His mother and grandmother always cooked a lot at home and since he loved to eat, it was natural for Sean Thomas to ask how they prepared certain meals. After entering high school he began thinking about his future. What was he going to do? Not knowing how to cook, he took a chance and applied for a job in a restaurant. Willing to start at the bottom and as he puts it, "I asked them if I could peel potatoes."

While doing whatever he was asked to do, Sean paid attention to what was happening around him - how the chefs were preparing daily meals. "I saw some of the same things Grandma made except they had a professional name to it, like mixing the butter and flour. That's called rue in the real world. I thought, Oh Yea! I could that! It happened and here I am.

For this seasoned chef, whipping up a delectable meal for a restaurant full of hungry patrons may seem simple but it is attributed to his years of experience, exceptional talent and ability to build positive relationships with people.

Chef Thomas has made his mark in the culinary world as a dynamic, highly-motivated and creative chef. Originally heralding from Washington, D.C., Chef Thomas, often known as the "business savvy chef," began his career with Houlihan's Restaurants, Inc., more than eight years ago. He later became a chef at Darryl's Wood Fired Grill in Norfolk, Virginia.

From there his natural ability to mentor and motivate others to reach their fullest potential earned him continued success and significant accomplishments. He moved on to become the Executive Chef of J. Gilberts Wood Fired Steaks in Washington, D.C. He continued to propel on the wings of success when he was promoted to Regional Chef of the Houlihan's concept where he developed, implemented and executed the rollout of new menu items and served as menu consultant for franchise groups throughout the country.

As a Black American, Sean believed in his craft and himself even when it wasn't popular for African American men to be cooks or chefs.

With the convergence of food reality and cooking shows, Sean foresees the restaurant business as becoming more social, a place where people can meet and have wonderful conversations and meet the chef. "Lots of lounge areas and cocktails, I think that's where it's going to go."

As a chef at Devon's Seafood Grill in Chicago with a staff of 21, he has prepared some of the restaurant's most scrumptious cuisine. He used creativity in preparing the restaurant's desserts, soups and sauces. Food is at its finest when served with simplicity," says Sean.

He believes in getting feedback from his staff when testing new culinary creations. "They have direct contact with the guests and their feedback is important."

Chef Thomas took time to share some details about his passion for being a chef:

Q. What do you love most about the restaurant business and being a chef?

A. "I love the atmosphere and I love being a chef. When my customers are happy, I've done my job."

Q. Where do you get the inspiration for all the new recipes that you create?

A. Many of my recipes come to me while I am driving to work.

Q. There are very few African Americans that are represented in the food industry. Why do you think that is the case?

A. In the earlier years of the restaurant business, people often viewed it as a remedial or meaningless job. "So I think a lot of African American men got out of the business. With the boom of Food TV and other cooking shows, the fact is it's now cool to be a chef.

Q. I understand that you are a soft-spoken person yet when it comes to getting results and striving for perfection, you're very tough. How are you able to combine the two and yet establish great relationships with your staff?

A. I think it's a fine line, something I've grown into over the years. Initially, starting out learning your craft and what I pride myself on is being a people person. I like developing people, seeing them escalate their careers and run their own kitchens. It's a learning process and I hold myself to high standards everyday.

If I walk past a table and I see a glass out of place or there's trash on the floor and I don't do something to correct it, then my employees will think that's the standard. I have to correct it. I can't walk by it. It has become ingrained in me. I think that if they see you being consistent everyday not only will they respect you but they'll follow in your footsteps.

My being soft-spoken doesn't mean things run smoothly all the time. There are times when the pressure is on. "Feeding a restaurant filled with people on a Friday night, sometimes it is tough and we do have our situations. But we serve the customer first and fix things later."

Q. What do you consider to be some of the most important characteristics of a great chef?

A. Some of the most important characteristics of a great chef are the love of food and people and to know you're only as good as your people - those who help you bring your culinary creations to life.

Q. What advice can you give freshman chefs or those who are interested in becoming a chef?

A. Listen, listen, listen, to everything attentively. Continue to learn everyday. The biggest thing that I've found is you learn something from somebody everyday. Have patience and continue to learn and stay focused. There's more to being a chef than creating and testing new recipes. Chefs wear many hats. They are responsible for the finances, employees, the food and its production and everything else that comes with it.

Q. To whom do you owe your ability to remain focused in an industry that is so challenging and competitive?

A. I owe my ability to stay focused and grounded to my mom and my faith. It's not a business for everyone. It's a lot of hours, at least 55 hours a week. You stand up all day. You have to be mentally tough.

Q. What is one of your favorite dishes?

A. "Swordfish served with lobster gnocchi, fresh fennel, spinach and diced tomatoes."

Sean continues to enjoy success as he looks forward to opening his own restaurant.