Today we’d like to introduce you to Joshua Cinco.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Joshua . So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Hi my name is Josh Cinco aka Chefcinco314 and I’m originally from St. Louis, MO! My inspiration for being chef originally came from my mother and the women in my family. I would learn how to make basic dishes at the age of 6 from my mother and cook for myself and lilttle brother when she would be gone at work working 12-14 hour shifts on the daily.
Got my first real chef job through Fresh Ideas food management company out of the Midwest! A guy name Martin(Anthony) Porter from Atlanta, GA
gave me my first big break and made me his sous chef for a University at the time with absolutely 0 experience behind me. He showed me everything I needEd to know from temperatures for different foods, how to plate, do set ups, cook in bulk etc! From there I took everything I learned and moved on to better ventures in the process.
Fast forward a year later I became sous chef for a comedy club that had a list of A list celebrities always performing there! From there I go to personally cater for comedians like Gary Owen, Arie Spears, Karlous Miller, Say em, Corey Holcomb, Luenell, just to name a few. A guy named Derrick Schultz whom was the same age as me, was building a brunch restaurant and needed a executive chef and co founder. Through hard work and dedication together we were one of the strongest and youngest restauranteurs in St. Louis, MO. Kept a 4.5 on yelp and were issued in many magazines like Sauce, Feast, Riverfront Times, NBC etc.
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?
The road is never easy. Due to different perspectives and culturally not being accepted unfortunately the restaurant’s I was involved in had to come to an end. I was fully committed to these projects and surrounded my career around them while others had other outlets. Ended up becoming jobless, homeless and no longer a restaurant owner just a year a ago! I packed everything I could in a small bag and flew out to California and started over at 26! By doing so it pushed me to be more independent and start forming my own company for self! Had a third party investor Kendall Stanton believe in my vision and that’s where Culinary Soul Catering Souuthern Cuisine LLC was formed.
Culinary Soul Southern Cuisine LLC – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
My business Culinary Soul we specialize in private catering for anniversaries, birthdays, corporate retreats, weddings, festivals, etc. what sets us apart from the rest is that we cook our food with soul, fun, and love! Always bringing the energy and creating a positive environment!
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Proudest moments would be so far being able to cater for Gary Owen and Martin Lawrence. Both gave me acknowledgment and still their team or group of consultants keep in touch till this day!
Pricing:
- 3 course meal for 2 ($400)
- 4 course meal for 2 ($500)
- Family or buffet style ($600-1200)
Contact Info:
- Address: San Diego, CA
- Phone: 951-249-6329
- Email: cincoworld314@gmail.com
- Instagram: Instagram @chefcinco314
- Facebook: Joshua Anhur Shu Cinco
Image Credit:
@badboyzofculinary
