FSR September 2022

RI S ING S TARS

Kate Williams AGE: 37 CHEF, OWNER KARL’S

THE LADY OF THE RESTAURANT It’s no surprise that two-time James Beard finalist Kate Williams has achieved culinary success in Detroit, a city that plays a pivotal role in her family’s own history. Williams’s great-great-grandpar ents operated a Detroit bakery; family legend has it that so many customers were permitted to dine and dash that generosity was the bakery’s biggest weakness. After her first restaurant, Lady of the House, garnered widespread acclaim, Williams is making another imprint on Detroit with Karl’s, a charming luncheonette serving milkshakes and sophisticated versions of diner classics.

DETROIT DETROIT

BRITTANY GREESON

Cassandra “Cassy” Johns AGE: 35 MULTIUNIT FRANCHISEE HUDDLE HOUSE ANDREWS, TEXAS

THE CAN-DO FRANCHISEE As a U.S. Army veteran, mother of five, and business owner, Cassy Johns is accustomed to tackling multiple challenges head-on. In addition to a fam ily home-building business, Johns and her husband, Rob ert, operate two (soon to be three) Huddle House loca tions. Her approach to fran chising puts community first; she focuses on creating jobs for local residents and has built a proprietary give-back program for one of her stores that she plans to roll out at the second soon.

IRENA STEIN

THE COMMUNITY CHEF David Zamudio is earning Baltimore a reputation for fine dining. After moving to the U.S. from Ven ezuela on an exceptional talent visa, Zamudio became the chef at Alma Cocina Latina, a Vene zualan-infused eatery that has earned rave reviews from The Washington Post , Eater, and plenty of other publications. Feeding Baltimore—through Alma Cocina Latina and other channels—is cen tral to Zamudio’s culinary practice; during the pan demic, he helped create a relief kitchen that deliv ered meals to more than 150,000 underserved Baltimore residents.

David Zamudio AGE: 28 CHEF ALMA COCINA LATINA BALTIMORE

JULIE STEPHENSON

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FSRMAGAZINE .COM

SEPTEMBER 2022