Today we’d like to introduce you to Shawn Laurent.
Shawn, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I got started back in 1992. As I was getting ready to go to college down in Baton Rouge, I had to learn how to cook since I was staying off-campus. I started off with scrambled eggs. First few batches weren’t edible at all. Fast forward to 2016, my buddy Marcellus Wiley (retired NFL player) noticed me posting my dishes on Instagram. He requested a plate and then I began cooking for him four days a week.
From their A Quiet Cook was born. I created a business account on Instagram and through Marcellus, I began cooking for a few other athletes and entertainers.
Has it been a smooth road?
Hasn’t always been a smooth road. I ran into some health issues that caused a big decline in business. It got to a point where I didn’t even answer my phone because of the pain I was in. That caused big loss in business. Since getting back healthy, things are slowly picking up again.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the A Quiet Cook Catering story. Tell us more about the business.
A Quiet Cook Catering is an all-around food business. I do it all. Catering, selling daily plates, personal family meals and office lunches. My specialties are smoked meats and southern dishes. I’ve created my own BBQ rub so I would say that my flavor sets me apart from all the other chefs/pit masters out there.
One of my highlights had to be when I catered for Michael Jackson’s son Prince. I had a tour of the Encino mansion and now I’ve been attending their annual Halloween party as a guest.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
In Los Angeles, the food industry is changing rapidly. It’s inspiring to see a huge number of people getting into culinary arts. A lot are infusing food and changing traditional styles of recipes and putting their own personality to their dishes. The food trucks have really taken off so everywhere you go, you can get a bite to eat almost anywhere.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 3238862433
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @aquietcook
- Facebook: @aquietcookcatering
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