Meet DeCoda and Jonathan Reese of Coda’s Kitchen in East- Stone Mountain

Today we’d like to introduce you to DeCoda and Jonathan Reese.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My husband and I were both chefs working in the industry. He was an Executive Chef at a tavern and I was an Executive Sous Chef & Catering Director for a food-service management company. Ironically, we both, within a month of each other, we went our separate ways with our employers. At that time, we decided to put our focus into building a business of our own and decided to start a family catering company. It has always been a dream of ours to work for ourselves and to be able to work together again.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
No, it hasn’t been easy at all. The Atlanta food scene is huge and social media has given us hidden gems, the ability to showcase our talents without having a standing restaurant. The cons of that is, you’re taking a risk of someone wanting to trust you and try something new. It’s a lot of competition out here and you have to have an amazing product for people to want what you’re selling. Also, getting the compensation for what you believe you’re worth, and that’s a big battle you face as an entrepreneur.

We started out slow for the first few months but slowly through our following on social media and by word of mouth from the support of family and friends, business started to pick up and we were able to cater corporate dining events, social events, private dinners, brunch events, bridal showers, and the list goes on. Over time, we have built a larger base and our continuing to build our brand but in this industry, you have to stay positive because you will have some good days and some bad days as well. It’s not easy but for us, it’s worth the risk because we know the amount of love and passion for what we do is real and our customers can tell that through our food and service.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
We are personal chefs who are redefining the way of food production and hospitality. We offer culinary services that range from catering small intimate events as bridal &baby showers, bachelor/bachelorette events, birthday, anniversary, to corporate dining events: social hour, happy hour, seated and plated dinners of that nature. We also provide private & group cooking demonstrations and weekly meal planning services. When we’re not busy catering events, we host local pop-ups to our social media family where those who want to dine with us can pick up dinner or have it delivered.

Our specialty ranges, being that I’m from Jamaica but raised in the south and my husband is from the west coast. Our style is more of a Caribbean & Southern Fusion. With a mixture of Jamaican, Southern & Contemporary dishes, we’re known for our signature Jerk Chicken, that’s marinated for 24 hours before hitting the smoker, Beef brisket, our 5 cheese mac & cheese, the Jack Daniels Peach Cobbler and a whole lot more.

We pride ourselves on being true to the ingredients and our clients. We don’t take shortcuts with anything we do from food to service. We’re using as many local items so that you are getting the best quality of what we present. We are chefs who take the initiative of making sure the client’s needs are met, and that we exceeded their expectations. The end result is we want customers to come back and retain their business for life and also tell a friend about the service they received. That’s what sets us apart from others, we’re very personable and try to accommodate as much as we can within reason and if we can’t, we’re honest.

What were you like growing up?
Jonathan:
I grew up in Seattle, WA and played sports all year round from the time I was a child up until college. I was always interested in cooking from the time I was young and that developed into a passion for me. I taught himself how to cook when I was 10 years old by watching my mother and coming home and practicing when no one was around. It was then I decided during college that he didn’t want to play sports anymore and moved to Atlanta to attend culinary school, graduating from Le Cordon Bleu in 2009.

DeCoda:
I was born in Jamaica and moved to the states in the late 90s. I was an active, bubbly kid, the class clown that couldn’t sit still and had the energy for days and found cooking to be an outlet for taking all that energy and putting it into a dish. I would sometimes stay inside rather than play with my friends and watch my mom cook and when she left for work, imitate what she did. I got away with it for some time until she noticed food was disappearing and caught me cooking at the age of nine. I knew then that’s what I always wanted to do. Food always brought my family together and I couldn’t remember being served a bad meal at home so it was a given. After high school, I attended the Art Institute of Atlanta and graduated in 2009.

I worked in the industry through college and after graduation, worked my way through the positions of the kitchen to where I am now.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ckATL.com
• Phone: 6787873836
• Email: codaskitchen@gmail.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/codaskitchenatl
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/itsCoda

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