(205) 901-6148
Horse silhouette at sunset on the Villa family farm
Chris "Bub" Villa

Chef. Deputy.
Father. Builder.

40 years in the culinary world. Reserve deputy with APOSTC certification. Father to Katie. Husband to Kim for 23 years. Entrepreneur building brands that matter — from the kitchen to the barn to the stage. I answer every text personally.

Text Me NowMy Story
40+
Years in Kitchens
3
Active Brands
23
Years Married
1
Mission
The Full Story

Built Different

I walked into my first professional kitchen at 13 years old. By the time most people are figuring out what they want to do with their lives, I already had years of burns, cuts, and lessons under my belt. That's not a complaint — it's a foundation.

I worked every station. Prep, line, grill, sauté, pastry, expo. I managed kitchens, designed menus, ran banquets, catered weddings, and fed thousands. I worked 60-hour weeks and looked out the kitchen window at a brand new truck I couldn't drive to get me home to a tiny duplex I couldn't afford. Monday was my day off — except it wasn't, because the phone always rang.

"I started Chef N Staff in 1999 out of pure desperation. I needed to get out of the 60-hour weeks. I became a rental chef, built a network of trusted cooks, and we had blast off. Then I got so big I'd just quit a job and created another one."

— Bub Villa

But here's the thing about building something from nothing: you learn that the building is the point. Not the money. Not the title. The process. Michael Gerber taught me about systems. Warren Buffett taught me about value. Gary Vee taught me about hustle. Steve Jobs taught me about signal over noise. And 40 years behind the line taught me that nothing replaces showing up.

Today I'm a culinary arts instructor, a ServSafe certified instructor, and a reserve deputy with the Cullman County Sheriff's Office (APOSTC certified). I'm married to my wife Kim — 23 years on November 30th — and we're raising our daughter Katie (14, barrel racer, force of nature) on our farm with four barrel horses and Dexter the donkey.

I run three brands: Chef N Staff (the flagship), EquiChef (where the kitchen meets the barn), and Katie Grace Equine (Katie's barrel racing program). I speak at events, consult for restaurants, certify food handlers, and still find time to cook dinner for my family every night. Because that's what it's all about.

Faith. Family. Food. Horses. In that order.

The Resume

40+ Years
Culinary World
APOSTC
Certified Deputy
23 Years
Married to Kim
Father
Katie, Age 14
Speaker
Nationwide
3 Brands
Entrepreneur
ServSafe
Certified Instructor
Instructor
Culinary Arts

Hats I Wear

Executive ChefCulinary InstructorServSafe InstructorReserve DeputySpeakerConsultantEntrepreneurHorse OwnerFatherHusbandChristian
The Portfolio

The Villa Brands

Three brands, one mission: build things that matter, serve people who deserve it, and leave everything better than I found it.

Chef N Staff

Chef N Staff

Born in the Kitchen. Built to Last.

The flagship. Started in 1999 out of pure desperation — looking out a kitchen window at a truck I couldn't drive, in a duplex I couldn't afford. I became a rental chef, built a network of trusted cooks, and we had blast off. Now it's a legacy of training, certifying, and inspiring. ServSafe certification ($229 individual / $195 group), culinary consulting, speaking engagements, and 40 years of kitchen expertise poured into every interaction.

Visit Chef N Staff

Services

  • ServSafe Certification
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Culinary Consulting
  • Hospitality Training
  • Private Chef Events
EquiChef

EquiChef

Where the Kitchen Meets the Barn

The crossover brand that nobody saw coming. 40 years of culinary precision applied to equine nutrition and care. When I started treating our feed room like a prep kitchen, everything changed. Custom feed programs designed like tasting menus, supplement protocols based on nutritional science, barn management systems built on the E-Myth, and farm-to-table events that celebrate both worlds.

Visit EquiChef

Services

  • Custom Feed Programs
  • Supplement Protocols
  • Barn Management
  • Farm-to-Table Events
  • Competition Prep Nutrition
Katie Grace Equine

Katie Grace Equine

Run Hard. Turn Fast. Trust Deep.

Katie's world. My 14-year-old daughter has been in the saddle since before she could walk. Now she's a competitive barrel racer with four horses and a donkey named Dexter who has more personality than most people. Katie Grace Equine offers barrel racing lessons, beginner horsemanship, competition prep, trail rides, and birthday parties on our Cullman County farm.

Visit Katie Grace Equine

Services

  • Barrel Racing Lessons
  • Beginner Horsemanship
  • Competition Prep
  • Trail Rides
  • Birthday Parties & Events
How I Think

My Playbook

The people I learn from. The ideas I live by. The signal in the noise.

Warren Buffett

Value Investing

Don't chase trends. Invest in things with real, lasting value. Whether it's a stock or a skill, compound interest works the same way.

Michael Gerber

The E-Myth

Work ON the business, not IN it. Build systems that run without you. Document everything. The franchise prototype isn't just for McDonald's.

Gary Vaynerchuk

Signal Over Noise

Cut through the BS. Focus on what actually moves the needle. Document, don't create. And never, ever complain about the hours.

Steve Jobs

Simplicity

Simple can be harder than complex. You have to work hard to get your thinking clean enough to make it simple. But it's worth it.

Will Guidara

Unreasonable Hospitality

Going above and beyond isn't a strategy — it's a way of life. Make people feel something. That's what they remember.

Les Brown

Hunger

You gotta be hungry. Not just for success — for growth, for impact, for being better today than you were yesterday.

What I Stand On

Core Values

Faith

Everything starts here. My relationship with God guides every decision I make — in business, in family, in life. I'm not perfect, but I'm pointed in the right direction. Faith isn't something I do on Sundays. It's the operating system.

Family

Kim. Katie. Our horses. Our farm. This is what I'm building for. Not for a number in a bank account — for the look on my daughter's face when she nails a barrel pattern, for the quiet mornings with my wife, for the life we've built together over 23 years.

Excellence

Good enough isn't. Whether it's a plate, a presentation, a feed program, or a conversation — do it right or don't do it. I learned this behind the line: mediocrity is the enemy, and it's contagious. Excellence is a habit, not an event.

Systems

Build it once, build it right, document it, and let it scale. Michael Gerber's E-Myth changed my life. I don't just work in my businesses — I work on them. Every process, every protocol, every system is designed to run without me standing over it.

Service

Whether I'm wearing a chef coat, a deputy badge, or a pair of boots in the barn — I'm here to serve. The culinary world taught me that hospitality isn't a job title. It's a way of seeing people and making them feel valued.

Hustle

I'm 53 years old and I still haven't figured out how to slow down. I just got smarter about what I pour the energy into. Gary Vee is right: there are no shortcuts. But there is leverage — and leverage comes from working smarter AND harder.

Let's Build Something

Whether it's a business conversation, a speaking engagement, a ServSafe class, or just swapping stories — I respond to every text personally.

Connect

Let's Talk

The fastest way to reach me is a text. Whether it's business, horses, food, faith, or just a good conversation — I respond personally to every message.

Text Me Now

Call or Text

(205) 901-6148

Location

Cullman County, Alabama