Ina Garten's First Food Business Was In Her Dorm Room

When you think of renowned chef Ina Garten, you might picture her sipping wine in the Hamptons over a pot of Tuscan white bean soup or making her husband Jeffrey another sophisticated, five-star dessert. Yet, long before the making of Ina Garten's fan-favorite recipes, the renowned author and chef was just a normal girl hoping to graduate from college with very little money to spare. In her junior year at Syracuse University, Garten married her husband Jeffrey at the tender age of 20. 

Once the wedding and honeymoon came and went, Garten returned to school, hoping to pass her final exams. In her recently published memoir, "Be Ready When the Luck Happens," Garten recounts her first foray into the food business as a senior in college. Believe it or not, due to her own sheer fortitude — along with the help of Dunkin' Donuts — Garten was able to overcome a forgotten debt within the confines of her dorm room.

Upon returning to Syracuse for finals, Garten forgot she had to pay the bill for a $100 fur blanket she had ordered earlier that year. Instead of using her allotted spending money from Jeffrey, Garten came up with a brilliant solution to sell individual Dunkin' Donuts at a markup. Thankfully, there were plenty of students in desperate need of sustenance during finals prep. On the cusp of graduation, Garten's quick thinking and creative problem solving gave her the courage she needed to tackle life's obstacles with food and grace.  

If you're wondering how Ina Garten became the iconic Barefoot Contessa, she threw herself at life's obstacles wholeheartedly and wasn't afraid to take the route less traveled. Her experience selling Dunkin' Donuts to earn money on a whim was, in her own words from her recently published memoir, "an 'I Love Lucy' solution" that showcased her intrinsic ability to think outside of the box. When Garten married Jeffrey in 1968, most women were forced to decide between a financially stable career or living life as a homemaker. However, Garten was committed to paving her own way and creating a new way of life — one where she could make elaborate dinners for her husband and also pursue a career in the food industry.

Upon purchasing local shop "The Barefoot Contessa" in 1978, Garten left her position as a federal government employee and started over, allowing her love for food and everything that comes with it to take the lead. She faced long hours and many challenges that she often had to solve in the spur of the moment. In discussing the recent publication of her new book, Garten told NPR, "I think I'm not happy if I don't have a challenge that I think I can't meet." It's pretty fitting; after all, while Garten has since produced countless delicious recipes and several cookbooks, her foray into food-related problem solving all started in a Syracuse University dorm room.