Chef Art Smith went from living in rural Florida to the heights of the culinary worldChef Art Smith is known across the country and around the world for his cooking, but he started out his life in the little-known, rural town of Jasper, Florida.
Owner of Brothers-N-Arms BBQ brings Marine skills to his Central Florida food truckJoel Dawson, owner of Brothers-N-Arms BBQ, has cooked meals in some of the most extreme situations a person can imagine.
Eric Godfrey followed a winding path from comedy to opening Bacon King USA in St. CloudEric Godfrey has a long and varied resume that starts in the world of stand-up comedy and leads to his gourmet bacon business, Bacon King U.S.A.
Phat Ash Bakes expands a year after opening Orlando brick-and-mortar shopAshley D’Acunto and her husband Israel Erazo have not slowed down since they first opened Phat Ash Bakes three years ago.
Central Florida snack company Major’s Project Pop puts people over profitChauniqua Major, who goes by Major, never really liked the name of her popcorn business, Project Pop.
Owners of Tapped share a love of jiu-jitsu that inspired their Florida-made hot saucesJae Lee and Jason Rom spend their days as software engineers but in their downtime, they have to two passions: jiu-jitsu and making and selling hot sauces and chili oils.
Q’s Crackin’ Crab serves up ‘soulful seafood’ in Cocoa BeachQuinisha "Q" Bredwood took a big risk opening her restaurant in Cocoa Beach right at the height of the pandemic.
Salt & Straw brings funky ice cream flavors to Disney SpringsA little more than a decade after opening a small ice cream cart in Portland, Oregon, Kim and Tyler Malek have built a small frozen treat empire that stretches from coast to coast.
Founder of GigPro talks changing landscape of the restaurant industryYears spent working in kitchens do not typically lead to a career inside the tech sector, but Ben Ellsworth managed to do it, founding a company aimed at helping restaurants deal with unexpected staffing shortages.
Brother Jimmy’s proprietor shares unexpected journey to restaurant ownershipWhen Mike Daquino moved to Florida from New York, he did not plan on running a restaurant.
St. Vic’s Smoke Shack brings barbecue to Orlando’s growing Packing DistrictWess St. Victor started making barbecue the same way many people do, right in his backyard.
Florida Foodie: Enas Gebaly found ‘magic’ in bakingThe pandemic forced people all across the country out of their jobs, which is a story Enas Gebaly knows well.
Neighborhood Fridge offers innovative solution to fighting hunger in OrlandoThat experience of going without pushed Katherine Franco toward helping others in need.
Lé Koopé brings farm-fresh eggs to Central Florida at a reasonable priceAs egg costs soar across the country, Mussette Gonzalez is keeping her prices right where they are.
Bagel Boy’s owner is building a business in Clermont for his childrenBill Caldecutt is primarily an academic, working as a professor at Polk State College, but he also grew up working with his father doing pool repairs in New York.
Kitchen Savior’s owner learned love of cooking from his grandmotherSevarrest Allen, the chef and owner of Kitchen Savior, started learning how to cook at the age of 8.
Florida Foodie: 1 of Olive Garden’s founders dishes on his 40 year careerDave Manuchia may not be a household name, but he has played a huge role in the restaurant industry for the past 40 years.
Operator of Cholo Dogs is slinging Mexican-inspired ‘weens’ all across OrlandoJordan Eichenblatt will tell you that he is not the owner of Cholo Dogs, he's the operator of the business.
Florida Foodie: Yaupon Brothers wants to change how you think about teaVirtually all of the tea consumed by Americans comes from somewhere else, but Bryon White wants to change that.
Florida Foodie: From frat brothers to business partners, owners of Viet-Nomz share success storyChris Chen, Phil Nguyen and Mike Cho all met in college as members of the same fraternity.
Florida Foodie: Founder of GigPro talks changing landscape of the restaurant industryYears spent working in kitchens do not typically lead to a career inside the tech sector, but Ben Ellsworth managed to do it, founding a company aimed at helping restaurants deal with unexpected staffing shortages.
Florida Foodie: ‘Food nerd’ behind Red Panda Noodle goes deep talking cuisineEliot Hillis has thought a lot about noodles.
Florida Foodie: Ice Ice Dreyton food truck is a lesson in responsibility for its ownerDreyton McDonald runs his own business, but he's not quite his own boss just yet.
Florida Foodie: Brother Jimmy’s proprietor shares unexpected journey to restaurant ownershipWhen Mike Daquino moved to Florida from New York, he did not plan on running a restaurant.
Florida Foodie: Owners of Tapped share how a love of jiu-jitsu inspired their hot saucesJae Lee and Jason Rom spend their days as software engineers but in their downtime, they have to two passions: jiu-jitsu and making and selling hot sauces and chili oils.
Florida Foodie: Owner of Rollin’ Dough, The Knot talks balancing a growing business with familyCarling Ponder, the owner of Rollin' Dough and The Knot, always has her hands full.
Florida Foodie hosts look back at some of their favorite interviewsFlorida Foodie has been running since May 2019, sharing conversations with some of the state's premier chefs, small business owners, activists and CEOs who work daily to feed Floridians.
Florida Foodie: Dave Manuchia, 1 of Olive Garden’s founders, dishes on his 40 year careerDave Manuchia may not be a household name, but he has played a huge role in the restaurant industry for the past 40 years.
Florida Foodie: Salt & Straw brings funky ice cream flavors to Central FloridaA little more than a decade after opening a small ice cream cart in Portland, Oregon, Kim and Tyler Malek have built a small frozen treat empire that stretches from coast to coast.
Florida Foodie: Thai Farm Kitchen brings culinary tradition to OrlandoTraditional cuisine is very important to Jess and Elizabeth Calvo, the owners of Thai Farm Kitchen.
Florida Foodie: Dharma Southern Kitchen looks to bring vegan food to the massesA high school girlfriend first introduced Shaun Noonan to the idea of switching to a vegan diet, but it's a lifestyle that has come to define his life's work.
Florida Foodie: Yaupon Bros. wants to change how you think about teaVirtually all of the tea consumed by Americans comes from somewhere else, but Bryon White wants to change that.
Florida Foodie: Founder of GigPro talks changing landscape of the restaurant industryYears spent working in kitchens do not typically lead to a career inside the tech sector, but Ben Ellsworth managed to do it, founding a company aimed at helping restaurants deal with unexpected staffing shortages.
Florida Foodie: Social media success takes Phat Ash Bakes from home business to brick-and-mortarAshley D'Acunto says she has always enjoyed baking for fun, but when the pandemic hit she suddenly found herself with more time on her hands.
Florida Foodie: Wondermade gets ready to celebrate 10 years of love, marshmallowsNathan and Jenn Clark have spent nearly 10 years churning out marshmallows from their business, Wondermade, in Sanford.
Florida Foodie: Major’s Project Pop puts people over profitChauniqua Major-Lous, who goes by Major, never really liked the name of her popcorn business, Project Pop.
Florida Foodie: Meet the Black chefs, business owners and advocates featured so farBlack History Month is a time to recognize the accomplishments and contributions of Black Americans to our nation’s heritage and culture.
Florida Foodie: Richard Blais dishes on his journey from McDonald’s to celebrity chefChef, restaurateur and author Richard Blais’ culinary journey started when he was just a teenager.
Florida Foodie: Table Ghost Kitchen owners find success with savvy social mediaHinge is not normally where one goes to start a business relationship, but that's how Ryan McKenzie and Stevie Andujar got their start.
Florida Foodie: Alex Diaz fights his way to success with Alex’s Fresh KitchenStarting his own restaurant has been something of an uphill battle for Alex Diaz.
Florida Foodie: Shereece Mitchell’s bodybuilding journey became an effort to fight food insecurityShareece Mitchell transformed her life, and her health, and she wants to do the same for others.
Florida Foodie: Enas Gebaly found ‘magic’ in bakingThe pandemic forced people all across the country out of their jobs, which is a story Enas Gebaly knows well.
Florida Foodie: Andrew Scala turns pop-up success into brick-and-mortar businessA long-time food obsession became a business for Andrew Scala during the pandemic and now he's getting ready to take that business to the next level.
Florida Foodie: Ricky Ly is a civil engineer by day, food blogger by nightRicky Ly's day job as a civil engineer has pretty much nothing to do with food, so he had to go online to express his passion for cuisine.
Florida Foodie: Frank Bailey of Grow Orlando teaches kids skills to fight ‘food apartheid’ in Central FloridaFrank Bailey began his professional career as a teacher but says he’s spent most of his life working in farming and landscaping.
Florida Foodie: Black Bee Honey provides business experience for Orlando teensThe city of Orlando started its Kidz Zone service in the Parramore neighborhood with the intent of improving the well-being of the children who live in that area.
Florida Foodie: Restaurateur Thomas Ward looks to build new brands in Orlando’s food sceneThomas Ward owns Pig Floyd’s Urban Barbacoa in Orlando, which has a loyal following, but he freely admits his passion is not in cooking.
Florida Foodie: Couple behind Zymarium mead share their love of fermented honeyGinger and Joe Leigh love to talk about mead.
Florida Foodie: Edible Education Experience offers a seed-to-table look at foodEdible Education Experience works to offer kids and adults a different perspective on the food they eat.
Florida Foodie: Couple works to get more Central Floridians eating local produceThe Farmacy can bring meat, veggies and fruit right to your doorstep.
Florida Foodie: Henry Moso went from dishwasher to nationally recognized chefChef Henry Moso came to the U.S. at 16 from Laos and in less than 15 years he has grown into a nationally recognized chef and restauranteur.
Florida Foodie: Suzannah Otis finds the best plant-based food for guests at Walt Disney WorldMore Americans are eating less meat, according to a recent Gallup poll, and that has become Suzannah Otis’ bread and non-dairy butter substitute.
Florida Foodie: Chef Mike Collantes is building a collective in Orlando’s food sceneChef Mike Collantes is quickly growing his "Taglish Collective" despite the challenges he's faced during the pandemic.
Florida Foodie: Desiree Noisette sells audacity in a bottleDesiree Noisette, the owner of Mermosa, is the first, Black, female vintner in Florida.
Florida Foodie: Fight for $15 advocate talks about pandemic’s impact on food service workersCristian Cardona, a McDonald's worker and Fight for $15 advocate, shares what it is like working in the fast-food industry through the pandemic.
Florida Foodie: Professional eaters Randy Santel and Katina DeJarnett take on Florida’s food challengesRandy Santel and Katina DeJarnett are a couple who tour the country taking on food challenges at restaurants, then posting the results on YouTube.
Florida Foodie: Grassroots effort to get food to people in need during the pandemicKaren Zielke from the Chuluota Free Vegetable Distribution shares the story of how her grassroots push to feed people turned into a community effort.