A Calgary veteran chef brings new hope to people hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, and offers a recipe for success in the food service industry’s struggle for survival.
Herbert Obrecht operates a shared commercial kitchen space called Culinary Coworking, which rents out places to businesses involved in food preparation and sales.
“They come in maybe for four hours, six hours, 10 hours – whatever they need,” he said.
Obrecht has recently expanded – tripling the size of the space – due to increased demand during the pandemic.
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Among those renting at the facility is Conner Kadziolka, who runs Sprout Society, a business that makes plant-based meals and delivers to people’s homes.
“I would become a teacher and now I chop tofu,” Kadziolka said.
Kadziolka was ready to start his first teaching post in early 2020, but then the pandemic hit.
“It kind of led to a definite pivot point, because then there was no prospect of work,” Kadziolka said.
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Obrecht also offers some cooking coaching to those who rent space.
“I have a very large book of things not to do, so it helps them – they do not make the same mistakes I did,” he said. “And it’s nice to be able to say I helped them together.”
Among the customers who do not need many tips is Steve Szostak, who grew up in the kitchen.
“(It) started when I was young, in my sister’s restaurant, at the age of eight,” Szostak said.
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Szostak runs Smoke N BBQ, a business specializing in smoked meats.
He opened a full-service restaurant a few months before COVID-19 hit, leaving him with no choice but to close it.
“With the pandemic, we simply could not sustain the overhead costs,” Szostak said. “So with a place like this, we can have a smoker, we smoke (the meat) overnight and then we put it in our food truck.
“The future is bright.”
Kadziolka gradually expanded his business.
“To grow from a one- or two-person team, cooking from our own kitchen to a team of seven to eight,” he said.
Kadziolka said he might eventually start teaching, but for now, “it’s my dream come true.”
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