Meet 4-week Graduate: Christopher Durley

Employer: Lagniappe Cajun Creole Eatery
Title: Operations Manager 
Date of HTIM course completion: May 2025 
Location: Marquette, Michigan
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Why did you want to enroll in the HTIM financial course?
I thought it would be a good opportunity to learn what I didn't know, and confirm things I did. I was also hoping it would help me refine my skills on finances. 

How will this help you step up in your career?
The skills provided through this course give me a leg up on setting up success when it comes to spreadsheets and systems to track. Just the tools they provided are well worth taking the course and very user friendly. 

What advice do you have for others in the hospitality industry who are looking for ways to grow their career?
I think too many of us feel like we have enough knowledge gained through experience, and sitting in a class won't be worth the effort put in. But with the HTIM financial course, I realized all the things I haven't learned through experience. 

What was your favorite part of the HTIM financial course?
I really enjoyed navigating through the budget spreadsheets. I am a big fan of tracking the numbers to learn how your business is growing. It is a tangible thing that we can see shifting every day, so it was neat to be provided with some extra tools to do that. 

How long have you been working in the industry? 
I have been in the industry since I was 14 years old, so going on 21 years. 

Can you share more background on your current role? 
Currently, I oversee a full service upper casual dining establishment in the heart of downtown Marquette with our own butcher shop. We have been open since 2006 and I have been here ten of those years. Day to day, I oversee 26 employees, maintain a labor and cost budget, as well as overseeing purchasing, training and the execution of standards. 
 
What was your first job in hospitality? How did you get into this industry?
My first job started right where I am now, but in the dish pit. It is a family-owned business so at 14 I would come here after school for a few hours to help get through prep dishes. That led to working in our butcher shop, then serving, bartending, prep cooking and eventually managing. In 2014, I moved to Wisconsin to branch out and gain more experience, and when the opportunity arose, my family and I moved back to Michigan to make a life on the shores of Lake Superior. 

Interesting & fun fact: 
In 2017 I challenged myself to eat a taco every day for 365 days and succeeded. My mantra in life is inhale tacos, exhale negativity.  

Anything else you’d like to share?
I would strongly encourage anyone thinking about continuing in this field to take advantage of additional training. I have been through two courses, this four week course and the 12 week business management course with the Hospitality Training Institute of Michigan and what I have learned from them has been an extremely big part of my success as of late, both professionally and personally. 

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