![\"Wes](\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Wes-Duckworth-sporting-culinary-attire-and-grinning-from-ear-to-ear.-768.jpg\")
Wes Duckworth always knew he could thrive as an entrepreneur!<\/p><\/div>\n
For Wes Duckworth, he knew as a youngster that \u2018food\u2019 was his sole passion and always daydreamed about launching his own gig. Running businesses was also in the genes. \u201cMy brother owns his own digital marketing company, and he’s done a couple of different things,\u201d Duckworth mentioned. \u201cHe\u2019s definitely an entrepreneur\u2014 very business-oriented.\u201d<\/p>\n
With that contagious entrepreneurial spirit in the air, Wes knew that eventually, he would jump-start something that he could sink his teeth into. But he needed more ground experience (and knowledge) under his belt to launch his own food company<\/a>.<\/p>\n Wes knew at the ripe age of 16 years old that enrolling in culinary school<\/a> would be the best \u2018next\u2019 move. As he was scoping out his options during the research phase, he quickly discovered that a majority of class time at Escoffier\u2019s Boulder campus would be spent \u2018hands-on\u2019 in the kitchen, plus he\u2019d have access to career assistance<\/a>. These factors, coupled with the affordable cost, quickly put Escoffier on top of his list.**<\/p>\n ** Consider your situation and resources to determine what is affordable and on budget, for you.<\/em><\/p>\n So during the summer of 2016, he enrolled in Escoffier\u2019s Baking & Pastry<\/a> program to immerse himself in the scene to soak up as much knowledge as possible.<\/p>\n\n\t Wes recalled just asking as many questions as possible in the classroom to go deeper, especially when it came to the science behind baking warm, fluffy bread<\/a>, and perfectly chewy, yet crisp cookies. But his love for these types of baked goods<\/a> didn\u2019t miraculously surface overnight and it certainly wasn\u2019t smooth sailing.<\/p>\n \u201c[Cookies and breads] were actually my hardest things in culinary school,\u201d* Duckworth proclaimed. It just didn\u2019t come naturally to him. In fact, the art of baking bread didn\u2019t \u2018click\u2019 until day eight or nine of rigorous classwork. However, that burning desire to \u2018get it right\u2019 pushed him to work ten times harder in this area. With little to no time, he found his lane\u2014his specialty. But his drive to continue to learn and better his craft didn\u2019t stop there.<\/p>\n Students at Escoffier can explore the foundations of bread baking as part of their baking & pastry curriculum.<\/p><\/div>\n While balancing his classwork at Escoffier, Wes continuously made an effort to seize as much real-world experience<\/a> as possible, which opened up opportunities to work at Hyatt Regency Denver as a pastry intern.<\/p>\n \u201cI would walk into random kitchens in Boulder while I was working at the Dushanbe Teahouse and just try to learn different stuff. I’ll work for free if you just teach me,\u201d* Duckworth mentioned. As Wes began to absorb new culinary & pastry knowledge, his confidence simply skyrocketed. With graduation on the horizon, he felt himself inching closer to that light bulb concept for his own company.<\/p>\n Then, a few years post culinary school graduation, the way forward couldn\u2019t be more clear.<\/p>\n \u201cI used to put together cookie boxes for friends and families around Christmas or holidays,\u201d Duckworth said. \u201cI also would take cookies to all my job interviews\u2014it\u2019s the easiest way to put yourself way ahead of the pack.\u201d*<\/p>\n He also reflected on his childhood, when his mom would always bake fresh chocolate chip cookies because they were his absolute favorite. Cookies played an integral role in Wes\u2019 journey and needed to be the focus of his new venture.<\/p>\n So, in 2021, Wes decided to launch \u201cDucks Dozen<\/a>\u201d\u2014artisanal cookies baked from scratch and delivered to your doorstep every Saturday. Wes explains that his concept is pretty simple and he strives to keep to a set of core flavors that his customers adore like Almond Butter, Lemon Poppy Seed, Snickerdoodle Swirl, and Maroon Velvet. And occasionally he\u2019ll tinker around with more premium, complex flavors, such as Peppermint Mudslide and Blueberry Oat Muffin.<\/p>\n Wes prefers to stick to the core flavors his Ducks Dozen customers always love, such as chocolate chip!<\/p><\/div>\n He owes a lot of his experimentation prowess to Escoffier. \u201cEscoffier really teaches you the science behind food,\u201d he said. \u201cYou understand what each component does down to the molecular level. It\u2019s a lot easier to change recipes or figure out how it’s going to work because baking is chemistry<\/a>. It\u2019s just knowing what those ingredients are going to do.\u201d*<\/p>\n Wes also embraces that type of \u2018experimental spirit\u2019 when it comes to operating and promoting Duck\u2019s Dozen. \u201cI use AI<\/a> to generate Instagram captions and even an email marketing plan,\u201d Wes said. \u201c[Using Chat GPT] can take a load off.\u201d* As for attracting new customers, he sort of lets his product speak for itself, explaining that \u201cword of mouth\u201d is his most powerful marketing tactic<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\t Needless to say, as Wes began to settle into his entrepreneurial groove with Ducks Dozen<\/a>, a second idea popped up out of left field\u2014surprisingly outside of the baked goods realm. This glorious vision involved a roaring stadium filled with happy, yet hungry customers.<\/p>\n As a die-hard Broncos fan who just happens to love gourmet food, Wes suddenly envisioned a world where game day concessions extended far beyond lackluster hot dogs and unseasoned fries. What if he could uplevel the ordinary and conceptualize bites where quality ingredients could take center stage?<\/p>\n With that notion in mind, Wes and a team launched Hall & Worth<\/a>, an electric scratch kitchen located on the fifth level of the Broncos\u2019 stadium. But just like his experience at Escoffier, it wasn\u2019t a hit right out of the gate.<\/p>\n On day one of opening, his menu consisted of dishes with fancier ingredients\u2014 completely in line with his vision of offering more gourmet grub. However, his customers weren\u2019t connecting with the concept. \u201cWe were getting a ton of questions on what quinoa is, or zucchini or like stuff like that,\u201d Duckworth exclaimed. \u201cWe kind of had to pull back on our menu.\u201d<\/p>\n So what did Wes do? He naturally put on his marketing hat<\/a> and turned to TikTok<\/a> that opening day to pinpoint the most \u2018searched-for\u2019 stadium food. It was clear he had to pivot and dish up more nostalgic bites that people just knew and loved.<\/p>\n Wes Duckworth and his dad getting ready to serve stadium bites at scratch kitchen Hall & Worth.<\/p><\/div>\n The next day, Wes came to the table with a whole new menu<\/a>\u2014one that turned the spotlight on fresh roast beef sandwiches layered with American cheese and barbeque sauce, gooey Mac & Cheese sprinkled with herbed bread crumbs, hot meatball sliders, and of course, and an endless supply of freshly baked Ducks Dozens cookies. Soon, he witnessed grinning patrons buying into his second attempt \u2026 the rest was history.<\/p>\n Wes also discovered something that day that he continues to keep top of mind: to pay attention to customer cues, listen, and never be afraid to recalibrate. Turns out, it’s working like a charm. Today, Wes and his team have a second scratch kitchen up and running at the Rockies stadium<\/a> and just got accepted into the field club level!<\/p>\n For Wes Duckworth, the future remains bright as he continues to push boundaries, open businesses near and dear to his heart, and remain hyper-focused on his one passion\u2014food. He explains that even though what\u2019s up ahead is all unknown, he can bank on one thing.<\/p>\n \u201cI may not be the most talented, I may not be the most skillful. The things I can control is how hard I can work, showing up on time, being present, and just doing it,\u201d Duckworth states.<\/p>\n Like Wes, if you\u2019re ready to take charge of your career and take the next step toward your dream profession, contact our admissions office now<\/a>!<\/p>\n\t\n\t *This information may not reflect every student\u2019s experience. Results and outcomes may be based on several factors such as geographical region or previous experience.<\/em><\/p>\n ** Consider your situation and resources to determine what is affordable and on budget, for you.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Dive into Wes Duckworth’s journey, where resilience, innovation, and a profound love for cookies converge.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":29973,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1371],"tags":[1299,155,1303],"class_list":["post-29972","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-success-stories","tag-career-advancement","tag-pastry-chef","tag-start-a-restaurant"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nA Sweet Baking Breakthrough at Escoffier<\/h2>\n
![\"Wes](\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Wes-Duckworth.png\"\n\t\t\t\t\t)
\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/A-plate-of-three-golden-brown-bread-rolls.-768.jpeg\")
Becoming Everyone\u2019s Favorite \u201cCookie Guy\u201d<\/h2>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/A-plate-stacked-with-four-chocolate-chip-cookies.-768.jpeg\")
\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tServing Comfort Food in a Scratch Kitchen<\/h2>\n
![\"Wes](\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Wes-Duckworth-and-a-business-associate-donning-navy-blue-Hall-Worth-t-shirts-and-smiling-in-a-stadium-kitchen.-768.jpeg\")
Just Show Up \u2014 The Rest Will Fall into Place<\/h2>\n
ENJOYED THIS SPOTLIGHT RTICLE? READ THESE NEXT!<\/h3>\n\n\t\n
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