Ford Fry, Chef
Ford Fry is Chef and CEO of Rocket Farm Restaurants and its prolific portfolio of restaurants in Atlanta, Charlotte, Nashville, Houston, Cary, NC and Winter Park, FL.
Ford's culinary inspirations span several decades and much of the country: from eating out with his family as a child in Texas, to studying at the New England Culinary Institute in Vermont, to spending time as a fine dining chef in Florida, Colorado and California—and eventually landing in Atlanta. Ford's love for Atlanta grew quickly, and it became the home and springboard for his restaurant empire.
Today, Ford's collective of restaurants includes 27 (and counting) restaurants in Atlanta, Charlotte, Nashville, Winter Park, Raleigh and his hometown of Houston. His European-inspired steakhouse Marcel was MICHELIN recommended in Atlanta's first iteration of the Guide in 2023, and maintained its recommendation in 2024, with Little Sparrow joining – and Superica earning Bib Gourmand. This year, all were included in the first American South Guide.
Though each has its own distinct and distinguished identity, all of Ford's restaurants have a few things in common: they're as formal as guests want them to be, they're chef owned and operated, they're committed to their communities, and they serve exceptional food made with local ingredients and attention to detail.
Over the years, Ford has accumulated an impressive list of awards and accolades; he is a four-time semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation's Outstanding Restaurateur Award and won the Georgia Restaurant Association's Crystal of Excellence (GRACE) Award for Restaurateur of the Year in 2013. Additionally, he and his restaurants have been featured in numerous national publications including Bon Appétit, Condé Nast Traveler, Esquire, Food & Wine, Garden & Gun, Southern Living, the Washington Post, and many more.
