Doerr shares his culinary skills in his hometown
By Eric A Thomas
Photos/Special to The Source
Everyone faces decisions about what to do after high school. One local resident started working in the food industry while still a student at Jacksonville High School and is planning his own savory future.
Like a lot of young people, Logan Doerr started working when he was 16. He started working in local restaurants and with his love for food, it always felt like home.
“Even though I was content doing this kind of work, I really wasn’t sure what I wanted to do when I graduated,” he commented. “While I was working at Charlie’s Coffee and Cones, I received some great advice.”
While talking with his then boss Kerry Kvorka, Doerr was convinced to give culinary school a try. “From there, my hunger to become a chef kept growing,” he stated. “I started checking into different culinary schools.” He ultimately decided to attend Lincoln Land Community College, where he majored in their culinary arts program and received his diploma in December 2023.
During his course work he had to complete an internship. “Lucky for me I was able to do that where I was employed at The Jacksonville Country Club,” remarked Doerr. One thing that excites this new chef is that there are always new things to learn in the industry.
This fresh chef knows there is more to this career than just cooking. It calls for creativity, leadership and passion. While perusing TV or social media he would come across something that got him fired up in the kitchen, ready to try something new. Sometimes ideas even come to him in dreams, he said.
Doerr’s leadership skills have been seen in the kitchen, at school, on the soccer field and even in interactions with his siblings. “I have always wanted to step up and take responsibility,” he added. When he started culinary school, passion overtook him and he always wanted to fix the meals for his family.
Doerr would like to publicly thank several people that have helped him get started on his dream in the culinary world. First of all, there are a few he counts as mentors: Kvorka, Kenny Floyd, JR Rivers and Richie Frederick.
“The restaurant industry can be very demanding with long days, late nights, constant stress and missing time with one’s family,” Doerr concluded. “I especially want to thank my biggest supporters, my mom and dad — April and Shawn Doerr. I also want to thank my brother Braden, my sister Madilynn, best friend Keaton and girlfriend Anabel.”
Recently, he stepped down as the sous chef at Jacksonville Country Club to join the crew at The Corner Deli here in Jacksonville. A long-term goal for Doerr is to open his own restaurant.
