Rome’s Joy Companies: Creating an Ecosystem that Empowers

Chef Cliff Rome

Founder and Owner

Rome's Joy Companies

Culinary Giant, Chef Cliff Rome, is the founder, owner, and conductor of the symphony of businesses that make up Rome’s Joy Companies (RJC). RJC is comprised of two cafes, a restaurant, a fine art gallery, a coworking lounge, a catering company, and its nonprofit arm, Rome in a Day Productions. This collective provides a world-class introduction to culinary and hospitality careers for artists, creatives, and anyone who demonstrates hustle and consistency. Continue reading to learn about the philosophy driving the workforce programs at Rome’s Joy Companies.

What is the structure of your parent company, Rome's Joy Companies, and how do its various brands work together?

Rome's Joy Companies is comprised of a family of connected businesses that started with Rome's Joy Catering. That original catering business provided the foundation and opportunities that allowed us to grow into a multi-brand entity, primarily focused within the Bronzeville corridor. We operate our restaurant brand, Peach’s, which includes the original location on 47th and King Drive, as well as two coffee houses on the University of Chicago campus. We also have Parkway Social, which occupies a historically significant space in Bronzeville that serves as our corporate office and a coworking lounge. We were proud to reopen the space in 2001, formerly known as the Parkway Ballroom. Blanc is our art gallery and serves as our artistic and cultural arm. Lastly, we have Rome in a Day Productions, which is our nonprofit organization, where we execute many of our workforce development programs.

What is your role at Rome’s Joy Companies?

I could say founder, principal, or even owner, but truly, my role grants me the opportunity to fully narrate the movie I want to be in.

What was your first job, and what age were you when you started?

I received my invitation to work around the age of 14 when I participated in a community program called Chicago Works.

I was a student at Kendall College when I got an internship with Wolfgang Puck. He offered me a different kind of education, telling me he would pay me to work for him and that I wouldn't need to return to school. Initially, I was in disbelief when he told me, “Yeah, that's what we do. We pay people."

My first official job was as a dishwasher at Central Community Hospital. I absolutely hated that job. A young chef in his early twenties took me under his wing and mentored me, allowing me to help with food prep. That was my turning point. I was already accustomed to cooking at home with my grandmother, so I knew I was ready for the new tasks. Soon, they put me on the line, where my role was delivering Jell-O to patients. This experience was a part of my foundation. Ultimately, that is where I learned the fundamentals of being organized in the kitchen.

What was your educational path like?

I was a student at Kendall College when I got an internship with Wolfgang Puck. He offered me a different kind of education, telling me he would pay me to work for him and that I wouldn't need to return to school. Initially, I was in disbelief when he told me, “Yeah, that's what we do. We pay people." And, that was it. That internship was my education for the next five years. Through that experience, I met so many incredible chefs, which eventually led to the opportunity to live and work abroad.

Who have been your primary mentors while progressing in your career?

My key culinary mentors were Chef François Kwaku Dongo of Spago and the late Roger Vergé. At the time, these men were known as the most prominent culinarians, particularly from France. The experience and learning that occurred under their tutelage were incredible. Beyond the kitchen, my other mentors have been figures in the hospitality industry and general business sectors, ranging from real estate to construction. These individuals contributed to my growth, helping to make me a more well-rounded person and to prepare me for the industries I’m in today.

What is it like to work at RJC? What makes it special or unique?

Our setting is unique because it's not just one-dimensional. Everything we’ve done—every new business, initiative, or program—has been an extension of our core business. Each endeavor becomes a platform for another, ensuring that when someone joins our ecosystem, they are automatically tied into something more interesting. As we look at the tapestry of available experiences, we see that we’ve created a beautiful pattern of opportunities for all parties involved.

For us, the best way to empower people is through a paycheck. When a person joins our community, they access a platform that they can rise from. Our job is to provide each person with a long enough runway to learn, fail, and recover.

When we host a private dinner in the gallery Blanc, for example, the culinary and artistic experiences operate hand in hand. The tablecloth and dishes we place down are no different than the pieces of art that delicately hang throughout the space.

What is RJC hoping to achieve in the next few years?

Our primary goal is to significantly expand our footprint through workforce development. Our core focus remains on empowering people through our training programs. We believe that the way to make the greatest amount of long-term impact is to connect with people early in their lives, so we are particularly focused on youth. We want to ensure we stay consistent with this model, always looking for new opportunities to leverage our training to reach more people.

What is the philosophy behind your programming?

We find the most effective way to engage young people is through entrepreneurship. We believe in letting them actually see the business. Many young people or those who haven't followed a traditional employment path believe that if they were their own boss, they could execute things the way they want.

We explain that there are two parts to this: Creatively, they are one hundred percent correct. The other side is that businesses need support, which comes through customers, clients, and anyone who purchases the product or service. We teach that there has to be an even exchange.

For us, the best way to empower people is through a paycheck. When a person joins our community, they access a platform that they can rise from. Our job is to provide each person with a long enough runway to learn, fail, and recover.

Since most of our programs don't extend over four weeks, we know we won't turn anyone into an entrepreneur in that time. Instead, we provide the fundamentals that familiarize folks with the process. Our "secret sauce" is our focus on addressing the barriers that complicate access. We work to address those barriers, create access, and collaborate with other institutions that specialize in barrier removal. This gives our community a much better candidate, and that is our success.

Tell me about the programs that RJC offers.

We have the RJC Scholars program, where we work with local sixth, seventh, and eighth graders. The idea is to academically support them in core areas, particularly math and science. While not limited to those subjects, they are key because those fundamental skills are what young artists will need beyond their school-age years.

We also offer the Career Enrichment program for folks aged 18 to 24, or anyone new to the hospitality industry. The goal is for them to see how the sausage is made—from the initial idea generation period through to the completion of that idea—by observing the process across our various businesses.

For example, at our gallery, Blanc, participants see the full cycle: consulting with artists, curating the show, producing the work, and selling it. This includes the crucial process of pricing the work and the unseen effort of marketing and advertising. Our programs provide a full display of what the industry really is, not just the finished product.

This program is a pure introduction to hospitality, not just culinary, because our first goal is to find the individual’s level of interest. It’s an entry-level assessment stage that affords us the opportunity to work with people who may be coming directly out of high school, re-entering the workforce, or have financial, academic, or any type of barriers that have prevented them from moving forward. We are figuring out who this person is, what they truly want, and how they can play a vital role in the industry’s success.

We focus on giving people the hustle, opportunity, and consistency that will be their recipe for success, their entire lifetime.

Lastly, we have the Mise En Place program. Mise En Place is a French term meaning “all things in order.” In kitchens, the first thing a person must do is ensure that all things are organized; a lesson I’ve carried with me from my time in the Central Community Hospital kitchen.

True to its name, the program ensures organization is key, offering participants aged 16 to 36 a variety of foundational skills. These include soft skills such as critical observation, conflict resolution, communication styles, and adaptability. In addition, participants develop practical hard skills in food preparation and management. This ensures folks are set up for success in the hospitality industry and beyond.

What qualities make a good candidate for your programs?

Our goal is to find the most viable candidates for this industry. We don't just need a bunch of warm bodies. We need people who truly want to be here because they understand the offerings of the hospitality industry. The ideal candidate is a person who really wants something and is curious about their path.

We have graduates who have gone on to become professors, doctors, and even an astronaut. I can't not count those people when we talk about success.

To allow that curiosity to flourish, it's important to remove the physical barriers that distract a person. If you can remove those things, you bring a person’s attention full circle to the opportunity. We even provide protein bars and serve lunch, because once a person gets past the hungry part, they open up a little bit. All we need you to do is open up just enough for us to get the information in. This approach is about building trust in a professional way so that they feel comfortable.

What is the ultimate definition of success for your programs?

A perfect scenario is an individual who is remotely curious about what we are teaching; we expose them to it, and they prosper. Our industry is often a revolving door, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. If a person is moving at a speed that may outpace what we’re doing, we are holding them back.

The high probability of success occurs when we remove all the things that distract or trouble someone. We don’t measure success just by whether they stay in the kitchen. We measure success by their consistency and hustle. If a person works for us, then goes into haircare, and then becomes a nail tech, and is now taking care of themselves both financially and mentally, we count that as a win.

We focus on giving people the hustle, opportunity, and consistency that will be their recipe for success, their entire lifetime. We have graduates who have gone on to become professors, doctors, and even an astronaut. I can't not count those people when we talk about success.

Many programs aren't geared towards creativity. They're based on standards and policies that aren't necessarily applicable to the needs of the people. The way that we've chosen to run our program isn't necessarily non-traditional, and it isn't so innovative, but it's a way to connect with people, and that's the thing that there's no substitute for.

How do programs, like Mise En Place, contribute to the economic development and vitality of the communities you serve?

When someone joins our program, the emphasis goes beyond culinary or the hospitality industry. They complete a program centered on the fundamental rules of the road. Because we place participants with an employer or within one of our own businesses, they gain employment and immediately learn about financial literacy.

Over time, this newly educated, uplifted individual becomes a better contributor to society. Now, when that individual walks through their neighborhood and sees a shuttered building, the dream of opening their own business in that same community is higher. This is because they've had the luxury and the opportunity to work in a community that supported them.

From the beginning, we have aimed to create this "yellow brick road" for individuals so they can clearly see the end result. This pathway makes success more obtainable for those individuals. Mise En Place plays a role as a road and as a support mechanism all the way through. We don't give them a pot of gold; we provide all the tools to dig. When one person succeeds, it positively impacts their siblings, friends, and family, ensuring the path to opportunity becomes more obtainable for everyone.

What are some things you’d like for an employer to know before they partner with you?

When engaging new employer partners, we are very intentional about the relationship. We start by picking up the phone and having a genuine conversation, often reaching out directly to leadership. We care about the well-being of the individuals in our programs. We are seeking partners who understand that investing in people is essential.

We are not searching for perfect employees or people; we look for consistency. Success is achieved through consistency, not magic. We deliver individuals who are '50% baked,' meaning they have the fundamentals and are committed to providing quality service. We look for partners willing to invest time or money in the individual to make the interaction an even exchange.

We need to look at social programs as a shared responsibility; otherwise, we adopt a “take, take, take" mentality without investing.

We look for authenticity and shared values from potential partners. We seek to understand the vibration of the company's culture. We want to work with organizations that live and breathe their values.

What do you wish more businesses understood about the civic and ethical value of engaging with workforce programs?

I believe that for anyone who has a business that accepts assistance from funders, they must understand the mechanics of the arrangement: It's a shared investment. The investment is either your time or your money, or both. Businesses cannot expect to gain unless they are willing to contribute to one or the other.

We need to look at social programs as a shared responsibility; otherwise, we adopt a “take, take, take" mentality without investing. In that case, we will be left with a generation of people who are not interested in working in the service sector. There will be no resources because we didn't put any in.

This principle is the same for both non-profit and for-profit businesses. Until everyone understands this in its totality, the approach will remain one-sided. Nothing can happen without support. That is the core value that partnerships bring to the table. It is a shared value approach where everybody gets something.

Interviewed by Austin Morales-Sanchez in September, 2025 | Written by Misha Williams