfilling path. (9m18s)

To fund his catering company, Onwuachi resorted to unconventional methods, including selling glow sticks and candy on the subways of New York City. (12m59s)
To earn money, he sold candy on the subway after realizing a young candy seller was making more money than him at his job. (13m36s)
He started his catering business after three or four months of selling candy on the subway. (15m2s)

He believes in treating employees well and values trust and the ability to complete tasks over resumes when building a team. (17m45s)
Kwame Onwuachi believes that while culinary school is not absolutely necessary, aspiring chefs cannot solely rely on YouTube for education and must gain practical experience by cooking for people in a professional setting. (19m51s)
Onwuachi emphasizes the importance of finding a mentor, highlighting his own experience at Eleven Madison Park where he was mentored by chef de cuisine, Jamal James Kent. (23m3s)

Onwuachi participated in a 10-city culinary tour where chefs prepared meals and received feedback from diners, with the winner earning their own restaurant. (24m29s)
Kwame Onwuachi believes the best restaurant he has opened so far is Shabu. (27m3s)
Onwuachi had to overcome negative press and public scrutiny after the failure of his first restaurant, Shabu. (28m35s)
After the failure of Shabu, Onwuachi opened an Ethiopian fast-casual restaurant called gorcha where he worked as the chef but kept his involvement quiet. (30m45s)
Kwame Onwuachi believes that "failures" are subjective and are opportunities for growth and learning. (32m18s)

When developing a restaurant concept, Onwuachi starts with the location, allowing it to inspire the menu, vibe, and overall identity of the space. (32m41s)
Onwuachi believes storytelling is crucial in creating a restaurant, extending from the dishes to the decor, aiming to evoke emotions and create an experience beyond just serving food. (33m43s)

The speaker believes in designing spaces that tell a story and have soul, using their restaurant Tatiana as an example, which incorporates elements like sculptured clouds representing their dreamlike nature and gold chains symbolizing overcoming challenges. (37m49s)
Tatiana's design is inspired by New York City, incorporating elements like the oxidization of copper on the Statue of Liberty and textures and colors from the city, aiming for a subtle integration of New York's essence. (39m6s)
The speaker's upcoming restaurant in Washington DC is inspired by the city's planner, Pierre Charles L'Enfant, and surveyor, Benjamin Banneker, who used stars to map out the city's grid and borders, with the design aiming to reflect this historical context. (42m53s)
Benjamin Banneker, hired during the George Washington era to establish the borders of Washington, D.C., was a descendant of the Doon tribe of West Africa, known for their expertise in astrology, science, and mapping using the stars. (43m41s)
Kwame Onwuachi aims to showcase the diverse cultures of Washington, D.C., through an Afro-Caribbean perspective, highlighting the contributions of various communities. (44m30s)
Onwuachi emphasizes the importance of controlling one's narrative and having a message to convey, regardless of age, as everyone has a story to tell. (45m41s)