Is Jerk Chicken a Recipe for Career Success?

The owner of a small but evolving Caribbean food business is at a crossroads: should he end his ten-year experiment with a food hobby-turned-venture or pursue other career options, including a return to corporate IT, which he left five years ago? His passion for Jamaican cuisine was sparked by time spent in Caribbean communities, but his formal education led to a successful IT career and an MBA from a top university. Over time, his hobby grew from a food festival entry into a catering and food truck business, eventually becoming a brick-and-mortar restaurant. Each stage brought success until the COVID-19 pandemic forced the restaurant’s closure in 2023. In response, he launched a promising online food business. Now, family, flexibility, and freedom rival his culinary passion in importance. As he weighs different career paths—each with unique risks and rewards—he struggles to define his next move. Students are asked to consider the owner's current sense of purpose in evaluating each viable career option starting in 2024 and recommend the best career option for him in the future.