Meet Hailee Moore | Chef (kitchen socialite)

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

Hi Hailee, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I think life’s most important decisions take some level of risk, especially if you are going to grow as an individual, couple, business owner, human.

In hindsight, risk has played a significant role in my life/career. I have a semi-fearless ability to step outside of the box and take chances. I work in the food industry where I have always said, “if this doesn’t go right, then I have a skill that I can take anywhere.”

When I started this business, it was on the side of a well-paying yet, unsatisfying fulltime job, along with being in an unfulfilling marriage. When I had the wherewithal to leave the job and the husband and dive deep into something I created, that risk was liberating.

I started my business in a major city within a highly competitive industry. When COVID hit it was lights out for my business (for a while). Decisions had to be made quickly with major risk involved. I packed it all up and moved back to my hometown, Fort Worth.

I moved in with my “long distance” boyfriend of a year and a half. I took a job at a brand new restaurant when people weren’t eating out. All the while (and still) working on getting my business off the ground in a new city. P.S. The restaurant job ended up not working out but was beneficial when paying the bills.

Currently, the business is getting some buzz and new clients are showing up in my inbox as well as old. I am taking the risk of running this small business in two different areas of the country. Am I scared? Nope. Am I anxious? Of course, business owners will (should) have a bit of anxiety for their livelihood. Do I feel good about the risks I have taken so far? Hell yeah!

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 wasn’t that long ago I put myself in the category of “Creative, ” but when I think about my work from start to finish it’s all creativity.

I’ve wanted to be a chef ever since I was 15. If anyone has ever worked in a kitchen professionally or even as just as a means to make money, it’s grueling. It’s NOT glamorous. As a woman working in a male-dominated industry, learning to either bite your tongue or to classily clap back is a quick lesson to learn. Expectations from positions above you are high. The product created is often presented to highly critical clientele. 26 years later, I still love it.

I have made a point to work in top-of-the-line kitchens with standards and hospitality at the focal point of their business. It’s a business to know when to keep your mouth shut and do the work, trust me you’ll learn something.

I have taken these practices into my own business. I love my clients. I work hard to please them and gain their trust. I have learned to weed out the clients who don’t make me or my work feel at its best. I hire teammates who have the same end goal

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Definitely a mix of old FW + the revived

Eat: Trinity Coffee, Pearl Snap Kolaches, Paris Coffee Shop, Little Red Wasp, Maria’s, Cafe Modern, Clay Pigeon (I dream about their pork shank), Heim BBQ, The Original

Drink: Joe T’s Patio, The Poop Deck (my dad owned The Oui in its current space–love a “dive bar”), The Usual, Reata (for the view), local distilleries

Places: any museum, all of the cool murals done by local artists, Botanical Gardens, Stockyards (a day in of itself), Bass Hall, venture to Dallas–Arboretum, Perot Museum

Stay in…I cook (and I think I’m fun).

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My sisters Mindy and Ashlee. They have both been there every single step of the way. Mindy is a prime-time mentor and advice giver. Ashlee is the perfect sounding board and right-hand (wo)man.

Dan (the now not so long-distance boyfriend), for basically letting me be who I am at all times.

My Simply Hailee team who are not just “staff” but cheerleaders for me near and far.

Website: www.simplyhailee.com

Instagram: @simplyhaileeny

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hailee-moore-93b4a811/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SimplyHailee