Ford Fry (born June 17, 1969) is an American

chef A chef is a professional Cook (profession), cook and tradesperson who is proficient in all aspects of outline of food preparation, food preparation, often focusing on a particular cuisine. The word "chef" is derived from the term (), the di ...

and

restaurateur A restaurateur is a person who opens and runs restaurants professionally. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who owns a restaurant, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspe ...

based in Atlanta, Georgia. He owns 23 restaurants across the US including 13 restaurants in Georgia, three restaurants in Houston, two in Charlotte and two in Nashville. Fry's portfolio of restaurants includes JCT. Kitchen & Bar, no. 246, The Optimist, St. Cecilia, Little Rey, Superica, Marcel State of Grace, BeetleCat, and La Lucha. Several of Fry's restaurants have received various accolades. In October 2015, ''

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'' described Fry as "one of the most prolific chefs and restaurateurs" in the United States. In March 2021, Atlanta Eats dubbed Fry "a peerless restaurateur with many beloved brands."

Biography

Fry was raised in Texas and in his early life he studied at the

New England Culinary Institute The New England Culinary Institute (NECI) was a private for-profit culinary school in Montpelier, Vermont. It was open for 40 years before shutting down as result of the COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the ...

in Vermont. He then worked as a chef in

fine dining Fine dining is a restaurant experience that is typically more sophisticated, special, and expensive than at a typical restaurant. The décor of such restaurants features higher-quality materials, with establishments having certain rules of din ...

in the U.S. states of Florida, Colorado, California, and Georgia. In January 2007, he based himself in Atlanta and opened his first restaurant, the JCT. Kitchen & Bar. Fry currently resides in

Roswell, Georgia Roswell is a city in northern Fulton County, Georgia, United States. At the official 2020 census, the city had a population of 92,883, making Roswell the state's ninth largest city. A suburb of Atlanta, Roswell has an affluent National Registe ...

, with his wife and two sons. In his spare time, he enjoys playing guitar and spending time with his family.

Accolades

Fry was a semifinalist for the 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017

James Beard Foundation The James Beard Foundation is an American non-profit culinary arts organization based in New York City. It was named after James Beard, a food writer, teacher, and cookbook author. Its programs include guest-chef dinners to scholarships for asp ...

Outstanding Restaurateur Award. Eater Atlanta named Fry as the "Empire Builder of the Year" in 2013, and Fry also won the Georgia Restaurant Association's seventh annual Crystal of Excellence (GRACE) Award for Restaurateur of the Year in 2013. The Optimist restaurant was selected as ''

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'' magazine's Best New Restaurant of the Year in 2012. Fry has been asked to cook at the

James Beard James Andrews Beard (May 5, 1903 – January 21, 1985) was an American chef, cookbook author, teacher and television personality. He pioneered television cooking shows, taught at The James Beard Cooking School in New York City and Seaside ...

house numerous times. and ''

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'' named the restaurant one of the 50 best new restaurants in the world. ''

Bon Appetit Bon or Bön (), also known as Yungdrung Bon (, ), is the indigenous Tibetan religion which shares many similarities and influences with Tibetan Buddhism.Samuel 2012, pp. 220–221. It initially developed in the tenth and eleventh centuries but ...

'' magazine named it the #7 best new restaurant in America in 2013. ''Esquire'' magazine named King + Duke restaurant as one of the best new restaurants of 2013. In 2017 the firm that designed St. Cecilia, Meyer Davis, won the James Beard award for Outstanding Restaurant Design in North America (76 seats and over).

Biography

Accolades

References

Further reading