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Meet Brandon Coe of Coe’s Kitchen in San Fernando Valley

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandon Coe.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
When I was five years old, my baby sitter would bring a little step stool to the stove and teach me how to make the perfect soft scrambled eggs. This was my first real experience with cooking and loved it. At 9, I had a babysitter that taught me how to fry tortillas and make chips. When I was 13 hanging with some friends, it was the first time I really cooked for anyone. We were three guys hanging out during summer with no parents and I was bold enough to fry up some chips. The only problem was that he only had a tiny bit of salsa and a ton of tortillas. I got the brilliant idea to spread the salsa over the tortillas then frying them up. This was such a great moment and success. My friends still bring up that day.

From there, I was always trying something new in the kitchen. My mom got into Real Estate and would come home at 9 o’clock with only some of the ingredients we needed for food, so I had to learn how to create a sauce for the fish sticks, syrup for the eggos, make vegetables taste good. I was always excited to get in the kitchen and experiment. When growing up and my mom went through a divorce, it really hit us hard, and she was struggling to get food for us. She would take us to the food bank at our local church once a month and we would get so much food, and it made my little brother and me happy. I always had a happy relationship with food. When I was in my early 20’s it was something I would do when I was down or had a bad day, I would go home and cook a 4 course meal for myself and go to sleep; never telling anyone. That was before Instagram so I never posted my food. Then while dating it the thing I did to surprise a girl on a date, take her to my place and cook some chicken stuffed with mushroom and Parmesan and a side of potatoes and asparagus… That would always be the start of a good night.

I was inspired by a customer when I was 25 and working at Tmobile, to go after being a chef. I had never really thought about doing my passion for money. Serendipity took over, I met a chef the next day who I told about my passion. She gave me the names of 3 chefs to reach out to and get some experience. I called the first one, she talked to me and told me she would let me apprentice under her for one shift and see how it goes. 1 shift turned into 5 and at the 6th event, she walked up to me and paid me for time. The first time ever getting paid for cooking. I quite my job, started doing background and audience work for steady money then reached out to every avenue of culinary I could. I worked in catering, and a few restaurants, it was a great experience. Then I tried out for a show on Food Network and was accepted as a contestant. This is all within two months of me meeting that first chef. Skip to 6 months later, I won the competition on Food Network called Food Truck Face Off (season 1 episode 8). Me and my partner’s concept was a seafood food truck. After that experience, I went on to work harder in kitchens, becoming Kitchen Manager, Head Chef, and Culinary Consultant for a food truck transformation. I opened my business in 2014 and loved every event I do. Passion is what drives me. Painters dream in color, musicians dream in rhyme, I dream in flavor. I sleep on every menu I offer and always come up with more options for the customer.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of the biggest obstacles was being a self-taught chef and calling myself a “chef”. In fact, my first business cards had my title as Culinary Enthusiast. After realizing that I’m a creator, I understood what a chef was… A creator.

Coe’s Kitchen – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Coe’s Kitchen specializes in dietary restrictions and tailor fit events. Each event is made to taste just how you want it, whether it is a romantic dinner for two or a whole party. This gives the customer the feeling of a friend or family member cooing for them, rather than a business.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Competing and winning the challenge on Food Network was amazing for so many reasons. My proudest moment, however, would be a moment about two years ago. My client of four years has so many dietary restrictions that they can rarely eat out and a lot of food does not make her feel good. Her husband’s favorite dish before he was lactose intolerant was a chicken pot pie. Even the slightest bit of dairy in the crust is enough to make him sick. I was able to create a chicken pot pie with panko bread crumbs and cashews blended into a sauce to thicken up the soup. That was so amazing I have probably cooked it for them over 15 times. The look on his face was like seeing an old friend from so long ago, and your friend is successful and happy. He was overjoyed and of course the wife was as well.

Pricing:

  • Romantic Dinner for 2 starting at $120
  • Seafood platter starting at $300

Contact Info:

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