Meet John DiLeo

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

Hi John, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
When you work for someone else, you can’t always express yourself or operate completely the way you want to, even for an Executive Chef. When my wife and I decided to move to the Charleston area from New York, I saw it as an opportunity to start fresh on my own terms.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
It’s never easy, at least not for me. When I started in the kitchen I always had to come in early, because I wanted to get things done right and I wanted to learn. I think this dedication helped me to earn the respect of the Chef and the other cooks. To this day I still operate the same way as a Private Chef and I think this helps to earn the respect of the clients I cook for.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
In no particular order, -BBQ in my backyard.
-dinner at Bexley.
-visit Cypress gardens
-visit Middleton place
-walk around Charleston
-drinks at Doar brothers
-dinner at Costa
-lunch at Lewis bbq
-Folly Beach

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?
My wife Alena, for pushing me to get out on my own.

Website: www.chefjohndileo.com

Instagram: @jmdileo1

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/john-m-dileo

Facebook: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088831820166