213: On the Dock with Chef Jeremy Leinen

Chef Life Radio: Strategies to Empower Culinary Leadership for Success, Sanity, and Satisfaction in the Culinary Industry

Chef Jeremy Leinen is the Executive Chef of Dunwoody Country Club outside of Atlanta.

"I keep hearing people blame the unemployment and all that stuff for why people aren't returning to work. Obviously, this industry has a lot more work to do, culturally speaking. That's the reason why people haven't been rushing back to do it. And I get it."

Chef recently sat down for a conversation, and he discussed how COVID has impacted their lives and businesses.

Chef Jeremy's mother and grandmother both contracted the virus, and his mother is still dealing with the effects (referred to as "long COVID").

Despite this, he remains positive and believes things are slowly getting better. He advises others who may be considering reentering the workforce, telling them that the industry is changing and progressing positively.

Despite the challenges, there's still much to love about the restaurant industry.

In this episode, you will learn the following:

1. How Jeremy Leinen and his family coped with COVID-19.

2. How the hospitality industry has been affected by the pandemic.

3. What advice would Jeremy Leinen give to those considering re-entering the workforce?

Resources:

Chef Jeremy on Linkedin

Chef Jeremy in Club & Resort Chef Magazine

Chapter Summaries:

(00:00:00) - During the podcast, he talked about his family. His mom got COVID, and his grandmother has congestive heart failure. He used to work out a lot in the gym to keep himself sane during this difficult time. He worked with a coach then, but it was almost like living in a sane asylum.

(00:02:32) - One of his sous chefs got COVID. He and another sous chef both woke up sick on the same day. The test came back negative, but it was one of those rapid tests that you get wrong all the time. Mostly, his team maintained their health and had no serious issues.

(00:03:52) - A lot of people lost their jobs during the shit down. The industry is going through some growing pains, but things are changing. If you don't want to be in the industry, don't be in it. It's not going to be the Shangrila for a little while.

Other episodes you'll enjoy:

Chef and Fitness Coach Tarren Camm

Executive Chef James Shiley

Kriss Hall of the Burnt Chef Project

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