20-Year Prospect
So long as people are willing to exchange bags of money for pricey dishes composed of ingredients they wouldn't otherwise touch, then you, Chef Boyardee, will be in business.
Take beets. They're the stuff of childhood nightmares. Every kid remembers walking into the school cafeteria for lunch, totally unsuspecting, only to be handed a bowl of crimson-colored wedges posing as the "Vegetable of the Day." And yet Thomas Keller, owner of and chef at The French Laundry, does stuff with beets and other terrifying veggies that would blow your mind.
He then charges $295.00 a person for the meal, and you'll be so grateful you got to eat Keller's food that you'll pass over that credit card with nary a whimper.
On paper, dining at a restaurant like The French Laundry (which, by the way, can take a year to get a reservation at) sounds like one of the stupidest ideas in the world…but in reality, it works.
Why? Because people don't only need food for that whole "cellular survival" thing, they also love it and are often willing to spend a whole lot of bread for a whole lot of free bread...usually followed by an amazing entrée. Unless that changes—and we see no reason why it should—the chef profession isn't going anywhere.