PEORIA – For Samer Aldroubi, Sous Chef has been his “primary grocery” since before the COVID-19 pandemic.

He was drawn to the fresh meat and produce. He said visiting felt like a trip to the farmers market. Now, Aldroubi is carrying the mantle of Sous Chef forward.

“We were just thrilled because we do want it to continue,” said Katie Couri Rodolfi, original owner and current landlord. “We want this to be something that’s available to all of us and to everyone else. We just knew that we couldn’t be those people anymore.”

‘We needed to step away’

Couri Rodolfi opened Sous Chef with her brother Patrick Couri in October 2018. A frequent visitor to farmers markets, she wished there was a store that offered the same fresh, locally sourced produce throughout the week. No one else was opening such a concept, so she thought, “why not me?”

Sous Chef opened at 1311 SW Adams St., Suite B, where it remains today.

After about five years at the business, Couri Rodolfi returned to teaching and her brother began “shouldering everything at Sous Chef,” she said. Recently, he decided it was time for a change, as well.

“We kind of realized, each … on our own timeline, that we needed to step away and do something else,” Couri Rodolfi said.

While they both believe in the benefits of fresh, local food and are passionate about the concept, Couri Rodolfi said they had to weigh financial factors, as well. She said Aldroubi learned of her brother’s plans to step away, “expressed his interest, and the rest is history.”

‘Make it more financially viable’

Aldroubi is operating the space under a new LLC, or limited liability company. To the outside world, however, the store remains Sous Chef.

Shoppers can find milk from Kilgus Farmstead, microgreens from Pumpkin Village Farms, fermented products from 309 Cultures, sauces from Grayson’s Craft Hot Sauce, fruits, vegetables and more.

The shop continues to serve quiche and coffee on Saturday mornings, and a vegan dish is now offered each week, as well.

Aldroubi updated the shop’s coffee selection to feature products from Intuition Coffee + Juice and Dream Center.

“We’ve partnered with those two places to be able to have really good stuff that’s roasted, you know, just up the road,” he said.

Moving forward, Aldroubi plans to introduce a discount program, hopes to accept EBT soon and wants to reach residents of nearby neighborhoods. The aim, he said, is to become “more of the regular grocery store for more people.”

While the selection of each product is limited, Aldroubi said the aim is to offer high quality options at a reasonable price. For items not in store, he said Sous Chef can order products direct from vendors for instore pickup.

For Aldroubi, the goal is to get Sous Chef to a point where it “stands on its own two feet fully.”

“The idea is to do what Sous Chef was doing but just lean into it a little bit more,” he said, “and you know, honestly, we’re just trying to figure out a way to make it more financially viable so that it can support multiple full-time people.”

This is not Aldroubi’s first foray into the world of business.

He earned a master’s degree in accounting from Bradley University before working at Caterpillar for several years. Now a financial analyst for OSF, Aldroubi took ownership of local business Jar d’Ann roughly one year back. The business offers jarred soup mixes, overnight oats and more.

This background proved valuable. Aldroubi said it provided experience working with vendors and allowed him to understand the “pain points” small businesses face.

Aldroubi said the challenge for Sous Chef is finding the most efficient way to provide local, quality products at a reasonable cost.

“I think that’s the value we offer, but it’s also the challenge,” he said.

‘It’s kind of surreal’

Sous Chef opened under Aldroubi’s ownership in early January.

He said the team is taking advantage of the slower months to “get our processes down so that when it starts to get busier people are happy coming in and not frustrated.”

Levi Fowler is one face people will find behind the counter at Sous Chef. He helped Aldroubi create recipes for Jar d’Ann a few months back before joining the store.

Already, Fowler said customers have come with questions on how to best use ingredients.

“Those kind of questions, I love answering,” he said. “And I love working with people on it.”

Fowler said, “people are used to (a) very friendly environment here,” so he is taking the time to connect with visitors and learn their names.

Much like Aldroubi, Fowler was first a customer at Sous Chef.

“I’d invite friends here,” Fowler said. “I’d tell people this is a place to go, and I never thought that I would be the one behind the counter at any point. It’s kind of surreal in some regards.”

As loyal customers step into the role of owning and operating Sous Chef, Aldroubi said the shop’s former owners remain “one of Sous Chef’s biggest customers.” Couri Rodolfi said she and her brother will continue to patronize the business.

“We really appreciate what he’s offering and that he’s keeping it going,” Couri Rodolfi said, “and we love the benefits that are there.”

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This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Amid challenges and changes, new owner keeps Peoria grocery store alive

Reporting by Cassidy Waigand, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star

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