Chef Hank Reid Joins Me Today On The Show

 Chef Hank Reid Hank Reid is the Founder and Executive Director of Trinity Community Culinary Institutes, Inc. a non-profit organization purposed to establish an educational and creative learning program, offering classroom instruction, seminars, workshops and employment training to the local community in a recreational environment in the area of Culinary Arts. The foundation of TCCI is strengthened upon the desire to support the everyday challenges parents face to help their young adult sons and daughters transition into self-sufficient, productive adults.

​In 1990 Chef Hank made the transition from the Architectural Engineering field to pursue his underlying passion for Culinary Arts. While studying Mathematics at Clark-Atlanta University as a Dual Degree Major he combined his entrepreneurial spirit and his culinary skills and starting a catering business from his dorm room. Armed with only a hot plate and a toaster oven Chef Hank realized he had the gift to do a lot with very little. A true Southerner from Griffin Georgia, a small town forty miles south of Atlanta, Chef Hank began to worry less about how he would fund his education in the engineering field and more about how he could explore his talent for cooking. Rather than totally abandoning a career in Engineering, Chef Hank transferred to Southern Polytechnic in Marietta, GA to pursue an Architectural degree while working in the Baking and Pastry department of the Atlanta Hilton and Towers in downtown Atlanta.

Unable to share his love for Culinary Arts with the pursuit of an Architectural degree, Chef Hank made a full commitment to his passion and enrolled in the Culinary Arts program at the Art Institute of Atlanta and accepted a part-time position at a prestigious fine dining establishment, Carbo s Café and a full-time position with Houston s as a lead production Chef. As Chef Hank excelled in and earned his degree at the Art Institute, he took an active handson learning approach to his training by working through the ranks of a popular string of Liberty House Restaurant Group establishments; OK Café, Blue Ridge Grill, Kudzu Café and Bones. In 1994, Hank was appointed the Executive chef of Lulu s Bait Shack Restaurant and Bar, specializing in Louisiana Creole cuisine, in the popular Buckhead community known for its active night-life and multitude of restaurant and bar options. From there continued his Cajun Cuisine tour as the Executive Chef at Comeuax s Louisiana Bar and Grill.

​In 1999 Chef Hank would work his way into the dual role of Executive Chef and Assistant General Manager of Cripple Creek Taphouse and Grill, an upscale lodge theme casual dining concept in the fast growing suburbs of Gwinnett County located north of Atlanta. Throughout his culinary endeavors, Chef Hank always made time for kids in his community. As a volunteer baseball coach for the DeKalb County Recreation Department, Hank not only excelled as a Chef, husband and Father, he embraced the responsibility of mentoring young men and women in that community. In 2000 Chef Hank moved to Snellville, GA with his wife Rachael and two sons Davonta and Chace and immediately fell in love with the community. There was an instant desire to get involved as he did in DeKalb County so he repositioned himself in the culinary industry by accepting a position as General Manager of Woody s Barbeque located right in the heart of the Snellville Community. The blessings for Hank and his family continued. The convenience of a position at a restaurant very close to home was topped by the birth of Hank and Rachael s third, fourth and fifth children, triplet daughters; Niiah, Neeyah and Neenah. As his culinary career continued to thrive as Chef Hank remained focused on his efforts in the community.

As the founder of Trinity Athletics of Snellville, Hank established this non-profit organization to support the youth in the local community focused on programs for students addressing physical and social health deficiencies. It offered support in the areas of athletic camps, seminars and study groups relating to academics, personal finance, social interaction, peer pressure and physical health. Additionally, he served three terms on the W.C. Britt Elementary School Council and one term as P.T.A. Co-President. In 2006 Chef Hank was appointed to the City of Snellville s Parks and Recreation Board where he served for two terms. After a four year run with Woody s Barbeque, Chef Hank remained in the same location for another two years after the Woody s franchise left town and Ground Round, an American Cuisine concept from the north, came in. In 2006, Chef Hank began the most natural process for a person with his level of experience. He began the process of opening his own establishment. That establishment was to become the town favorite Trinity Bistro and Coffee Bar. Chef Hank and his family enjoyed two years of success until the harsh economy of 2008 claimed the small businesses of many including Trinity Bistro. The passion never left Hank as he vowed to be back in the fold of the Snellville community.

Forced to work outside the community, Hank spent two years with the growing Panera Bread Corporation and then the call came for Chef Hank from Sweet Georgia s Juke Joint, a popular Southern cuisine concept right in the middle of downtown Atlanta. He was appointed to the prestigious position of Executive Chef. Tailor-made for Hank s style of cooking, the Juke Joint quickly rose from average ratings to an internationally recognized downtown Atlanta eatery. Chef Hank enjoyed great success making one television appearance after another. He continued to grow the Juke Joint brand and stabilize the organization s cuisine with quality traditional recipe building and establishing concise cost-effective culinary procedures resulting in the increase of the company s bottom line. Seemingly the job of a life time, Chef Hank was still not content with his path. He embarked upon what would be the culmination of all his experiences, Trinity Community Culinary Institutes, Inc. This is Chef Hank s true dream, a community enrichment program taking all of his experiences and the greatest attributes of all of them, organizing them with the purpose of sharing and offering direction, helping kids and inviting the entire community to experience the joy of cooking by opening a recreational style culinary school. TCCI, short for Trinity Community Culinary Institute is purposed to provide community enrichment by offering a recreational Culinary Arts program designed to offer essential direction to community youth that will develop a population of young men and women better adapted to be contributors to society than detractors from it. Its goal is to be a resource for an alternative recreational outlet for families in the community by hosting activities accenting the fun, creative and competitive elements of Culinary Arts. Chef Hank declares an obligation to enhance the hospitality aspects of the community by establishing student-run dining and catering operations and supporting local dining establishments with quality human resources from the local community.

​TCCI also positions itself to lead other organizations with similar ideas and encourage them to put some action behind your passion. Chef Hank opens the door and sets the table to unite a coalition of Cultural Arts innovators purposed to activate the creative nature in all young adults, nurturing their dreams into constructive, productive reality. Finally in a role Chef Hank has desired for years, his dedication and commitment has never been greater and the community has been very receptive and even excited about TCCI. He is currently serving the Snellville Community as an Executive Board member of both the Snellville Economic Development Council and Integrity Christian Academy of Snellville. Chef Hank is also a potential Mayoral appointee to the Snellville Board of Appeals. In addition, a number of political figures have endorsed Chef Hank s community enrichment program which will support TCCI s goals to establish the concept anywhere there is a need for support to young men and women starving for positive encouragement and realistic hope for their futures.

Listen to "Chef Hank Joins Me Today To Talk Food & Philanthropy".