Meet Chloé O’Neill | SuShe LLC Owner & Chef

We had the good fortune of connecting with Chloé O’Neill and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chloé, what is the most important factor behind your success?
I am confident to give full credit to the city of Lafayette, La in all of its rich culture and mentality of supporting small businesses. The people there are the most important factor behind SuShe’s success. The people here are eager to see young people with a vision succeed and that alone has gotten me very far.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a college student in mechanical engineering, and it goes without saying that ordering sushi to-go as a college student can become very expensive. I love cooking and the kitchen is where I find myself being the most creative. I began making sushi in 2021 after a stressful day. It did not take long for me to start posting pictures of my plating on my social media. That is when a friend of mine reached out to me and asked if I could live-cater at her brother’s engagement party. I had catering experience after working at a well known restaurant for over five years and figured, why not? Once I catered the first event the guests there wanted my business card. Once they learned I did not have a business they all encouraged me to start one. I knew that I had nothing to lose, so I decided to start an Instagram page and come up with a brand. SuShe LLC was born and I did everything that first month I could to promote my business in the least obnoxious ways. Instead of self promoting on my own social media, I made business cards and brought them to every place in town that my target clientele shopped. Luckily the business owners of Lafayette are always supportive of other small businesses. In that first month my following on social media grew and bookings for the holidays starting pouring in. I could not believe the number of messages I received and how quickly word had spread. I have definitely had to learn how to be kind to myself and say no sometimes for my own health. I am always trying to push myself and I often, like many other business owners, find myself over worked with no one else to blame but me. I am so grateful for the amount of business I have gotten, but being in school full time along with taking bookings for catering every weekend can become exhausting. The biggest lesson learned thus far is how to manage my time. I do not know what the future holds for SuShe LLC as I am approaching my graduation date this May, but I hope to help other college students who, like me, do not have parents in a position to financially help them. That is going to be my main goal with my business concept in the future- helping the same community that helped me. I do not know how I am going to go about doing so just yet, but I know that as time passes I will figure out the best way to do so.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If I were taking a friend out in Lafayette over a long weekend, the first place I would take them for dinner is Central in downtown Lafayette. The brick oven pizza is incredible and their basil ranch is borderline drinkable it is so good. That is usually where you can find me on my Friday nights when I do not have a SuShe booking. For dessert, I would take them to Bonne Vie Macarons. The owner there, Heather Degeyter, has crafted the most incredible macarons you will ever have. I have been to Ladurée in Paris and would take Bonne Vie Macarons over theirs any day. Finally, to start a new day I would take my visiting friend to Reve Coffee Roasters in downtown Lafayette. The atmosphere in Reve makes you feel at home, and it truly is one of my happy places in town. Their coffee feeds the soul. For a night out on the town I would bring my friend to Palmyre, a newer bar in River Ranch. It has a Parisian feel and an incredible espresso martini. The atmosphere inside makes you feel like you are in an entirely different city- like a mini vacation.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
This Shoutout is dedicated to the people of Lafayette, La and all surrounding areas. They have thoroughly demonstrated an immense amount of support to me and the growth of my business since day one. I would also like to give a Shoutout to one of my former catering bosses, Andy Boagni at Zea Rotisserie & Grill, for always motivating me and guiding me throughout this endeavor. Lastly, I would like to Shoutout a dear friend of mine, Marissa Foti, for helping me jumpstart SuShe LLC over a year ago. Without her first inquiry I would have never started a small business. I cannot thank everyone who has supported me and helped me enough.

Instagram: @sushe.laf

Facebook: facebook.com/sushe.laf

Image Credits
SuShe LLC