rowing up in Kinston, North Carolina, Jemel Sutton discovered his love for cooking at a young age, watching his granny create meals for the family. “That’s who really inspired me to start cooking,” Jemel says. “I used to cook full-course meals on my own for my brother and sister at 7 or 8 years old, making all the foods my granny taught me how to cook. I would fry chicken, and I would bake chicken, and I was really good at making burgers.” She also showed him the secrets to her cabbage, greens, macaroni and cheese and pork. Stepping into the food business was serendipitous. Jemel, who earned his undergrad degree at UNC, started by bringing plates of food to Ephesus Elementary School where his wife, Danielle Sutton, was assistant principal. “After doing it one time, people started asking for it,” Jemel says. In 2012, Jemel was invited to cook for a Christmas party of 100 people by someone at the school, which led to continuous requests for him to cater other events. “It just sort of
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chapelhillmagazine.com
July/August 2024
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