CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Chef Sam Diminich is an executive chef thriving in Charlotte's restaurant industry, feeding some of the Queen City's elite like Carolina Panthers' running back Christian McCaffrey.
But before his meteoric rise, Diminich struggled.
"The restaurant and hospitality industry as a whole, for a long time, has cultivated a culture of dysfunction," Diminich explained. "And I grew up a part of that."
Diminich said his struggle with alcohol led him to become homeless on the streets of Charlotte. He said he endured a lot on the streets, including multiple assaults.
Diminich, who is now seven-and-a-half years sober, said he started drinking when he was just 13 years old and never stopped until he turned 38.
Back in 1956, Diminich said his grandfather, who was an immigrant, opened up a restaurant and that's where formed all of his family memories.
"There's a saying in the restaurant industry, 'You don't choose it, it chooses you'," Diminich reminisced.
And that's exactly what happened to Diminich. After working his way up the ranks in his family’s restaurants and training with other local chefs, Diminich attended the Culinary Institute of America where he graduated with a degree in Culinary Arts.
"I've been in Charlotte since 2004 and have been a restaurant chef for all of my life, up until we had this pandemic," Diminich said.
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Like many people in the restaurant industry, Diminich was laid off at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I was faced with a situation where I had to do something," he recalled. "I've been cooking my whole life."
Reflecting on how hard the pandemic hit everyone, including local farmers and suppliers, Diminich started his company Your Farm Your Table as a way to use his own voice to tell their stories.
Your Farm Your Table (YFYT) is a meal-delivery service that provides personalized dining services and a restaurant experience in the comfort of your own home. At first, Diminich thought YFYT would just be a stopgap during the pandemic and never imagined it would turn into what it is now.
"But one thing led to another, the community supported us, and we supported them," Diminich said.
Two years later, Diminich said YFYT is a business with multiple divisions and will soon become a restaurant.
Bringing it around full-circle, Diminich said he plans to open his new restaurant, Restaurant Constance, just miles away from where he was living on the streets.
"Powerful, it's actually really emotional," Diminich said as he reflected on his new business venture. "But it just, to me, illustrates the power of the collective."
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Diminich said everything he has right now is only possible because of the amazing support team he has within his community.
He is co-leader of the Charlotte chapter of Ben’s Friends, a support group offering hope, fellowship, and a path forward to those food and beverage professionals who struggle with addiction and alcoholism.
"Those of us seeking recovery, we want to be able to do what we love to do," Diminich exclaimed. "I love to cook. I can't do anything else."
Along with the support of his local Ben's Friends chapter, Diminich said he has created a community among the local farmers and suppliers in the Charlotte area.
On the weekends, Diminich will go to the Matthews Farmers Market and survey the available produce and goods available that day.
"The last thing that I would want to do as a cook is make demands such as 'I need broccoli' or 'I need strawberries'," Diminich explained.
To avoid that, he visits his local vendors, scans the tables and creates a full menu based on what produce is available that day.
"It's almost like puzzle pieces," Diminich said. "You put the puzzle pieces together. Begin to prep it, cook it, box it, bag it and then deliver it."
When pricing his meal plans, Diminich said he wanted to keep the price reasonable.
"We really want to take care of anybody and everybody in our community edge to edge," Diminich said. "Not just Myers Park or South End, or NoDa, you know, but a single mom on the west side of Charlotte."
Standing at the very spot where Diminich was once homeless, the chef reflected on his new life.
"There's newness here," Diminich explained with a tremble in his voice. "The house where I was assaulted is gone. I'm still here. You know, as long as I'm still here, we'll keep moving forward."
PHOTOS: Chef Sam Diminich
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