On Wednesday, March 18, Wayne County CEO students visited with Tom Stewart, owner of Yellow Rose Smokehouse in Wayne City, Illinois. Tom provided a tour of his facility and offered an in-depth look at how he develops his menu, tracks cost of goods sold, and determines pricing.

He shared that more than 60% of new restaurants fail within their first year, emphasizing that success in the food industry requires long hours, hard work, and strong business skills. Simply enjoying cooking or being a talented cook is not enough to sustain a profitable, long-term business. Drawing on his years of experience in the food service industry, Tom has developed the business acumen necessary to avoid becoming part of that statistic.

Tom, along with his employee Candance Zemeskas—who is also a current CEO student—treated the group to freshly made breakfast burritos. The students greatly appreciated the hearty meal before heading off to school.

Thank you, Tom, for your time and hospitality in supporting the Wayne County CEO program!