Ep. 173 – Cooking, Owning a Restaurant, Directing R+D, Consulting, Leading a Company with Mark Crowell, CEO of CuliNex

Mark Crowell has had quite an amazing culinary journey with a lot of risks and a lot of reward. First he tells me how he found out about cooking, by staging at a restaurant in Europe, and brought that love back to the United States and worked hard enough to open his own restaurant. But opening up a restaurant was really hard, and he struggled. Eventually, he became an R+D Director at both Olive Garden and Starbucks.

Eventually, Mark threw it all away and started consulting. He again struggled at first but then he started to build. Now CuliNex is a thriving clean label consulting company in Washington. He has a dozen members on his team, people with whom I’ve met personally!

I think the best part of the episode is the stories Mark gives about the struggles of creating businesses. But there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel. As long as you have some faith.

I'm happy to introduce our newest sponsor: Salt of the Earth and their new ingredient,  Mediterranean Umami, an all-natural and clean-label flavor enhancer and sodium reduction ingredient that works amazingly on meats, veggie-meats, soups and sauces and ready-meals. My friend, David gave me a bottle and I use it on my pasta sauces, or rice porridge to give it the satisfying umami depth I crave.  Find the 2017 IFT Innovation Award Winner at IFT19 at booth number 2112 where they will be showcasing fresh food prepared with Mediterranean Umami. If you're interested now, feel free to email them at [email protected]

When someone asks what you do for a living, what do you tell them?: We’re in the clean label development business
What does CuliNex stand for: My wife made the name 15 years ago, it’s Culinary and Next
It wasn’t until 2011 that clean label started to buble up
Clean Label definitons: Length of the label, complex wording, nutrition label
Lo Han -Monkfruit for bakery application. A client came to us right after it was approved
Describe the Steps it took to get to where you are today?: Talked my way into a national hotel kitchen, practiced for a year, then worked 5 years as a line cook. Applied to the Culinary Institute of America Took 2 years to get accepted. At the time, it was a while before I heard back
Continental Cuisine: Not a specific type of cuisine
Florida International University: Hotel Management
I was in the restaurant business: manager, district manager, coffee shops, dinner houses, discotheques
Why did you decide to start your business
Other example: Kenny Lao
Made a Mediterranean restaurant. Huge restaurant
Didn’t go so well, got a job referral for Olive Garden
TUFTS Analysis
Darden Restaurants
Season 52
Howard Schultz running for president
Howard Schultz’ book
Pumpkin Scone
Pumpkin Spice Latte
NRA Show
Consulting was hard the 1st year, but I ended up building it until 6 years later, had a sustainable business but then I got bored and started to build up a company
Emily Munday was my first employee
The E-myth Revisited
What is some advice for things that are hard?: You gotta do what you are passionate about. It will see you through the tough times. You also gotta have faith. I’ve learned the word over the past 25 years. You’re up on the high wire, but you gotta trust your people
My Food Job Rocks: I get to work on amazing projects with amazing people
Phil Saneski
Food Trends and Technology: Upcycling movement, Cultured Meat
The biggest challenge the food industry has to face: diet misinformation
Favorite Kitchen Item: Stainless Steel Bowls
Advice for starting something scary: Entrepreneurs are weird. They are different. Are you different?
Research Chef Association; Why Donate?: Education is really important and community is really important
Where can we find you?: [email protected]