Chef Brandi Key, the culinary director of Daily Gather and Dish Society, found her passion in the kitchen while cooking meals next to her grandparents. Key has spent decades navigating the highs and lows of the restaurant industry, while also bonding with her staff and watching them grow into leaders.
What is one of the first meals you enjoyed cooking?
“It was probably standing on a step stool with my grandparents cooking breakfast. My grandfather making pancakes. My grandmother making biscuits. They were kind of legendary. That’s definitely a moment that I understood what food could do from a people aspect.”
How did cooking become a career path for you?
"After college, I started working for Pappas Restaurants. When I walked back in the kitchen and saw what that professional kitchen looked like, I kind of got bit by the bug. From day one, I was hooked and that’s all I’ve done for the rest of my career. My sister wanted to go to culinary school. I was going to get a business degree and make a bunch of money doing something in banks. Took a hard left [and] went a totally different direction.”
What are the challenges and fun parts of your job?
“The most challenging and the most fun is almost the exact same thing. One of the most challenging things is staffing, finding the right people. Finding people who want to be in this business. COVID changed what our restaurants looked like. It has tightened the market on people who want to experience and be a part of restaurants. You see a lot more turnover in some of those hourly positions. Some of the most fun moments are working with the staff, watching them grow, watching them develop into managers and leaders.”
