Marcus Samuelsson is no stranger to opening his kitchen to like-minded chefs. Samuelsson, who was born in Ethiopia and grew up in Sweden, is best known for his Harlem establishment, Red Rooster, as well as multiple books and television appearances. His restaurant in Old Fourth Ward, Marcus Bar & Grille, opened in March 2023, and the chef says Atlanta “had been on [his] radar for a long time as a world-class metropolis of Black culture.”
This Wednesday, February 21, Marcus Bar & Grille will welcome chefs from Charleston, South Carolina, for one of the first Heinz Black Kitchen Initiative Open Kitchen pop-ups. As Open Kitchen’s partnering chef, Samuelsson hosted chefs from a Virginia restaurant, Foode + Mercantile, at Red Rooster last December. He looks forward to this month’s collaboration with Lorraine “Moma” Smalls and Antwan “Cake Daddy” Smalls from the soul food establishment My Three Sons in North Charleston, South Carolina.
“Opening a restaurant is tough — from raising the capital to spreading the word once you’re open, every aspect presents unique challenges,” Samuelsson says. “I’m humbled to not only have the opportunity to help provide resources and exposure for the Black Kitchen Initiative grantees but to simply cook alongside these talented chefs and share their work with others.”
The Open Kitchen program is Heinz’s first series of restaurant pop-ups, and the honor includes “a strong exposure platform to take businesses to the next level.” The Smalls duo was selected for the opportunity based on a pool of grantees within the Black Kitchen Initiative, also known as “rising chefs,” according to Megan Lang, head of brand communications for Heinz North America.
Lang adds that the city of Atlanta is home to several past…
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