In honor of Father’s Day, we are introducing a short series of articles that will run during the summer months. Each story will introduce us to a Rad Dad (title stolen from Rad Dad Hibachi, who you will meet below). For June, writer Anna Snyder talked to Michael Shapiro, owner and chef at Rad Dad Hibachi, which provides affordable, in-home hibachi full-service catering experiences.
Tell us about your family and your background.
Michael Shapiro: My wife and I grew up in Boca Raton, and we lived 5 miles away from each other when we were growing up. When I was in my 30s, I developed a passion for cooking and food. I decided to take a leap of faith – I left a comfortable job, and I gave it my everything to make it into the restaurant industry as a prep cook. An Italian restaurant hired me, and everyone there made a bet that I wouldn’t last three weeks. I worked at that restaurant for ten months before learning of a new Benihana Japanese Steakhouse opening a few miles away from my house. I applied and was hired on the spot for a position as a hibachi chef.
Describe your journey as a dad and its intersection with Rad Dad Hibachi.
During my time at Benihana, I worked 60 hours a week. When my son was born, I cut back to 14 hours a week and essentially became a stay-at-home dad. My wife continued working as an air traffic controller, and we eventually decided to move to Ave Maria. I knew work was likely going to be scarce and difficult. We bought a flat top grill and discussed how I could possibly make money on the side by cooking fried rice for the builders. We started dreaming about how I could offer the complete hibachi experience at people’s homes, and that is how Rad Dad was born.
What makes Rad Dad unique in the catering space?
I bring the complete hibachi experience to the comfort of people’s homes. When the pandemic started, people hesitated to go out to dinner and controlled, in-home dining experiences became even more popular. As a dad of two toddlers, I understand the struggle of going out to dinner with small children. I saw the opportunity in the marketplace of having a chef come to the comfort of families’ homes at an affordable, accessible price point.
How do you envision the future of Rad Dad Hibachi?
I want it to keep growing and expanding; I just want it to be successful. I originally viewed Rad Dad as a side project. To see how far it has come – to see my full calendar and the amount of clients I have – is such an amazing feeling.
What are some specific ways you balance your life as a dad with the demands of Rad Dad?
My kids and family have always been my number one priority, and my family has always come first. I’ve been a stay-at-home dad for over four years now. My kids demand so much from me; parenting is a nonstop job. Bedtime is a moving target, so I usually get into a business mindset at some point between 8 and 10 p.m. – this is when I help my company grow, when I spend time building and perfecting it. It’s hard. I’m exhausted and burned out at times. I spend lots of time in the kitchen prepping for events. The food is the most important part of any dinner event, but I’m constantly in a mindset of how to prepare myself for the entertainment part of my job as well. Even if I provide an excellent meal, I’m nothing more than just a typical cook in a commercial kitchen without the entertainment hibachi meals offer. As I prepare for each individual party and balance the demands of being a dad and a husband, I try to always have a full charge ready for any moment.
In short, I have a system that I try to stick to with my family in order to accomplish what’s necessary for Rad Dad to work. It can be hard and exhausting at times, but the reward is greater than the challenges at any given moment.
What do you love most about Rad Dad Hibachi?
The thing I love most about my business is that it’s mine. My wife and I had the idea and created it together. There’s not one thing I don’t love about it, I have a profound passion for food, for cooking, and for serving others. As corny as it sounds, I like to make people happy with my food.
Tell us about your ideal Father’s Day.
I just want to spend the day without my kids – haha! I know other fathers of really young kids can relate! I love the ocean, and I love scuba diving, and I love any chance to get out on the water. My ideal day also includes cooking dinner at home.
Speaking of dinner at home, what’s your family’s favorite meal?
My wife and kids love pot roast along with braised vegetables and egg noodles. My wife always seems to be asking for fried rice.
Flat top hibachi-style grills are gaining popularity around the country. What guidance would you give to people looking to improve their skills?
It’s so important to season your food properly, or else it’s just bland with no flavor profile. To be great, food has to have lots of flavor.
What advice would you give to other dads starting their own businesses?
Just go for it! If you can fail at something you don’t love, why not take risks with things you do love? My journey into the culinary world started by watching Gordon Ramsay and YouTube videos on how to do the most basic things. I started with nothing, learned from YouTube, and now, eight years later, I’m running a successful hibachi catering business. I’ve failed along the way, but I embrace my failures and use the emotions surrounding failures to push forward.
Is it challenging to enter into people’s homes in such an intimate, personal way?
I cooked at a party a few weeks ago, and the host commented on the deeply personal nature of going into strangers’ homes and both cooking for and entertaining them. I’m an extrovert at heart, and after so much experience as a hibachi chef, it has become easy to engage with strangers in a fun and inviting way. I still get butterflies occasionally. But, I’ve also had a lot of fun and a lot of laughs – all thanks to every single client who has booked Rad Dad Hibachi! Without them, Rad Dad Hibachi wouldn’t be what it is today; I am so grateful.
Visit www.raddadhibachi.com.