The synergy that Michael Blackwell and Lacy Bussey have developed at Chef's Kitchen, 1070 Clearlake Rd, can be tasted in every dish in the restaurant. The business started as an idea inspired by the siblings' grandmother. Michael and his grandmother regularly prayed over the idea of the restaurant, but unfortunately, she passed away in August of 2021. Her passing served as motivation to keep going and the restaurant opened less than a week later. The menu boasts popular soul food dishes like smothered pork chops, meatloaf, mac and cheese, and collard greens. When Chef's Kitchen moved into the old China Dragon location, the kitchen was equipped with a wok station.
Chef Michael has always been inspired by Asian cuisine and with the perfect kitchen he has started to expand the menu. Dishes like fried rice, beef and broccoli, and egg rolls can be found as specials on “Wok Wednesdays”, if you are in the mood for something other than soul food. The team is also working on bringing these two cuisines together, one of the fusion delicacies is called the soul roll, made up of cabbage, smothered pork chop, mac and cheese all rolled into a tasty egg roll.
The dynamic big brother/little sister team were the recipients of Cocoa's first Upstart Cocoa Small Business Forgivable Loan. After 6 months in business, they are refining and perfecting their business operations with the help of a team of mentors from weVENTURE, a nonprofit that specializes in helping small businesses successfully start and grow their business. Lacy notes without hesitation, “The weVENTURE training is going awesome! Any time we have a question or problem the mentorship team really cares, and they want to see us succeed.” They are receiving advice on financial items, social media/marketing, technical support, and lessons learned from a long time restaurant owner. Neither Michael nor Lacy come from backgrounds in business so one of the biggest takeaways they have received from weVENTURE is recording data and letting those numbers drive the business, from inventory to menu items. When asked if they think other entrepreneurs would find value in the weVENTURE program, Michael and Lacy exclaim in unison, “We would definitely recommend the weVENTURE program to other businesses!”
Order your favorites today by calling, stopping by, or ordering online. Chef's Kitchen is open Wednesday through Saturday 11 AM to 8 PM and Sundays 11 am to 7 PM. Just google Chef's Kitchen to order online or find the restaurant listed on Door Dash, Grub Hub, or Uber Eats. For catering or to place an order for pickup, call 321-806-4952.