Meet Keith Cedotal | Chef Owner

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

Hi Keith, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Well, it all started when I got furloughed – during the end of 2020. I thought, “Now is the time to start my own business.” Unfortunately, a lot of pastry chefs started their own bakeries, too. That was a good thing, because Dallas needed more local chef-owned businesses, but I knew I needed a unique concept. So, I took a step back and took some time. I probably took a little too much time, especially for my husband’s liking, but I wanted to get it right.

Then, I created KEESH, which is an acronym for Keith’s Epic East-Side House. I used “house” because I always wanted my business to be a place of comfort. I really focused on the name and logo because I felt I couldn’t move forward without those two. KEESH is a blended concept of what I like to call a “Texas bake-aurant with a French twist.” It draws on my kitchen tenure in both savories and pastries with the creation of eye-popping everyday food.

I started out KEESH by delivering baked goods, pickles and jams to local people in my East Dallas neighborhood. I gave away a lot of food at the beginning for their feedback and build the brand. Those few taste testers have turned into 1000+ Instagram followers.

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.
I’ve been lucky because I always wanted to be a chef, and I had the opportunity to achieve that dream. In culinary school, I was very shy and tried to take in as much as possible. But I wasn’t sure where I wanted to focus. I probably would have preferred to be voted “best dressed” than the coveted “most likely to succeed.” I got into pastries after a very tough internship at the Four Seasons. I kept looking at the pastry kitchen and everything was so pretty and clean. My hands were covered in cuts from lobsters after cleaning out the 40-gallon steam kettles. So, I decided right then and there I would switch to pastry. I went to a local cake shop, and they hired me on the spot. Four weeks later, I was decorating wedding cakes.

Most of my creativity has been on the pastry side. That drive was always just there in me. I love the fact that it’s the last part of the meal. It’s the last thing you eat. I always took it as a stab in the heart when someone didn’t ordered dessert because I had put so much time into it.

Through the years, I have done a lot to build my career, including spending time on the savory side, too, running new concept just to get more knowledge. I have created menus for local restauranteurs, from heathy grab-and-go to Thai cuisines. I even won some local awards along the way, like the 2018 “Pastry Chef of the Year” in the Dallas CultureMap Tastemaker Awards.

I really want people to know that I created Keesh with my love for savories and pastries and blending my heritage into it. I can’t wait to get my brick and mortar so I can share with more of Dallas. That’s my biggest dream.

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.
I am from San Antonio, so I would definitely take a road trip to the Texas hill Country. Start in Dallas at a local restaurant (hopefully Keesh), then drive down and stop at some sights and cafes. I would pick Fredericksburg, TX because there are a lot of restaurants and wineries around. Also, there are watering holes, springs and hiking trails all around. Also, they have some great peaches during the season.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Well, it started out with some badly-lit pictures and ill-written Instagram posts. Luckily, I had a colleague, Fran Mayo, who really helped me elevate my social presence. She is the brain behind the copy in my posts, i.e. the clever words and puns. Basically, when she got involved is when my social took off. Also, I started delivering to some local bloggers who promoted KEESH, helping me pass the 1000+ followers club. I always thought building a social presence was going to be super complicated, but as long as you can find your brand voice that’s what matters most. Fran gave me the best advice is to “keep looking at the social profiles of those you admire or that inspire you.” I like looking at creators outside of the U.S. because they’re posting things you just don’t see around Dallas.

Website: keeshbakery.com

Instagram: keeshbakery

Image Credits
Keesh Keith Cedotal