VOYAGE CHICAGO: MEET DANIEL DESIR OF KIZIN CREOLE





1.23.18



Daniel Desir, executive chef and co-owner of Kizin Creole Restaurant talks about his journey in the hospitality industry.





Daniel, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.





Born in Haiti, I migrated to the United States in 1999 after a successful career as a teacher of both elementary and secondary school. I have a cumulative experience of 25 years in business management. In 2012, I completed a bachelor degree at National Louis University in Business Administration. My experience includes managing a performing art organization and a printing and graphic design company.


I was one of the advisers for Chez Violette Restaurant which I manifested the interest to purchase and reopened under the name of Kizin Creole Restaurant with a new management team. My 2 years of experience as an adviser has given me a unique perspective on independent restaurateurs, allowing me the opportunity to recognize the traits that make up both successful and unsuccessful restaurants. Having successfully developed a management team and staff, I feel I can do the same with Kizin Creole Restaurant.



Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?





Running your own business is certainly not an easy task, it is a 24/7 job. It is even more complex when you are a father and a husband. I have been married for 17 years and have 4 beautiful children. There are numerous obstacles and challenges being in the hospitality business. You have financial challenges to keep up with the overhead, hiring more people and keeping things moving forward.


Then you have to deal with the high expectations of the customers who doesn’t know or understand your struggles. We are a Caribbean restaurant with a focus on authentic Haitian cuisine; so attracting more customers is also a challenge because Haitian cuisine is a type of cuisine that is yet to be discovered. Not too many people are familiar with the food. Attracting other ethnic groups to experience the culinary aspect of Haiti is one of our main goal for this coming year.



Kizin Creole restaurant – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?





Kizin Creole is one of the best Haitian/Caribbean Restaurant in Chicago. We focused on pleasuring our guests with great authentic Haitian cuisine. We are proud to serve fresh, delicious Haitian and West Indian food in a great environment where everyone is welcomed as family and friends.


Kizin Creole’s menu features a variety of traditional Haitian dishes, such as the famous Haitian pâtés, bannann peze (Fried Plantain), Konsonmen (Haitian Soup [Saturday Only]) and Soup Joumou (Squash Soup [Sunday Only]). Pâté is a delightful handmade flaky pastry filled with seasoned ground chicken, beef or codfish. Kizin Creole also creates a vegetarian version with spinach, carrots, celery and green pepper. Enjoy them singly or by the dozen to take home.


All menu items are available for dining-in, carry-out, delivery and for catering service! We offer generous family-sized meals for your next family gathering or office. We are more than a restaurant, Kizin Creole is a cultural center, the very heart of the Haitian community in the Midwest. At Kizin Creole we promote Haitian art, music, the language of Creole, literature, etc. This is where Haitian families, friends, foreigners, and lovers of Haitian culture hangout in good company.



What is “success” or “successful” for you?





To me success is not about quantity, it is not about making a lot of money or living large. I define success by the quality of what you do and the passion you exercise to do it. I am very passionate about promoting Haitian culture and heritage. I thrive on success every day. When a customer is happy, loves the food and come back with more people, that’s success.


Pricing:

Chicken stew $13.49

Fried pork (Griyo) 13.99

Goat in creole sauce $15.99

Lunch special starts at $7.99

Contact Info:

Address: 2311 West Howard Street Chicago, IL 60645 Website: www.kizincreole.com

Phone: 773-961-7275

Email: info@kizincreole.com


Instagram: www.instagram.com/kizincreole

Facebook: www.facebook.com/kizincreolerestaurant Twitter: www.twitter.com/kizincreole

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/kizin-creole-restaurant-chicago