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

Hi Jaaion, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I grew tired of working 50-60 hours a week for what I thought was minimum pay. I was also tired of being fired for the pettiest reasons. Ultimately, I felt that I could leverage my own abilities, which would put me in a better situation. Even if I wasn’t making much in the beginning, at least I had the freedom to seek other opportunities and build professional relationships on my own merit.

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 have been cooking in restaurants all of my life. I first started at 17, then I eventually got a Hotel/Restaurant Management degree from Grambling State University. From there, I went on to get a Culinary Arts degree from Le Cordon Bleu. It definitely was not easy, I overcame obstacles by staying and even getting a second if need be to make ends meet. Over the years, I have taken great pride in sharing my New Orleans cuisine with people all over the world. One of my biggest accomplishments is speaking at the White House for their Annual HBCU Summit.

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.
This is bittersweet for me because my best friend just recently passed away. If he was here, I would take him to Jackson Street Bridge first, then Ponce City Market. Food wise, I would definitely say Eclipse De Luna, Wings 101, Iberian Pig, Red Pepper, and Rob’s Caribbean Cafe. Of course I would cook because there’s no place in the city to consistently get good cajun food just yet. I’m big on good food and good views so that would be my North Star throughout his visit.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to thank every single person that has ever enjoyed my food in person or food content through social media post.

Instagram: chefjaaion

Youtube: chefjaaion

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutAtlanta is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.