Total costs usually range between $15 and $20 a person per meal, depending on the kind of food prepared and other related costs. That’s not much different from a meal at a restaurant, Moore said. “Except that people don’t have to go out, pay for parking or leave a tip,” Moore said. “And they get to eat a meal that was custom- made just for them.” Personal chefs have the potential to make more money than their restaurant counterparts, about $25 per hour on average, compared with about $14.75 for a head cook in a restaurant, Moore said. As a result, the personal chef industry has gained numerous “restaurant refugees,” who see the profession as a way to both get away from hectic restaurant schedules and make more money, Moore said. The association estimates that there are just more than 5,000 personal chef businesses operating in the U.S. and Canada, up from about 1,500 a decade ago. The industry generates about $300 million in revenue a year, and that number is expected to double in the next five years, the association said. Mark Tafoya, who owns the New York-based ReMARKable Palate personal chef service, cooks for regular weekly clients and also offers one-time meal services, such as romantic dinners for two. Tafoya prepares the meals in the client’s home, with the dishes including chicken enchiladas with a green tomatillo sauce or crab lasagna with bechamel sauce. For regular clients, the week’s meals are discussed in advance and are created in accordance with their dietary needs and personal tastes. Organic, vegetarian and kosher options are available, and nothing is repeated for six months unless requested, he said. Tafoya said that by cooking for the same clients over a long time, he’s able to develop a kind of intimacy and customization that restaurant chefs just aren’t able to. “I think that when I do hit it off and when they like my food and I understand them and what they like to eat, I can suggest new dishes that they might not have tried before but I think might be right for them,” Tafoya said. Tafoya said he was drawn to the profession after careers in acting and teaching. He saw it as a way to turn his love of food and cooking into a viable business. Now personal chefs can be found in Farmington, N.M., and Iowa City, Iowa, Moore said. “We’ve found that wherever there’s a working professional, there’s a need for personal chef,” Moore said. Gail Kenagy, a personal chef in the San Francisco Bay Area, started her business in June 2000, and about three years later it had grown to the point where she needed to use a commercial kitchen. Kenagy, a former surgical nurse, has about 35 regular clients and cooks for 10 to 15 of them each week. She also cooks for one-time events, such as dinner parties, and teaches cooking classes. Kenagy emphasized that personal chefs aren’t for the elite. They help people eat healthier, and save them time and money. “I have court reporters, schoolteachers, some lawyers and doctors and surgeons; but for the most part, I have regular, working people,” she said. “They’re not high maintenance. They’re kick-back, middle-of-the-road people.”160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set! DINING: Busy people find that service can save a lot of time while also being affordable. By Bree Fowler THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK – As lives get increasingly busier with careers, kids, commutes and AD Quality Auto 360p 720p 1080p Top articles1/5READ MOREChargers go winless in AFC West with season-ending loss in Kansas Cityother chaos, a growing number of people are turning to personal chefs to make sure there’s a hot meal on the table at the end of a long day. Hiring a professional to cook for you isn’t much different from hiring someone to clean your house or walk the dog, and it’s not just for the wealthy, said John Moore, executive director of the U.S. Personal Chef Association. “It’s not `Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous,”‘ Moore said. “People don’t have personal chefs because they have tons of money; they have them because it solves a problem. It puts dinner on the table.” Personal chefs typically prepare several days worth of customized meals in advance, potentially for several clients. The meals are prepared and packaged, ready to be popped in an oven or microwave whenever a client wants to eat. Some chefs charge a flat rate, while others are paid by the hour. The chef does the grocery shopping, along with the cleanup, and those costs are added to a client’s bill.