Chef Joe Augusto

Joe Augusto operates the “Joe Augusto Personal Chef Service” which serves the Albany Capitol District area, as well as the surrounding cities of Saratoga and Glens Falls. Born and raised in Worcester, Massachusetts, Joe will tell you that he never imagined himself owning and operating his own business, that the idea and formation of his business was the direct result of being lucky enough to work with some really great people who assisted him along the road. 

Joe’s culinary career began when a new Marriott opened up in his home town of Worcester, Massachusetts. His first job was to re-fill the bowls at the salad bar. While doing his job, he paid lots of attention to what was going into the salads and to how they were made. One night, the regular salad prep person didn’t show up and Joe jumped right in and began making the salads. The Executive Chef took notice of his initiative and asked him if he wanted to learn how to cook. That began seven years as apprentice to the Danish executive chef, years in which Joe learned all the basics of cooking. Joe remembers, “The chef was very direct, and didn’t believe that you could run a kitchen from the office, he believed that the only way to learn was by doing. To be honest, he scared the heck out of me, but he was very fair and I will always be grateful for all he taught me.”

That began what would become a 20 year career in the food service industry. Some positions Joe has held include: Banquet Chef at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis, Sous Chef with Marriott Hotels, as well as many positions in private clubs on the East Coast. While he found his career fulfilling, Joe always felt that there was something missing. The long hours, and corporate environment that is a big part of the hotel industry began to wear thin. “It got to the point where you couldn’t make any decisions without checking with 10 people first,” says Joe, “I was following their recipes, their system, there was really no room for me to grow any further. I found myself in a position where I was very unhappy where I was, but had no interest in moving forward any further in the hotel industry.”

Approaching 40, Joe decided it was time to make some changes in his life. Describing this period Joe reflects, “By this time, I didn’t really even enjoy cooking anymore, it was something I was doing because it was the only thing I knew how to do. And who wants to run off and start a new career at 40?” It was at this point that he came into contact with VESID, a New York State, vocational program. He decided to go back to school to become a paralegal. While pursuing his paralegal degree, another turning point appeared in his life. He took a summer job at the Curtis S. Read Scout Reservation, a camp which served up to 450-500 people over the summer. “I figured I’d go in there, spend one summer, and get the heck outta there,” Joe recalls, “But something just clicked for me there, they treated me like gold up there and I had fond memories of going to camp as a kid. They really seemed to like my style and approach, and their treatment of me was just dynamite. Every once in a while, things happen that just click together and my relationship with camp Read is one such event. When I returned the following year, I took over the food service operation and just completed my sixth summer there. This presented a bit of a problem though, by the time I completed my Paralegal degree, I didn’t want to leave the camp. I loved the camp so much that I didn’t want to give it up, but what exactly was I going to do for the rest of the year?”

Turning point number two came when Joe answered an ad at the Rensselaer Society of Engineers, a fraternity at RPI College in New York. Joe describes this as a very interesting time, “I had seen Animal House before and really didn’t want to re-live that part of my life, but I figured I’d give it a try for a semester or two.” What he found there was a group of terrific individuals who did everything with flair and style. “The brothers of the house definitely keep me on my toes; there is an atmosphere of mutual respect and admiration between us that I really value.” This was another one of those perfect fits for Joe. 

The final piece to the puzzle came when Joe came across the Personal Chefs Network on the internet. “The idea to start my own business was really beginning to look like a possibility to me; I already had great connections both with camp Read and RSE, and this seems like a great way to expand on that. I called Sharon Worster, one of the founders, expecting a rapid-fire sales pitch, but instead found someone who spent a lot of time exploring the possibilities with me. I made no commitments to purchase anything and still she spent many hours working with me to help make this dream a reality. I knew from that moment on, that PCN was an organization that I wanted to be a part of. The support and guidance that I receive from the PCN founders and its members is truly outstanding. You are never on your own, they are there to support you every step of the way. I truly value my place in this fine organization and eagerly re-signed when my first year membership expired.”

“Today, I really love what I am doing, Camp Read has hired my service to run its food service operation for the foreseeable future, and the fraternity continues to be a great source of support and inspiration. They make great test subjects for new recipes with direct feedback and assistance in developing new ideas.” Today, the “Joe Augusto Personal Chef Service” continues to offer a truly personal approach, whether you are looking for meals for a week, an intimate dinner party for two, a gathering of friends for a dinner party, or a weekend retreat requiring meals for the weekend. When asked what his favorite part of personal Cheffing is, Joe responds, “Oh, easily it’s the people that I have the opportunity to work with, this is the personal touch that was missing from my previous life in the hotel industry. I really love what I am doing and I do my best to convey that to all of my clients.’ Asked if he has any advice for aspiring personal chefs, Joe answers, “Learn to love what you do, put everything you have into it, and surround yourself with great people who are where you want to be. Get a great support structure like the one at PCN, who will be invaluable to helping you through the ups and downs of the business.”

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