Personal Chef Business Startup Guide

Welcome to the Personal Chef Business Startup Guide, the podcast that helps culinary professionals build successful, independent careers on their own terms.

Hosted by Chris Spear, a personal chef with over a decade of experience and the founder of Chefs Without Restaurants, this show dives into the business side of being a personal chef—from pricing strategies and marketing to client acquisition and scaling your services.

Each episode features practical advice, real-world strategies, and expert insights to help you turn your culinary skills into a profitable, sustainable business. Whether you’re transitioning from restaurant work, launching a side hustle, or looking to take your existing personal chef business to the next level, this podcast will give you the tools and confidence to succeed.

Host

Chris Spear

Chris Spear is the chef and owner of Perfect Little Bites, an in-home personal chef business based in Frederick, Maryland. You might also know him as the host of the Chefs Without Restaurants podcast, and the man behind the culinary networking organization of the same name. Chris graduated with from Johnson & Wales University with a B.S. in culinary arts, and has been working in the foodservice industry for over 30 years. Chris dreamed of bringing an upscale dining experience directly into peoples’ homes, and he started his personal chef business in 2010.

Wanting to build a community to help support other food entrepreneurs, Chris started the Chefs Without Restaurants community. Its focus would be on sharing gig opportunities and knowledge, as well as doing collaborative pop-up events. This led to the launch of the Chefs Without Restaurants podcast in late 2019.