Local StoriesMay 22, 2023

Meet Kendra Bates

Local Stories

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Kendra Bates. Kendra was introduced to us by the brilliant and talented Mark Davis Jr.

Kendra, thank you so much for joining us today. We’d love for you to bring our readers up to speed – can you introduce yourself and share your story?
I am the founder of HoniiSoul Personal Chef Services. I have always been a “Chef” at heart. As a child I would mix all types of concoctions together to see what the outcome would be. Coming from a rich family background of amazing cooks and chefs. I first fell in love with food and everything food related at the tender age of 9, when I discovered a cookbook that my beloved grandmother gifted my mother. I began experimenting with omelets, and the rest is history. I got my first job at 14 a few days away from 15 at the Waffle House. I hated it there but I continued my journey in the culinary field and grew into someone that I’m quite proud of today.

I attended a few culinary programs in community college and eventually graduated from LE CORDON BLEU COLLEGE OF CULINARY Tucker, GA in 2014. I began my career interning for the illustrious Cherokee Town And Country Club in Atlanta, GA. I’ve also worked for some other well-noted culinary operations in the Atlanta areas. My work in the industry really evolved and was honed upon meeting Chef Mark Davis whom unknowingly became my mentor and brother Chef. He hired me fresh out of culinary school at Portrait on a Plate. This was a crazy experience for me because I applied to be a private chef but to my surprise he placed me as a chef teaching cooking classes. This experience helped me to work on a lot of skills that I needed to grow in and hence a better chef today. I later established HoniiSoul Personal Chef’s Services as a way to bring my passion for food, people and create strong bonds of love, peace, harmony, and SOUL through Luxurious Culinary Experiences!

Please tell us more about your brand, Honisoul Personal Chef Services
I’m a Personal Chef. Yet I do so much more I bring creative experiences to food. I specialize and am known for my Dinner for 2 Experiences. I’m proud that I get to bring the Intimate side of food to many that has never experienced it. I fully cater to my Honiisoul family and I absolutely love to bring the small details to my clients with just great tasting food. What sets me apart from other personal chefs is my great understanding for flavors and how to put them together. My creativity with food as well as my love for bringing memories to loved one is what also differentiate me others. It’s not just about food it’s everything ambience, lighting, music, Decor, service, and establishing a personal as well as professional relationship with my clients.

Mark Davis Jr and MMD Hospitality Group “Atl Fusion BBQ” have been great to us and I know you’ve got a great relationship with them as well. Maybe you can tell our audience a bit about Mark Davis Jr and MMD Hospitality Group “Atl Fusion BBQ” and your experience with them.
Chef Mark and I met in 2014 when I was fresh out of culinary school with only a handful of jobs in the culinary industry under my belt applied to his company to be a personal chef. I remember going to his company for a interview/stage cooked for him and was hired on the spot. I was terrified because I could cook very well but my presentation sucked. Chef Mark not only hired me but he threw me into a totally different position teaching cooking classes. This was a shock to me and I was extremely intimidated by this position but he took me under his wing and still to this day we go into that kitchen at Portrait on a Plate and make magic together along with our other brother Chef OSean. I was there on the day Chef Mark and Marcia Davis got the call that they got the space for their infamous Atl Fusion BBQ. That was a wonderful and inspiring experience to see people that I admired and looked up to grow due to hard work and dedication.

Chef Mark and his wife Marcia are truly inspiring, uplifting, and very encouraging to any chef that is aspiring to move into business. They have mentored and coached me in my business and just seeing them push is great motivation for me to continue to move and through my business.

I still work with the two in there businesses and Chef Mark comes when I ask as well. As we continue to move forward. I hope that we all grow together and continue to flourish in business as a family.