Samuel Hefter:
My name is Samuel Hefter. I started my journey in the restaurant industry when I was in college studying for a bachelor’s degree. When I was 18 years old I got a job at a local bar in town as a dishwasher. From there I was able to work my way up the line and develop my love and skill for working in a kitchen.
My junior year of college I switched my Major to Hospitality Management. After graduating with my Bachelor’s degree, I was given the opportunity to go to Culinary School at Johnson and Wales in North Miami Florida. They had a unique program that allowed me to get an Associate’s Degree in Culinary Arts in just one year.
Half way through culinary school I met someone from Hillstone Restaurant Group at a career fair. Most people from the Kansas City may be most familiar with one of their restaurants called Houston’s. I was offered a position with them to train for 5 months with the goal of becoming an Assistant Culinary Manager. I took the offer and moved to NY just a few days after graduating Culinary School. My training took place at a very prestigious restaurant of theirs called East Hampton Grill. I learned very quickly how important it was to serve food at only the highest quality possible. There was no such thing as “good enough”. Everything was made from scratch, and everything had to be perfect.
Three months into training I was offered the full-time position as Assistant Culinary Manager. Just two months after that I was promoted to Head Chef of the restaurant. My career with Hillstone Restaurant Group quickly grew and I was asked to move every six to nine months to run the kitchen at various restaurants throughout the country. In just 3 years I moved from North Miami, to New York, to Houston, then New Orleans, and then Kansas City.
In Kansas City, I was fortunate to meet my wife, Joy. I decided I wasn’t willing to move with the company anymore, and I was then forced to resign when the Plaza location closed. I continued my career as the Executive Chef at The Rockhill Grille and got to learn the banquet/catering side of the industry. With two event spaces in house I became educated on how to execute food in large numbers and what people are looking for from a consumers’ perspective. As time went on I noticed a problem with catering industry. This problem was that anything of quality was extremely expensive.
This past March, my wife and I took the leap of faith to start our own catering company called Hefter Catering. The strategy behind our company is to provide one product and do it well. By only offering one product, we are able to ensure that the quality remains high and the cost remains low. Our #1 goal is to be the solution for people who have to feed 100+ guests and just can’t afford $25+/person price tag that comes with most quality catering options. Our company specializes in doing gourmet taco bars for large weddings and corporate events. We offer 3 different price points and they all come with a variation of appetizer, entrée, and dessert. We always include real plates, real silverware, and staffing at no extra charge to the client as well. Hefter Catering is committed to the same level of perfection that has been taught throughout my career, and we are able to focus all that energy into making excellent tacos.
My name is Samuel Hefter. I started my journey in the restaurant industry when I was in college studying for a bachelor’s degree. When I was 18 years old I got a job at a local bar in town as a dishwasher. From there I was able to work my way up the line and develop my love and skill for working in a kitchen.
My junior year of college I switched my Major to Hospitality Management. After graduating with my Bachelor’s degree, I was given the opportunity to go to Culinary School at Johnson and Wales in North Miami Florida. They had a unique program that allowed me to get an Associate’s Degree in Culinary Arts in just one year.
Half way through culinary school I met someone from Hillstone Restaurant Group at a career fair. Most people from the Kansas City may be most familiar with one of their restaurants called Houston’s. I was offered a position with them to train for 5 months with the goal of becoming an Assistant Culinary Manager. I took the offer and moved to NY just a few days after graduating Culinary School. My training took place at a very prestigious restaurant of theirs called East Hampton Grill. I learned very quickly how important it was to serve food at only the highest quality possible. There was no such thing as “good enough”. Everything was made from scratch, and everything had to be perfect.
Three months into training I was offered the full-time position as Assistant Culinary Manager. Just two months after that I was promoted to Head Chef of the restaurant. My career with Hillstone Restaurant Group quickly grew and I was asked to move every six to nine months to run the kitchen at various restaurants throughout the country. In just 3 years I moved from North Miami, to New York, to Houston, then New Orleans, and then Kansas City.
In Kansas City, I was fortunate to meet my wife, Joy. I decided I wasn’t willing to move with the company anymore, and I was then forced to resign when the Plaza location closed. I continued my career as the Executive Chef at The Rockhill Grille and got to learn the banquet/catering side of the industry. With two event spaces in house I became educated on how to execute food in large numbers and what people are looking for from a consumers’ perspective. As time went on I noticed a problem with catering industry. This problem was that anything of quality was extremely expensive.
This past March, my wife and I took the leap of faith to start our own catering company called Hefter Catering. The strategy behind our company is to provide one product and do it well. By only offering one product, we are able to ensure that the quality remains high and the cost remains low. Our #1 goal is to be the solution for people who have to feed 100+ guests and just can’t afford $25+/person price tag that comes with most quality catering options. Our company specializes in doing gourmet taco bars for large weddings and corporate events. We offer 3 different price points and they all come with a variation of appetizer, entrée, and dessert. We always include real plates, real silverware, and staffing at no extra charge to the client as well. Hefter Catering is committed to the same level of perfection that has been taught throughout my career, and we are able to focus all that energy into making excellent tacos.