Chef and restaurant co-founder Betty Fraser’s first dream wasn’t to be a chef.

“I was giving myself to the age of 35 to make it or break it in acting,” Betty said. “On my 35th birthday I was at the gym, crying, doing sit ups, and all of a sudden I looked out the window and there was a banner that said, ‘Celebrate 35 Years.’ I thought that’s right —  it’s not the end of my life — it is the beginning of something else. It was time to find a new love. And that new love was cooking.”

Betty opened Grub Restaurant, a comfort-food staple in Hollywood and fixture on UberEATS.

This past week, the chef invited driver-partners to her restaurant to network, hear her story and tips for success, and watch a cooking demo of her Crack Bacon Carbonara.

The event was part of UberENTREPRENEUR, Uber’s program supporting driver-partners who are their own boss on and off the platform through events, promotions, and partnerships.

betty_blog1

Betty hands out her BLT sandwiches to UberENTREPRENEUR driver-partners Ellen and Blair.

“I love that Uber is creating a program for entrepreneurs. Drivers are already entrepreneurs but now they can find out more and learn from events. It’s so important to hear you need take the risks and go out and follow your dreams,” said Betty.

The event kicked off with Betty telling the story about how she came to be a successful chef, followed by questions from driver-partner UberENTREPRENEURS.

See how she found stardom after all – and what entrepreneurial spirit means to her – in the Q&A below.

How did you get started in the food industry?

When I was pursuing acting I was also a waitress and loved cooking. There was a fellow waitress and I heard she was going to start a catering company. This was in 1995. I walked up to her and I asked if I could start the company with her.

I knew I loved cooking but I didn’t know what steps to take first. How do you find customers? How do you try to make this thing called a business? I didn’t go to college; I didn’t go to culinary school.

We started our business with a $5,000 bank loan and that was it.

How did you get your first customer? – Ellen, driver-partner

We did things for friends. You need to have people trust you as a person, not as someone selling something to them. People want to work with others they know and trust.

We heard someone wanted to throw a party and we said we can cook for you! We did everything from scratch. We worked probably 50 hours. We made our own croutons, our own bbq sauce. We felt very proud and paid attention to the details.

When did you see growth in your catering business?

We didn’t have a lot of money in the bank. But every year our business would double. It came across that we enjoyed what we did. If doors are opening and you are getting some early success, keep going down that road.

About 5 years into it we had enough business and we found this cute little spot and we were just going to do catering out of it. We thought oh it is a quiet neighborhood, this will be fine. Then at lunch time people started to come out of the buildings asking if we were going to open a restaurant.

How did you end up showcasing your cooking on television?

Living in Los Angeles, there are special opportunities that come along. Someone from a production company called and asked if I wanted to bring him food. I said what do you mean you want me to bring you food…do you want me to be on your show or to do catering for you?

He said, “You want to be on the show?” I had no idea what the show was but I thought this is like a full circle thing; this is chance to combine both my passions.

I didn’t win but I was very outspoken and I stood up for myself. I stood up for my cooking and everything I believed in and I got a lot of publicity from it.

betty_blog3

Betty chats with driver-partners in the patio of Grub Restaurant in Hollywood.

How do you balance work, family, and a personal life? – Liseli, driver-partner

I love my staff and my staff are my friends. I think if you can surround yourself with employees you enjoy and trust, you win.

What’s next for Grub? – Ozabe, driver-partner

Grub is 15 years old and we constantly look for ways to get better and be seen by more people and build our brand and stay relevant in the community.

We love cooking and that is probably the most important thing. You’ve got to love what you do and that is probably the most important thing or you won’t have energy to do it.

What is your advice for entrepreneurs trying to build a customer base? – Brian, driver-partner

Social media is super important. Instagram and Facebook are where we spend the most time.

It is important to put your products out there and get word out that you have these products. You might have a friend who knows someone who needs your service or product. If they don’t know about it, they can’t recomend you.  

What other advice do you have for entrepreneurs?

I wrote a letter to the editor-in-chief of Bon Appetit Magazine, Barbara Fairchild, when Grub first opened and she wrote me back. She was excited and inspired that she could touch someone in the profession she cared about.

I was so surprised she wrote back. There are mentors out there, you don’t even realize. There are people out there who want to share this information and want you to succeed.

Find a mentor, find what makes you happy –  I try to find a way to do it every day.

Try Betty’s famous food tonight on UberEATS and learn more about the UberENTREPRENEUR program.