Heinz Black Kitchen Initiative aims to elevate Black culinary creators by providing resources, support, and opportunities for growth in the food industry. Through this program, Heinz is committed to fostering diversity and inclusivity within the culinary world, empowering Black chefs to showcase their talent and creativity on a broader platform. By amplifying Black voices and celebrating their unique perspectives, Heinz Black Kitchen Initiative is helping to enrich the culinary landscape and inspire future generations of chefs.
The Open Kitchen Series took 2 of these chefs and let them take over Celebrity Chef - Marcus Samuelsson’s iconic Red Rooster (in Harlem) and new Marcus Bar + Grill in Atlanta, GA.
My role was a bit of everything - from setting up tickets, to decorating space, coordinating entertainment, working with the different restaurant general managers to put on each event (2 table seatings of 100-125 people per seating). Each dinner was completed with 5-7 courses, live entertainment, speeches, influencers + speciality cocktails. Our Atlanta event sold out in less than 24 hours.
I worked hand + hand with the chefs and Marcus’s team to put on a once-in-a-lifetime experience for not only the visiting chefs, but the dinner guests themselves.
