The CEO of Set the Table wants to tell you how a CDFI microloan helped get her into an industrial kitchen and launch her personal chef business into its next stage of growth
“Hello, my name is Tracy Evans. I’m the founder of Set the Table, which we started back in 2014. We offer premium personal chef services, including custom daily meals for individuals as well as catering for public and private events. Everything we make is focused on high-quality ingredients, completely free of seed oils, and always strictly gluten-free. We don’t operate out of a traditional storefront.
I originally found VSEDC when I was looking for guidance to scale my business. When I first came in, I worked closely with Terry Gubatan, who was incredible at helping me navigate the foundational steps of structuring and guiding my business growth. Then, once we were established and ready to apply for the CDFI loan, I transitioned to working with Adam to get my loan package finalized.
Receiving that loan was a complete game changer for us. It allowed us to move operations entirely out of my home and into a shared-use commercial kitchen space, where we could rent all of our necessary culinary equipment to keep overhead costs low. Most importantly, that funding gave us the capital we needed to scale our production and pay our employees a fair, livable wage, which has been vital to our growth.”
VSEDC – Take us back to the very beginning—what was that ‘aha!’ moment when you realized you just had to start this business? What was the spark that kept you going even when things got tough?
Tracy Evans I’ve enjoyed cooking since I was 11 years old, practicing in my parents’ kitchen. Years later, I worked for an on-demand chef service company, but unfortunately, they were only in business for a year. I actually got my very first personal chef client through them right before they went under. Once they closed, I was entirely on my own. I just thought, ‘Oh, I guess I’m doing this now?’
I think the best part about the experience is that you’re constantly growing, so you can’t give up on it. You must keep going and find new ways to improve and flourish. We just focus on the positive and keep moving forward.
VSEDC – Being a woman in business often means wearing ten hats at once. What were some of those ‘uphill’ battles you had to fight just to get your foot in the door?
Tracy Evans We have been incredibly blessed by our patrons, who are always writing amazing reviews and sending us wonderful referrals. Even so, our greatest hurdle from day one has definitely been finding consistent ways to get new clients through the door. I’m a firm believer in letting things happen naturally, which allows me to focus my energy on what I can control—like revamping my website, showcasing those stellar customer reviews, and coming up with more innovative ways to get people excited about our services. No matter how steep that hill gets, we just keep pushing and moving forward.
VSEDC – Was there ever a time when you had a big dream but just didn’t have the funds to make it happen? How did it feel in those moments when it felt like the doors were closing?
Tracy Evans The next big dream for Set the Table is to establish a permanent event space. We want a dedicated place to host our private events, intimate cooking classes, and other interactive activities that bring the local community together. While we don’t VSEDCuite have the capital lined up for that just yet, we truly don’t feel like any doors are closing on us. We have zero doubt that the right doors will swing open exactly when the time is right.
VSEDC – When you finally got that ‘yes’ from VSEDC’s CDFI, what was the first thing you felt? How did that support show up for you right when you needed it most?
Tracy Evans It was just an awesome feeling because we finally felt completely taken care of. There are so many wonderful resources out there, and I am just so happy we were able to find you guys. A lot of entrepreneurs have blinders on when it comes to running a business, but you really need to be able to see the bigger picture and everything that is truly possible. The opportunities are out there, but you have to actively seek them out. That’s why we were so incredibly happy that we found VSEDC.
VSEDC – Money is one thing, but how did that funding change the way you looked at yourself or your business? Did it make you feel more like the boss you knew you could be?
Tracy Evans It really made me feel like we could finally grow and that we weren’t going to become another statistic. There are so many food businesses out there that are forced to shut their doors, but having that financial backing made me feel like there were real possibilities and a bright future ahead for us. It gave us a renewed sense of hope.
VSEDC – If you could sit down with a big bank and tell them how to actually support people like us, what would you say needs to change? What would make it easier for the next woman following in your footsteps?
Tracy Evans I think so many of us have faced major challenges when dealing with big banks. When you’re a really small business, they often don’t even look your way. If I could sit down with them, I’d tell them that bigger banks need to look at the larger picture and be willing to take more risks on community entrepreneurs. Of course, that’s always easier said than done. Because of that, my biggest piece of advice for any small business owner looking for funding is to look beyond the big traditional banks from the very start.
VSEDC – Tell us about a ‘breakthrough’ moment. One where the funding didn’t just pay a bill, but one that opened opportunities you never thought would open for you.
Tracy Evans Operating out of The Kitchen Terminal – the shared-use commercial kitchen in Redondo Beach – has been such a huge opportunity for us, and honestly, it’s what helped us stay alive. Without it, there’s no way we could have grown. You just can’t keep cooking out of your own home forever; I mean, you can try, but you eventually need a professional space where you can handle everything seamlessly. For us, having a separate commercial kitchen to operate out of was absolutely imperative. It completely changed our capacity, allowing us to generate more revenue by increasing production, which in turn meant we could hire extra help to keep up with the demand. I used to do everything entirely by myself, but I reached a point where I just couldn’t do it anymore. It can be a lot of work for one person.
VSEDC – When you look around your community in the South Bay today, where do you see your influence or impact? What does it mean to you to know you’re making a real difference right here at home?
Tracy Evans I absolutely love being a small, local business. Operating in the South Bay is incredible because it just feels so much more intimate, and I really enjoy keeping our primary focus here. While we do service clients throughout all of Los Angeles County, the South Bay has a distinct community feel because it’s a bit smaller than LA as a whole. It’s so much easier to truly connect with people here, especially with the amazing support from the South Bay Association Chamber of Commerce (SBACC), local events, and neighborhood activities. That hyper-local network has really helped us out.
VSEDC – For the woman sitting at her kitchen table right now with a big dream but a lot of fear about asking for help, what would you tell her ‘sister-to-sister’?
Tracy Evans I would say find someone who is doing exactly what you want to do and ask them to go to coffee. Just sit down and talk to them about your experiences or the concerns you’re facing. I do that all the time with other female business owners. Often, they’re looking to reach a certain milestone in their business, and I love leveraging my marketing background to help guide them, especially when it comes to the food industry. There are so many possibilities out there, and I truly believe that life is cyclical: ‘If you give, you get.’ For me, it’s always been about helping others because I’ve been in their shoes and received that same help before. That’s just how I live my life.
At the end of the day, I’m all about connecting people. Whether that means helping someone find a job or making a meaningful referral for a business I truly believe in, I’m always all for that.
Curveball Question – If your business was a ride at a theme park, what kind of ride would it be, and what is the warning sign on the front of the line?
Tracy Evans It would definitely be an old-school wooden roller coaster. It wouldn’t go upside down or anything, but it would have a ton of sharp peaks and deep valleys. And the warning sign right at the front of the line would read: ‘Don’t stand up! You must make sure that you survive the entire ride.’
Tracy Evans is a VSEDC client of our EMI program. Set the Table’s CDFI loan came from VSEDC’s CDFI, which is supported by an EQ2 Loan from US Bank.
