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#65 : Find Your Culinary Identity: Chef Ron Duprat on Leadership, Legacy, and Top Chef Fame

CULINARY MECHANIC

Release Date: 05/20/2025

Ditching the Ditching the "Superhero" Mentality in Restaurants

CULINARY MECHANIC

Burnout Isn’t a Badge—It’s a Warning Light Nio DiPietrantonio stepped into the kitchen at 16 because someone didn’t show up—and she’s been showing up ever since. In this episode, Nio and Simon get real about burnout, kitchen trauma, and how to build operations that don’t rely on heroics. They talk systems that protect your people, leadership that doesn’t need to shout, and why restaurants must stop normalizing chaos. From senior living to drive-throughs, this one’s packed with hard-won truth and usable insight. Topics include: restaurant systems, kitchen leadership, chef...

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CULINARY MECHANIC

Leadership Isn’t a Title—It’s a Daily Choice Christopher McFadden doesn’t just talk about leadership—he lives it. From teenage retail hustler to wine-soaked restaurant GM to executive career coach, he’s walked the line between burnout and breakthrough. In this episode, we get into what makes people want to show up to work, why positional authority is overrated, and how real leaders build harmony—not balance—in their lives and kitchens. If you’ve ever felt like the restaurant industry asks for everything and gives very little back, this one’s for you. We get tactical about: ...

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CULINARY MECHANIC

The system isn’t the point—what it unlocks is. Nina Weiland went from making pizzas at Domino’s to helping restaurant operators modernize the back-of-house with COGS-well’s intuitive, chef-friendly software. In this episode, we dive deep into what makes a system actually usable in a kitchen—not just feature-rich on paper. You’ll hear why most tech tools fail chefs, how when it comes to promoting a podcast episode. what is the ideal method (platforms, days times)? for this example let's say the episode goes live at 8am on Tuesday morning. both on standard RSS feeds and Youtube....

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CULINARY MECHANIC

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CULINARY MECHANIC

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In this episode of CULINARY MECHANIC, Simon sits down with Noelle Labrie, founder of Tri Skill Consulting, to explore how frontline experiences in the industry—from bartending in Deep Ellum to building restaurant teams in Kuwait—shaped her passion for developing “fresh leaders.” Noel’s story starts with jello shots and ends with training hospitality professionals around the globe. This conversation hits hard on the realities of poor leadership in restaurants and why most management problems aren’t personal—they’re systemic. Noelle and Simon talk people-first operations, the...

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CULINARY MECHANIC

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Chef Ron Duprat, Top Chef Season 6 contestant and culinary diplomat, brings his unfiltered perspective on today's restaurant industry. Born in Haiti and classically trained at the Culinary Institute of America, Ron has worked in prestigious establishments from The Montauk Club to Ritz Carlton while advocating for Black chefs through the Black Culinary Alliance.

In this hard-hitting conversation, Simon and Ron dive into the realities of culinary education, the post-COVID labor crisis, and what it takes to run sustainable restaurant operations. Ron challenges conventional thinking about celebrity chef culture while offering practical wisdom on leadership development, financial management, and creating authentic culinary identities.

This episode delivers essential insights for culinary professionals seeking to build sustainable careers beyond the glamour of food television, with Ron's unique perspective as a successful Black chef navigating predominantly white culinary spaces.

Timestamps:

[00:00] Introduction and Starfish sponsor message [02:25] Ron's background coming from Haiti and early culinary career [03:15] Discussion of Ron's Top Chef experience (Season 6) [05:30] How Top Chef changed Ron's career trajectory [06:50] The pros and cons of culinary TV shows on the industry [08:40] Where have all the good cooks gone post-COVID? [10:30] Simon's transition from chef to consultant and podcaster [11:45] Ron's experience at CIA in 1992 and the founding of BCA [12:40] Critique of modern culinary education setting cooks up for failure [14:20] The leadership gap in culinary education [16:15] Ron's mentors and influences in his career [18:10] What Ron would cook for Simon's Puerto Rican wife [19:30] Advice for young cooks: finding your culinary identity [21:50] The importance of nutrition and authentic food heritage [24:15] The business side of restaurants: managing P&Ls and systems [27:30] Ron's preferred culinary style and authentic approach [28:45] What makes Ron excited about his job in private clubs [31:20] Opportunities for Black chefs in 2025 [33:15] Daily wins: the importance of fundamentals and habits [35:40] Ron's "Food for My Beloved Community" garden initiative [38:20] Sourcing ingredients locally within 10-mile radius [39:15] Contact information and social media

Key Quotes:

"I didn't get into this business. I think this business got to me as a kid growing up in Haiti... I'm one of the few people who survived, so now I'm living the American dream." - Chef Ron Duprat

"I always say Top Chef, I went on Top Chef with nothing. I got out Top Chef with everything... Top Chef itself gave me a voice, gave me a name." - Chef Ron Duprat

"You might be a chef, but you are a businessman. You have to make sure you cost out everything properly. You have to make sure you follow a recipe properly... Until we do that, restaurants will keep closing." - Chef Ron Duprat

"Be you. Find your identity. Don't try to be like somebody else... Create your own identity instead of trying to be somebody else." - Chef Ron Duprat

Key Takeaways:

  • Restaurant success requires business acumen: Managing P&Ls, proper inventory control, and cost management are essential skills that many celebrity chefs lack, leading to restaurant failures despite fame.
  • Young cooks need to develop authentic culinary identities rather than copying trends or celebrity chefs. The most sustainable path is cooking from your own cultural heritage and personal experience.
  • Systems and operational excellence are more important than culinary talent alone. As Ron states, "Great food will not keep your doors open," emphasizing the need for structured management approaches.
  • Leadership development is severely lacking in culinary education, creating a generation of technically skilled cooks without the people management abilities needed for sustainable kitchen operations.
  • Post-COVID recovery requires adapting to new workforce realities, as many experienced cooks have left the industry for better work-life balance in other sectors.

Connect with Chef Ron Duprat:

  • Instagram/Twitter/TikTok/Facebook: @TopChefRon
  • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ron-duprat-050438b/T

Connect with Simon:

If you're interested in Starfish: https://www.usestarfish.com/