Bill Farina

SUCCESS STORY

Featuring: Chef Bill Farina

GREETINGS CHEF BILL FARINA

This spotlight is on a wonderful human being, I’m happy to not only have as a former boss but as a mentor and a lifelong friend! He proudly was the owner and head chef of Creative Catering by the Farina’s for 29 years and now in his retirement, he finds himself feeding the astronauts!

If you’re a local, you most likely have been to some sort of event he and his team have catered and had the pleasure of tasting their wonderful food.

Bill, born in Brooklyn, NY moved with his family when he was 1 years old during the Space Boom. His father retired from the Navy and came to Brevard County where he worked in the space industry.

After 14 years of living on the Space Coast, Bill’s parents bought a Cocoa Beach restaurant Old Fisherman’s Wharf. This was a popular destination for both tourists and locals alike.

You could say this is where Bill got his start in the food industry. Being in a family business, at just 15 years old, Bill had to get his hands wet fast! Over time, he learned the soup to nuts of the business.

His first job was shucking oysters and clams! He also was the dishwasher, where he could see the works of the kitchen and that’s when he got the bug for COOKING!

After coming back from college, with a degree in business, he married his high school sweetheart, Cathy, and they both started working at Harris. After welcoming their first child, Cathy became a full-time parent. In doing this, it prompted them to find additional sources of income, which led Bill to fulfilling his dream of working with food!

While at Harris, he was a department manager and within that title came the planning of events after project completion. Not only did he know the business side and the restaurant side of the food industry, but he now was also learning more about the catering side, which interested him immensely.

This was something he and Cathy could do together around their growing family. They started out small, only 6 parties the first year, and if you’re in the catering business you know that’s not much and if you knew Creative Catering, by the end of their reign, that was easily done in a week!

The business resided in the same location on the north end of Babcock Street for the full 29 years of operation. As unique and personable as Bill is, he even set up the front end of his shop as a ‘living room’ area where clients could come in and feel like they were at home while discussing all the plans for their event. He found a more relaxing atmosphere when talking to clients allowed for more open communication as well as creativity when planning their perfect event. The full-sized kitchen was in the back where all the gourmet meals were prepared. Everything was envisioned in that space and then Bill and team brought it all to life with each event.

Bill now is retired but he didn’t stay down too long…he continues helping others by volunteering and one of the coolest things he does…he now cooks for the NASA Astronauts! Be sure to read to the end to check out this awesome opportunity he has!

ENJOY BILL’S RESPONSES

TOP 3 BUSINESS TIPS

Balance
Create intentional balance between family, business, and spirituality. Keep everything in perspective as to why you wanted to be in business in the first place.

Knowing the catering business and most jobs would be on weekends, my kids just started to play sports and they wanted dad there and…I was there! I would go to games and then zip to cater. I didn’t take jobs on birthdays and holidays.

Not everybody has the same balance, everyone determines their own balance. Success is different for everybody.

We got married, both had jobs at Harris, but we also had dreams and kids. We lived within our means, decided what was important and figured it out along the way.

Flexibility
With catering there is always constant change as can be found with other jobs too. Learn to be flexible in changes while talking with clients who are going up and down, have flexibility in budget, choices, and timing. Nothing really ever goes exactly to plan, and nothing is by the book, it’s not a cookie cutter world.

Visualize what the final outcome is, the goal wanting to be accomplished, what this couple wants, and give them the best experience. The event isn’t what you want, it’s what they want and how can you manage and get to the final outcome.

I enjoy doing for others and making other people happy and found that food is a good way to do it. Everyone likes good food!

When I knew the food was good, it would enable me to concentrate on other aspects of events to enhance the whole experience, set up, theme, look. In any event, like a wedding…it’s not just a wedding anymore. I would talk to brides, and they had strong opinions on what they wanted, lots of different themes nowadays. I see a lot of caterers just concentrating on food and laying it out and not doing anything special. They need to encompass the overall experience.

I enjoyed using my artistic talents. Table scaping, enhancing the flavor of the food, that’s what set us apart. Industry is changing, no longer getting married in churches and going to the church hall after ceremony and having the ladies put together sandwiches and serve punch. More venues opening up, city buildings, and privately owned venues for rent leads to much more possibilities.

Build a GREAT Team
Surround yourself with an unbelievable team. Most businesses, including mine, require team effort. Carefully invite people into your team to make it successful. This is the face of the business – I had the pleasure of building a successful and talented staff who cared! Our staff was great and memorable. They were the face we wanted out there. To hear not only was the food good, but our staff was great and always went over and beyond, that made us happy.

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT

I would find it hard to delegate! Business owners have a vision of where they want it to be, because it’s your business and your name out there. Learn to delegate and being ok with it.

It was tough for me to give up set up duties or not carve the meats. I knew no one was ever going to completely do it my way, but I learned that it was ok. As long as they did it good, let them have the task!

Another improvement I could’ve made was paid more attention in finance classes. Cathy is way better in finances and not so much in the cooking area…and that’s why we work well together. We have our own jobs within the business, and we sort of stay out of each other’s way while the other does their thing.

I didn’t have an exit plan, how to build it up going into it. I was just having fun while doing it and hoping every month I could pay the bills.

My suggestion would be to put blinders on to how everyone else is doing it. Do it how you want to, you want to be in business for yourself and don’t want to be held up to your like so and so, you want to be your own and set your mark.

As a business owner be confident, feel good about you and what you do and don’t take it personally. Learn to handle rejections better, and it frees up more time to improve quality of business in other ways.

My main goal was to walk away from every job with everyone happy and not ruin the Creative Catering by the Farina’s name.

INSPIRATION BEHIND THE JOURNEY

What inspired me was, I wanted to be in the food business! I didn’t want to be in the restaurant, I saw what my folks went thru and felt I wouldn’t have the control I was looking for. I wanted to cook and create and do it with food! I wanted flexibility to be able to work when I wanted to work.

I remember my dad saying, “I can’t believe you don’t want to work in the restaurant”. I wanted that balance of work and family time. I wanted a business to revolve around my life and not the other way around. I could look at the days or weekends I wanted off, and schedule jobs around it and take off without the guilt feeling.

We always had a family first mentality and that rang true all the way down to our employees. I would call out a schedule and they would let me know what they could or couldn’t work based on what their family time was and other commitments. I have pride in knowing I was able to build a business around my family and that filtered down to my employees as well.

RETIREMENT

Now, I’m retired. Retirement came a little sooner than I anticipated, it was sort of a medically induced retirement. I was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. When the diagnosis came, it came sudden and I was immediately admitted to the hospital to undergo aggressive life-saving treatment, which ultimately ended in me receiving a bone marrow transfusion from the truest forms of an angel, my son! The transfusion took place on my actual birthday in November, so each year we are doubly grateful and celebrate even more so with each birthday! It’s been a remarkable journey and am grateful for the huge support system I had every step of the way. I am in remission and living every day to the fullest.

People often ask what you do now, and my reply…ANYTHING I WANT!! I volunteer with non-profits and my church, and for anyone who needs help. I work at Half Halt Stables in Cocoa, known as Uncle Bill, the maintenance guy. And you guessed it, I still COOK! Couldn’t get rid of me that fast!

I was offered the unique opportunity to cook for the NASA Astronauts prelaunch! It is such a fun experience! A close friend of mine was putting the bid in for the job and named me as one of the potential chefs. She won the bid, and I became the first chef on the project and then helped to build the team we have today.

We cook for the SpaceX NASA Astronauts, not the ones going up for fun, but the ones who go through the NASA protocol trainings, most of them are traveling to the International Space Station.

These are the astronauts who are quarantined prelaunch at the astronaut beach house at Kennedy Space Center. We prepare meals for them determined by the Johnson Space Center.

There is so much history and tradition alongside this. They are eating the same things John Glen and Neil Armstrong did, these are American Heros to most of the astronauts who come through and they want to sit where they sat and eat what they ate.

Although we adhere to the menu, we do have a little leeway with preparation and presentation. We have to meet their nutritional needs and wants, they tend to be limited on options, so we get creative with spices, and all through this process the astronauts must maintain weight.

It has been such a pleasure working with these individuals, I haven’t come across any who aren’t fun and genuine. They are the most humble, smartest, nicest, and grateful people. It is an honor to be part of this team.

I have now cooked for 8 different missions! Growing up on the Space Coast and seeing all the triumphs and tragedies associated with it, and now being able to walk the same halls as the legends and feed the ones who are currently making history, is just awesome! Words can’t possibly explain the emotions I go through with each job I have the opportunity to fulfill.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I have been a successful business owner, doing what I love with my lifelong partner. I am a cancer survivor, who had a strong support system. I am now retired doing whatever I want to do! Whatever door gets opened for me, I walk through it, not always knowing what’s going to be on the other side of it, but I try my best to enjoy every minute of it.

I went from shucking oysters at 15 years old in my parent’s restaurant to cooking for astronauts. I am grateful for every door opened, every day, and most importantly…my family!

THANK YOU CHEF BILL FARINA

Thank you, Bill, for giving my readers an insight on your miraculous life. Utilizing his tips for success, seeing how to manage through his weaknesses, and overcoming what could’ve been the impossible, you too can have a successful and eventful life!

Next time you watch a manned launch from the Space Coast, you’ll know their bellies are full of wonderful food made by Chef Bill and the team!

Remember, have CONFIDENCE, find out what you LOVE to do, and more than anything else…WALK THROUGH THOSE DOORS, who knows they could lead you to the STARS!

TOP 10

10 Fun Facts About Kennedy Space Center

• Space Camp – it’s not just a movie, it’s a real camp

• A Wildlife Sanctuary

• Area Prone to Electrical Storms has Lightning Protection and Detection Devices

• Involved in Food Product Research

• Vehicle Assembly Building 535-Stories High is 4th Largest Structure in the World

• President Eisenhower founded NASA

• Renamed after President Kennedy’s Famous Speech

• KSC Opened to the Public in August 1967

• First Ever Launch was on November 9, 1967

• Launched Every Manned Space Flight since 1968

ATHLETES

Reaching for the Stars

Astronauts go through rigorous training to become astronauts; it’s not just about suiting up. Same goes for athletes!

It’s not just about putting your cleats on and hitting the pitch, or strapping knee pads on and taking to the court…you must train and depending on what your goals are will depend on the amount of rigorous training you need to do!

I’ve always been taught, and now we instill into our own kids, if you’re going to do something, do it to the best of your ability! If you want to excel in your sport of choice, then learn from the greats. Do some research, what worked for them and what didn’t. Develop your own goals and the path you need to take to reach them.

Don’t be afraid to reach for the stars…be the best to your capabilities and beyond!

PARENTS

Encourage Happiness

As the saying goes, money can’t buy love, nor can it buy happiness. You can work hard and have all the money in the world, but if you don’t have happiness, you don’t have anything!

Teach your kids how to be happy, in the present and in the now. Every day can bring triumphs as well as tragedy, teach them how to find happiness in it all. If they are happy with who they are and what they have now, everything else will fall into place.

Encourage them to be happy while they are forging their path on reaching whatever star they wish to reach!

LIFE

Controlling the Build Up

Hey, we’re not all perfect. Everyone at some point in time has felt that tightness in their chest, the heat in their cheeks, the pounding of their heart, the sweat coming from their palms, and the buildup to what seems is going to be an explosion as if a rocket is lifting out of their body!

JUST BREATHE!!

Anxiety and anger sometimes can come on at any time, even when they’re not warranted. Some people are more prone to attacks or outbursts.

Learn your triggers and control the build up! Some of these episodes manifest with little indicators…know those indicators and either remove yourself from the situation causing it or go to your grounding. Find ways to control it. The best method is to simply BREATHE!

A breathing technique that is proven to lower anxiety, heart rate, blood pressure, and reduce rage is the 6-second technique:

1. Slowly breathe in for 6 seconds

2. Hold your breath for 6 seconds

3. Slowly breathe out for 6 seconds

4. Do NOTHING for 6 seconds

5. REPEAT!

Practice this method in times of peace, so you know how to do it in times of angst.