Chef of Hopes, Dreams

Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Chris Williamson | Gas Turbine Systems Technician (Electrical) 1st Class Marcus Jones is highlighted in this week's Recruiter Spotlight.  

ST. LOUIS, MO, UNITED STATES

09.18.2021

Story by Petty Officer 1st Class Chris Williamson          

Commander, Navy Recruiting Command

ST. LOUIS – When comparing a restaurant to recruiting, there’s bound to be some similarities. For instance, people go to restaurants looking for options, just like when they walk into a recruiting office. There’s this job with a side of that school, and depending on the time of year, maybe there is something extra being offered. At the end of the day, after a few dashes of phone power, and a cup of perseverance and they’ve cooked and plated some super sweet contracts.

While that may be an elaborate way of putting it, it is exactly how Gas Turbine Systems Technician (Electrical) 1st Class Marcus Jones views recruiting duty and everyday life in general.

Jones, a recruiter assigned to Navy Talent Acquisition Group (NTAG) Mid America, and a self-taught chef, works out of Navy Recruiting Station Overland Park, Kansas, where he’s always thinking about food… and recruiting.

As a recruiter, Jones serves up naval opportunities on a silver platter with a side of traveling the world. But he also dreams of owning his own restaurant one day. A dream that the Navy is helping him make possible.

“The Navy has helped me make wiser decisions and think about my future,” said Jones. “It’s also definitely helped set my family up for success, especially financially. I’m going to use the leadership skills and knowledge I gained in the Navy to better lead a team of chefs.”

With leadership skills under his belt, Jones also said he developed another important restaurant skill while he’s been recruiting – talking to the customer.

“Recruiting allowed me to get out of my comfort zone,” said Jones. “Before, I didn’t really like just going up to people and talking with them. Now it’s one of my favorite parts of the job. I like knowing what people have to say and I in turn offer them advice or resources. It’s definitely something that is going to come in handy at the restaurant because I want to know what my diners think and make sure they’re having a good time.”

Originally born in Kansas City, Missouri, Jones is close to his old stomping grounds, where he plans on opening his ketogenic diet-themed restaurant.

“I want to make food that is healthy and geared towards people who are ‘keto’ or considering going that route,” said Jones. “When you cut out carbs and sugars from your diet, often the substitutes for those aren’t very tasty. So, I want to make food that is not only keto, but also delicious.”

Jones’ passions and goals were not simply achieved overnight. One simply doesn’t wake up and decide they’re going to open a restaurant. It took time to build and simmer, like a good Bolognese sauce. And it all started with a spark – spending time with his mom in the kitchen.

“When I was young, my mom let me help her make French bread pizzas,” said Jones. “Initially, I just liked experimenting with different toppings and seasonings. But then I got so good at doing it and making other dishes, I ended up believing I was the head chef and my mom was my assistant.”

A couple years later, Jones got a job working at a fine dining restaurant, where he started out as a dishwasher and eventually made his way up to helping make some of the meals as a teenager.

“When I started working there, that’s where my passion for food and cooking really took off,” said Jones. “One of the chefs there facilitated my love for cooking, allowing me to help with prep work and tasting things.”

Jones said his fondest memory from that time was when he prepared a dish and a customer asked to give her compliments to the chef. He would eventually move on from that job to join the Navy, but Jones carried that memory with him and it has become a driving force for his ambitions.

“I still remember her smile and how delighted she was,” said Jones. “From that point on, I’ve wanted more of that happiness I got when she thanked me for a delicious meal. That’s why I want to open a restaurant. To experience that feeling again, over and over.”

Even though Jones doesn’t know when he’ll open his restaurant yet, he does have a few happy customers already – his family.

“On the weekends when I have more time with my kids, I like to go all out and make something amazing,” said Jones. “My two sons are all about helping in the kitchen too. I’ll prop them up on the counter and they’ll help me with various tasks like beating some eggs or forming meat into patties. I can only hope and dream that my love for cooking grows on them, like it did for me when I was helping my mom all those years ago.”

NTAG Mid America, part of Navy Recruiting Command (NRC), recruits the next generation of Navy Sailors throughout areas encompassing Missouri, Kansas, central and southern Illinois, and a portion of Kentucky.

NRC consists of a command headquarters, three Navy Recruiting Regions, 26 NTAGs and 64 Talent Acquisition Onboarding Centers (TAOCs) that serve more than 1,000 recruiting stations around the world. Their mission is to attract the highest quality candidates to assure the ongoing success of America’s Navy.

• Date Taken: 09.18.2021
• Date Posted: 09.19.2021 12:15
• Story ID: 405574
• Location: ST. LOUIS, MO, US