On the Menu CHEF JENI & COMPANY Unsure of what to do after college, Jeni Bergan was at a standstill. “I was working as an office manager and would rush home every evening to watch the then-very-new Food Network , which at the time was focused on teaching people how to cook,” recalled Bergan. “I also subscribed to stacks of cooking magazines, and found myself completely fascinated by food.” One day after “a particularly disheartening shift at work,” she came across an ad for a study-at-home course to become a personal chef. The course cost $350—far more than her budget allowed—so Bergan called her mom and asked if she would loan her the money. Her mother immediately mailed her a check, and soon after the U.S. Personal Chef Association sent her a gigantic binder of materials, and she was on her way. “Before long, I was cooking weekday meals for families all around Sioux Falls,” said Bergan. The name for her company came up organically when clients constantly signed checks to her with “Chef Jeni” on the line. Along with the name sticking and becoming her official DBA, the checks went through the bank (bonus). Soon clients began asking Bergan about catering, and as demand continued to grow she moved into a small commercial kitchen to keep up with both meal delivery and events.
Written by ALANA SNYDER
Photos submitted by VANESSA JO PHOTOGRAPHY
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