Meet Chenelle Bragg | Chef Chenelle Monique

We had the good fortune of connecting with Chenelle Bragg and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chenelle, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
My desire of starting a food business came from the joy that I felt when I baked or cooked food for others and they enjoyed it. Baking was my first love, so whenever I was sad or needed a pick me up, I would bake, and it instantly made me feel better.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I started off as a Private Chef for a few NFL and NBA players, creating different types of cuisine and meal plans for them. I slowly transitioned into a vegan/plant based lifestyle and offered that option to my players as well. I then decided there weren’t enough vegan options in the city of Charlotte so I decided to open my own, offering comfort vegan food as well as a few healthier options. My journey was not easy and is still quite challenging at times. I have learned a ton of lessons and I am still learning as I continue to build my brand. Some of the lessons I’ve learned, you can’t please everybody in this industry, no matter how hard you try, someone is not going to be happy with something, and out of that lesson I also learned another lesson, and that is to not take anything personal. I want the world to know that I offer delicious vegan cuisine with a twist and freshly baked cakes and cookies. I am working on a few things that I won’t go into details just yet, but just know when it does come to fruition, it will be a pleasant surprise.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
So to be totally transparent, I am a HOMEBODY! I do not go out often, however if I did have an out of town visitor I would take them to Stats Bar and Grill for some great drinks, music and food. I love to sing, so I would also take them out to Noda 101 a karaoke bar. I would then suggest checking out Oh My Soul, this is another vegan restaurant that has indoor and outdoor seating and live music at times. After all that partying we would definitely visit Crowders Mountain for some hiking and meditation. That would be about it. Pretty simple.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are 3 individuals that I give credit to, the first one would be Chef James Robinson. A very talented Chef based out of the D.C, area. He was the first person that inspired me to venture into the Professional sector or cooking. He showed me what I did want to do and didn’t want to do when it came to being a Chef, he is the person responsible for connecting me to some of the NFL players I’ve cooked for. The second person would be Lorri Lofton. Lorri always believed in my product and has always been a huge support when it came to my business. Whether it was words of encouragement, purchasing and posting my food or constantly referring me when it came to events or networking. Third person would be Chef Sam Diminich. He has constantly had my back since I’ve met him. He’s another person who would always mention my name in a room full of opportunity.

Website: www.bestofbothsouls.com

Instagram: bestofbothsoulsclt