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

Hi Phillip, what do you attribute your success to?

The most important factor behind our success is quality and consistency. We hire and work with creative people who share the same ethos and philosophy. I was fortunate enough to work with chefs and restaurateurs who ingrained this into me, and it set the standard for me from the start of my career.

The success of our brand is creating an aesthetic with our logos, marketing, and packaging that tells a story and looks and feels like it’s been around for ages—a comfort if you will. We have beautiful and timeless branding, and we know as a team that we have to back that up, or it means nothing.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

I am a chef, and I would say I’m classically trained. I learned everything I know today from working and eating in restaurants and from relationships with farmers and fishmongers. I never attended culinary school or any culinary classes. However, I worked for talented chefs and cooks from France and beyond, which helped me shape my craft.

I started as a dishwasher in a “fine dining” restaurant 28 years ago, and my future was cemented. I watched the cooks and chefs and loved the structure and controlled chaos of the kitchen. I was a moth to a flame and made cooking my purpose almost instantaneously.

I worked through the ranks of many nationwide kitchens, including several stages (work for free) in Michelin-starred kitchens. Learning the foundation of cookery and techniques was crucial, and I was able to forge my own style of cooking from that.

What sets me apart is my love for wines and hyper-seasonal cooking. I love pairing wine with food and discussing wine. We serve several different varieties of wines at my restaurant, Black Bear Bread Co. I am just as involved with the wine program as the food menus.

I’m also a chef who cooks with the seasons. Our relationship with farmers dictates our menus and daily specials. One would never see a tomato on our menu in the winter or spring.

Becoming a chef, let alone a restaurateur, is exceptionally challenging. To be a chef is to experience 12-15 hour days consistently on your feet and also be able to work with various personalities. The heat, the pressure, and the stress can cause you to crack if you aren’t strong-willed. The long hours you spend coming up can make relationships outside of work very challenging, as well as most of your social life. I overcame the challenges by staying focused and knowing this was my purpose.

Working for talented chefs and restaurateurs, I developed a sense of what I wanted my own restaurant and brand to be. I studied branding and marketing in real-time with the restaurants and cafes I worked in. I would look at their ads in print and later study their social channels. I realized quickly how important branding, marketing, and PR were to creating awareness of your business.

My brand is synonymous with quality and freshness. We have created a fantastic cafe/bakery/wine bar named Black Bear, and our branding has been a massive part of our success.

My business partner and I are Avid surfers, so we also like to touch on that with our branding. We really live the beach lifestyle.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

I love it when my friends from big cities come to see me at the beach! The first place I take them is my spot, Black Bear Bread, for a killer breakfast/brunch of Shaksouka, Biscuits & Gravy, Lox & Bagel with Stumptown Coffee, and possibly some Blood Orange Mimosas. Then we hit the beach for some sugar white sands and the Gulf of Mexico emerald waters.

Directly after the beach, we would head to my favorite spot, The Red Bar, for Margaritas and Smoked Tuna Dip. The Red Bar is a bohemian restaurant/ bar decorated with tchotkies, posters and pop culture paraphernalia from Europe, US & Asia. You really have to see it to believe it.

One of the most interesting spots in my area is a town called Seaside. It’s a new urbanist community located on Scenic Hwy 30a. The idyllic community is quite famous, as the Truman Show was filmed entirely on location there. The architecture is inspired by old southern homes in Savannah, The Caribbean, and locally. It’s a walkable experience with great restaurants, beachside bars, and visually stunning homes with white picket fences and beautiful beaches.

A half-day fishing trip would be a very cool thing for my guests, as we are known for amazing deep-sea fishing here on the Emerald Coast. We could go out for a few hours and catch beautiful Red Snapper, Groupers, Wahoo, etc. The captains and mates of the boats clean our fish, and then we cook up a seafood feast later on with the freshest fish you can imagine.

This part of Florida is also known for its springs, and every trip here would be complete with a quick trip and a (chilly) dip into one of our amazing natural springs. Northwest Florida has a myriad of aquifers and crystal-clear water from the underground caves that flow into the springs.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?

I would like to give a big shout-out to my business partner and mentor, Dave Rauschkolb. His partnership and faith in me have allowed me to fulfill my lifelong dream of owning and operating a restaurant (Black Bear Bread co).

Also, a huge shout out to my 3 beautiful children (Olivia, Ava & Christian), who teach me endlessly about myself and how I show up in this world.

Website: blackbearbread.com

Instagram: chefphilmcdonald/blackbearbreadco

Facebook: Black Bear Bread co

Yelp: Black Bear Bread Co

Image Credits
Alissa Aryn commercial

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