Meet Anna Choiniere | Chef & Owner of Raising Rose Kitchen LLC

We had the good fortune of connecting with Anna Choiniere and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Anna, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
While in culinary school, a chef once said to me “go find the best”. After graduating, I went out to do just that and tried to find and learn from the best. I found that often times I was sacrificing some of my own morals and values working under other people. I asked myself why am I trying to find the best when I can just be the best? And so, I created my own company, a business I could run that aligned with all of my standards and values. Starting my own business gave me an avenue where I could grow and prosper while also giving me the freedom to put an emphasis on my family and be there for them when I wanted to be.

There is something truly special about entrepreneurship and the ability to create employment for yourself. It has always been extremely important for me to show my two young children that they can do and be anything they want to be.

What should our readers know about your business?
I own Raising Rose Kitchen LLC, a private chef company offering an array of services for all private event needs. I do many things from multi-course private in-home dinners to larger event catering.

I started this business because I wanted the world to know about me, my story, and my brand. I have come a long way from where I was six years ago… a young, single mother who had no idea what she wanted to do in this world but knew I had little eyes looking up at me. I wanted to become more than my circumstances. I found a way through food to show who I was, and the rest is history.

The road to where my business is today has been very crazy and truly unbelievable. Last year I was asked to cater a large 150-person event with two weeks’ notice and zero supplies to make it happen. For some crazy reason I said yes, and we pulled it off with flying colors. That event kickstarted my new career in this industry. From there, I had some incredible friends and clients whose word of mouth spread the news of my services all around the Charleston area. Building this business to where it is today has been far from easy. I have had many weeks where I wanted to quit and all it took was another special event to bring me right back in the game. Owning your own business means that sometimes you will learn lessons the hard way. Some of the greatest lessons I have learned is to trust my gut, only worry about the things that are in my control, and to focus on one thing at a time.

What sets me apart from others is my devotion to creating an experience that is centered around my clients and their needs. I think there are a lot of chefs out there in this industry who make their services all about them and what they can show off. While I love to share my passion with the world and show people my skill, I entered the private sector because I wanted to be able to bring a personal and memorable experience to my clients. With that comes customized menus based on what my clients enjoy, table decor to match the celebration or occasion, and personalized touches throughout the entire service. I do not take the privilege of being invited into someone’s home to prepare a meal lightly. To me, the home is where your greatest memories are made. Being able to play a part in one of someone’s best memories is my favorite part of this job.

Throughout this journey I am most proud of my ability to manage a fast-growing business while obtaining my master’s degree in business administration and maintaining a balance that allows me to be there for my two young kids as they grow up.

I am more than excited to see where this business can go. The future of Raising Rose is going to be nothing short of extraordinary. We are growing every day and continuously expanding our capabilities to reach new clients and new heights.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Charleston, South Carolina is a gem. While I do not get out much, I have found some amazing places throughout my time living here. For food, a trip to FIG is a must. Other great places are Marbled & Fin, O-Ku, High Cotton, and Sunsets. I also love some of the smaller gems around the Charleston areas such as Dashi and Xiao Bao Biscuit. My family and I live near Cypress Gardens and take trips there a lot. It is a beautiful way to take in the landscape of the low country. I also love walking the streets of Charleston, having a picnic in the waterfront parks of Daniel Island and Mount Pleasant, going to the beach, and visiting the restaurants and boardwalks along Shem Creek. A perfect day for me would include paddle boarding on the water and eating along Shem Creek where you can see the dolphins swimming by.

For others traveling to Charleston, booking a service with Raising Rose is a guaranteed great option.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
While the business was named and inspired by my daughter, the person who deserves the most credit in this shoutout feature is my husband, Bruce. To put it simply, I would not be where I am today in this business without his support, love, and encouragement. When it comes to having a supportive spouse, there is no one in the world who fills that description better than my husband. When he isn’t physically supporting me chasing my dreams in ways such as prepping food, attending events, cleaning lots and lots of dishes, or solo parenting on the long days that I am gone, he is my full emotional support system for all of the ups and downs that come with running a business. Bruce truly is my number one fan. He has seen the growth of Raising Rose first-hand and never once has he ever try to hold me back from taking this business to the next level. It was always “okay, what do we need to do to get you there?”. There is no better feeling in the world than chasing my dreams with him by my side through it all.

Website: https://RaisingRoseKitchen.com

Instagram: @chef_raisingrose

Facebook: Raising Rose Kitchen

Image Credits
Head shot photo: Valarie Winkleman with Served in a Wink Photography