From Getting Fired on His Son’s Birthday to Creating A Empire: Meet Chef Marlon “Chicken” Williams, Founder of Chicken’s Kitchen

#NOLAZINE - Sometimes losing a job can feel like the end of the road. For Chef Marlon “Chicken” Williams, it became part of a journey that eventually led him to entrepreneurship, national recognition and one of the New Orleans area's most talked-about soul-food restaurants.

Williams shared his story during an appearance on What’s Yo Story, discussing a journey that included being fired from his job on his son's birthday, selling food from home and ultimately becoming the owner of Chicken’s Kitchen. YouTube

A New Orleans Kid Who Learned to Cook at Home

Williams grew up in New Orleans' 9th Ward, where some of his earliest lessons in the kitchen came from his mother and grandmother. According to Chicken's Kitchen, he began catering in 2014 after a friend asked him to handle the food for a wedding. That opportunity helped turn something he loved doing into the beginning of a business. Chicken's Kitchen

But his path to restaurant ownership wasn't a traditional one.

Williams' story includes a moment many working parents can understand—the uncertainty that comes when a steady paycheck suddenly disappears. He has recounted being fired on his son's birthday, a setback that could have easily discouraged him.

Instead, he kept moving.

Selling Plates From Home

Williams began building his food business from home, using his cooking ability and social media to reach customers.

That foundation became especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. He operated a home-based food business, promoted his plates through Instagram and essentially created a drive-thru at his house. Customers responded, and the following he developed online helped demonstrate that there was real demand for his food. Chicken's Kitchen

It was entrepreneurship at its most basic level: cook good food, tell people where to find it and build relationships with customers one plate at a time.

Eventually, those plates being sold from home would lead to something much bigger.

Chicken’s Kitchen Opens Its Doors

On September 11, 2020, Williams officially opened Chicken's Kitchen. According to the restaurant, more than 90 cars were already waiting before noon on opening day. Chicken's Kitchen

Chicken's Kitchen developed its reputation around hearty Louisiana and Southern comfort food, with rotating selections that have included fried chicken, catfish, turkey necks, ribs, greens, cabbage, candied yams and the restaurant's signature Five Star Mac. EVANS CUTCHMORE PRESS

The same social-media strategy that helped Williams sell food from home continued helping the restaurant grow. Lines became part of the Chicken's Kitchen experience, and Williams' personality became closely connected with the brand.

But the biggest validation would eventually come from outside Louisiana.

From Home Plates to National Recognition

In 2022, Chicken's Kitchen was selected for The New York Times' list of 50 restaurants in America the publication was most excited about. Chicken's Kitchen

Then, in 2024, Williams reached another milestone when the James Beard Foundation named him a semifinalist for Best Chef: South. That recognition placed a self-taught New Orleans chef who had once sold plates from home among acclaimed culinary talent from across the South. Chicken's Kitchen

Chicken's Kitchen also won Best Use of Chicken in a Dish at the 2024 National Fried Chicken Festival, while Williams was later recognized among Gambit's 40 Under 40 honorees in 2025. Chicken's Kitchen

Think about that journey.

Fired from a job.

Selling plates from home.

Building an audience on Instagram.

Opening a restaurant.

Making a New York Times national restaurant list.

Becoming a James Beard Award semifinalist.

The progression didn't happen overnight, but each stage helped build the next.

Success That Gives Back

Williams' story also goes beyond making money and receiving awards.

Chicken's Kitchen has made community involvement part of its identity. Through its efforts to feed local children, the restaurant reports providing more than 10,000 free meals to kids, along with additional support for young people in the Greater New Orleans area. Chicken's Kitchen

That community connection is important because Chicken's Kitchen was built largely through community support in the first place.

Williams has turned that support into a recognizable local brand while continuing to emphasize the people who helped make the business successful.

Turning a Setback Into Leverage

Chef Marlon Williams' story is an example of how an unexpected setback can force someone to discover an opportunity they may never have pursued otherwise.

Getting fired didn't immediately make him a successful restaurateur.

He still had to cook.

He still had to sell.

He still had to market himself.

He still had to convince customers to spend their money with him.

And then he had to consistently deliver something good enough to make those customers return.

That process transformed a man selling plates into the entrepreneur behind Chicken's Kitchen.

Today, the story isn't simply about a restaurant. It's about what can happen when talent, social media, consistency, community support and entrepreneurship come together.

Chef Marlon “Chicken” Williams went from getting fired on his son's birthday to feeding customers from his home—and eventually building Chicken's Kitchen into a nationally recognized restaurant brand.

Sometimes the opportunity isn't the job you lost.

It's the business you're forced to build next.

Watch Chef Marlon Williams tell his story on What’s Yo Story Episode #141: Watch the full interview on YouTube