Vermont's Independent Voice
Browse News
Browse Arts + Life
Browse Food + Drink
Browse Cannabis
Browse Music
Browse On Screen
Browse Events
Browse Classifieds
Browse Personals
When Cindy McKinstrie opened The Busy Chef in Essex, her business seemed like the perfect solution to a sizable American problem: Folks want to eat healthy, home-cooked meals but don’t believe they have the time to do the chopping and stirring. Her solution: Prepare the ingredients in advance, let customers mix them together for a DIY feel, and send them home to heat up the final product. In this way, dishes such as shepherds’ pie and chicken ’n’ biscuits could be assembled in minutes and popped in the oven.
But last year, McKinstrie realized the concept wasn’t as hot as she’d thought. She swapped the prep stations for tables and focused on building new business as a café. It wasn’t enough. On May 16, The Busy Chef will be closing for good.
“The economy is doing all the little businesses in,” McKinstrie pronounced sadly. She notes that even her regulars admitted to “eating out of their freezers.” Although the catering side of things was “picking up,” she had gotten behind on her rent. “My landlord has been really good,” she says, “but I had to come up with the back rent and I can’t, so I’m being forced to leave. I understand he has to do what he has to do.”
What is McKinstrie’s next move? She’s looking for work in restaurant management. “It’s what I love to do,” she says. “People have feelers out for me. I’ll just go from there.”
More By This Author
Speaking of...
-
Video: Kitty Korner Café in Barre Finds Furever Homes for Felines
Mar 25, 2021 -
Video: Pie Society Serves Up Comfort in the Pandemic
Feb 25, 2021 -
Scale Poké Bar Adds Essex Junction Location
Nov 9, 2020 -
New Yorkers Bring New Indian Restaurant to Burlington
Aug 10, 2020 -
King's Corner Deli Owner Plans Pop-Up Breakfast Event
May 7, 2020 - More »
Comments
Comments are closed.
Since 2014, Seven Days has allowed readers to comment on all stories posted on our website. While we’ve appreciated the suggestions and insights, the time has come to shut them down — at least temporarily.
While we champion free speech, facts are a matter of life and death during the coronavirus pandemic, and right now Seven Days is prioritizing the production of responsible journalism over moderating online debates between readers.
To criticize, correct or praise our reporting, please send us a letter to the editor. Or send us a tip. We’ll check it out and report the results.
Online comments may return when we have better tech tools for managing them. Thanks for reading.
