I had been unable to score an airline job after exiting the active duty USAF. Flying with the Connecticut ANG had been a fun way to keep current while I was looking for an aviation career job. But, I needed to get employment of some sort. So, while flying with the Air Guard around the country, I had decided for some strange reason to go into the deli sandwich making restaurant business. My decision came while sitting at a deli counter, asking the sandwich maker/owner how he liked his business enterprise.
Knowing that I could make a ‘killer’ sandwich, I had come home to Tucson, Arizona and decided to do my own thing. Knowing absolutely nothing about business, the ignorance kept me going and alive. I was determined to succeed and did so handily, eventually opening 9 restaurants and employing a staff of 50.
Now, years later, I have gathered many secrets about business, people, sales and a myriad of other things. But one thing that has stayed with me is my love of the kitchen. I continue to know and appreciate the art and peacefulness of creating a meal. And, I have begun to realize that I not only appreciate my own creations, but many others have as well. Most of the advice and recipes I will impart to you here were not necessarily learned in my own chain of 9 restaurants. But, certainly, I have gained invaluable credibility in that enterprise.
Phil Brewer's Blog 