CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Two Charlotte chefs chose to bet on themselves with their own catering company when the COVID-19 pandemic led to layoffs at work.
Brandon and Sydney Green, owners of ITO Creations, started investing more time and energy into their company as the pandemic dragged on for months.
Brandon was the executive chef at Ballantyne Country Club, and Sydney was an executive chef within Compass Group. Both said they were laid off in the last year due to the pandemic.
The couple has been together since their days at Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte.
"I just saw her, and I saw her smile,” Brandon said. “And that was it for me. I was good."
The Greens started ITO Creations, which stands for “I'll take one,” before the pandemic but didn’t have the time to grow the company until they were both without jobs.
"It was like a small kick for us just from life itself saying, ‘Alright now's the time, get it going,’” Brandon said. “You have nothing but time, so you might as well put it into yourself and into your family."
The couple started on their own recipe for personal success, pouring all their energy and experience into their catering company. They serve food for parties, cook meals as personal chefs, and meal prep.
"We were so caught up in the security of having a steady paycheck that we wouldn't have probably, I wouldn't have wanted to risk putting the family in jeopardy like that,” added Brandon, “but now it's do or die.”
Their backgrounds from South Carolina and West Virginia influence their “city southern” culinary perspective.
The couple is free to be creative in the kitchen as their own bosses. The curveballs of life in the pandemic served as a catalyst for change.
"In a strange way, we are thankful for it I do believe,” said Brandon.
Sydney added, "If it didn't happen, we wouldn't be where we are today, I don't think."
RELATED: Restaurant industry in NC faces worker shortage as it moves toward opening at full capacity
North Carolina’s leisure and hospitality industry took a hit at the height of the pandemic.
State employment data shows leisure and hospitality services employed 513,800 people in the state in April 2019. By April 2020, that number was down to 262,300.
Now, the industry is trying to staff up as capacity and social distancing restrictions are expected to be eased on June 1.
As for the Greens, they are moving full speed ahead with the plans for their own company. They recently purchased a food trailer to expand the ITO Creations brand and created a GoFundMe page to help them as they take the leap and follow their passions.
"The fact that you can do something you love with someone you love makes it even better,” Brandon said.
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