Managing Partner, Lawrence Wine Estates & CEO, Heitz Cellar
Over the 30 plus years of covering the restaurant and hospitality industry, Total Food Service has always been amazed by the variety of routes that have been taken to find success. With that in mind, it takes the right mentor to make that path a reality. Once again that very special type of story came to our attention.
Richard Grausman, who created the Careers Through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP) has been the guiding light for so many young people of color seeking to achieve their dreams. With that in mind, Grausman introduced us to Carlton McCoy, Jr. MS, who has reached the pinnacle of career success against all odds. TFS asked Carlton to share his inspirational story with us.
Carlton, at first blush your story sounds like a movie script.
I was born in Washington, DC. Both my parents were sadly under the influence of drugs. My mother passed away when I was young. My father was in and out of jail.
So who stepped in and put you on a path to the amazing things you have accomplished?
I was raised by my paternal grandmother who was a Pentecostal preacher and caterer in her neighborhood. Growing up in the Anacostia area of DC, was not easy and I was often in fights and delinquent from school. Having been expelled from two schools, I ended up at Anacostia Senior High School. It was known as one of the worst high schools in the area.
How did C-CAP become part of your life?
C-CAP enlisted the support of Troy Williams a local black chef and graduate of the CIA. Troy pulled together a group of chefs who volunteered their time to visit the schools, to inspire and mentor students. One of those chefs was Ian Barthley. Ian saw something in me and became my first mentor. He would ultimately teach me how to compete for scholarships and even take me to New York to eat at Aquavit, where I first met Marcus Samuelsson.
What impact did Richard Grausman have on your career path?
I first met Richard (Mr. G) in the spring of 2002 at the “DC C-CAP Cooking Competition for Scholarships”. I had cool dreadlocks down to my shoulders and probably a few extra pounds. I was a good student which really enabled Richard to open a number of academic doors for me. I remember him asking me what I wanted to do in life. I told him either that I would like to be a doctor or a chef, which he found very interesting since his father was a surgeon and he was a cook. When I told him my SAT scores, he recommended that I become a chef. (chuckles) Although I worked hard to do well in the cooking competition, I was stunned when I heard my name with the award of a full-tuition scholarship to attend the CIA.
I remember Richard meeting my grandmother at the Awards Breakfast, she was a small woman beaming with pride and so thankful for the opportunity that C-CAP was giving me.
Talk about the value of the “Gap Year” before enrolling at the CIA?
I worked for 6 months at the Four Seasons Hotel in Georgetown before going to school.
Richard and C-CAP showed me how to use the time wisely. They had recommended that I start reading about wine, because C-CAP students always had difficulties with the wine course at the CIA. In some cases, it even caused some of them to lose their scholarships.
What did you learn working at a hotel?
I subsequently did a four-month externship at the hotel where my chef/mentor was Doug Anderson, he was as such a great mentor. I must have done a good job because he actually sent an offer letter to start work at the hotel even before graduation. Richard kept pushing me to build my skills at the hotel where I could work my way to the top, travel the world and even become a GM.
A funny thing happened on the way to the hotel career?
After graduation the lure of New York City and the fame of Thomas Keller came calling. Funny that the C-CAP office was just 2 blocks from the Per Se restaurant.
Richard came to see me, found to his surprise that I was expediting in the dining room and not working in the kitchen. He was rather surprised when I told him that it was my last rotation in the CIA restaurants, and that I was enjoying working in the front of the house. I found that I liked talking with the customers and even making more money than in the kitchen.
What brought you back to DC?
There was a great opportunity to manage one of the restaurants in the new Mandarin Oriental. It also came with wine classes paid for by the hotel.
How did Aspen get on your radar? Do you ski?
I received an offer to work at a small boutique hotel in Aspen – The Little Nell. The Little Nell has a renowned wine program. I wasn’t sure about moving for a number of different reasons. Richard really encouraged me to take the job.
Aspen really put you on the map?
Within three years, I became the youngest and only second black person in the world to become a Master Sommelier. I was proud because it was a credential that no C-CAP alum had ever achieved. I had this newfound fame, and I even considered leaving The Little Nell to see what I could develop. However Richard advised me to not be in a rush and instead to continue building my skills. Soon after, I became the Director of The Little Nell’s wine program which provided me the opportunity to travel, indulge my ongoing desire to learn more about wine, and help build on the hotel’s iconic wine program.
How did that lead to the opportunity in the wine industry in Napa?
After three years at the Little Nell, Gaylon Lawrence, who had recently bought Heitz Cellar, the famed vineyard in Napa made me a truly special offer. He brought me in as President and CEO of one of the world’s most famous vineyards. Heitz was just the beginning. In the midst of all the fires, together we started buying other vineyards. We now own six wineries as well as a fine wine negociant.
What led to your decision to create your vision for the next generation?
My goal is to help open up careers in the wine industry for black and indigenous people. We took what we learned from C-CAP and created The Roots Fund. The mission is to provide opportunities through education and internships. We provide scholarships to open up doors for those seeking to learn more about the wine industry. With a tip of the cap to C-CAP, our Executive Director is another C-CAP alum, Ikimi Dubose.
Now there’s even Carlton the TV show.
Very exciting opportunity. With Nomad with Carlton McCoy on CNN, we will have the opportunity to showcase and celebrate what makes us unique and what makes us the same: music, food, fashion, and culture, the intangible magic that connects us. The show will debut in March.
To learn more The Roots Fund, visit their website
Editor’s Note: It is truly an honor to share Carlton McCoy’s inspirational story. The winemaking legend is schedule to be honored at this year’s C-CAP benefit. C-CAP’s National Benefit has long been a must attend event on the restaurant and hospitality industry calendar. With a focus on ensuring the health and safety of all participants and attendees,C-CAP has moved the date of their annual benefit to Monday, April 11th, at Pier 60 at Chelsea Piers in New York City.
The C-CAP restaurant line-up for this year’s benefit is highlighted by Dhamaka, one of Esquire’s Best New Restaurants, Danny Meyer’s newest hotspot, Ci Siamo, to Michael Stillman’s latest and Zou Zou. The annual event will also feature exciting experiences that will be available to bid on via online auction.
Long co-chaired by chef Marcus Samuelsson, Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP) is a workforce development nonprofit that provides underserved teens a pathway to success. Annually, C-CAP provides culinary, job and life skills to over 20,000 middle-and-high school students in seven regions across the United States: New York City, Newark, Philadelphia and Camden, Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington DC/Maryland/Northern Virginia and Arizona, including 7 Navajo Reservation schools.
Founded in 1990 by Richard Grausman, this 31 year-old nonprofit strives to help further food and social justice, as well as equity and inclusion by providing tools for success. Starting in middle schools, C-CAP has provided culinary-and-wellness curriculum, and in high schools also provide an integrated approach to employment in the food sector via internships/apprenticeships, job shadows, mentorship, and work opportunities, college and career advising, and higher-education scholarships, along with product and food donations. The success of its alumni is proof of the methodology and the work of the organization. To date, C-CAP has worked with 350,000 students and awarded $64 million in scholarships. C-CAP has transformed thousands of lives in a meaningful way. The urgency to help these diverse communities has never been more critical. To learn more, visit their website.
