His culinary journey began in NOLA. Now he’s bringing a new life to many in Charlotte.
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His culinary journey began in NOLA. Now he’s bringing a new life to many in Charlotte.
Every Charlotte area chef, restaurant ever nominated for a James Beard Award
Chayil Johnson, raised at the foot of some of the nation’s most revered culinary greats, now stands among them.
At just 27, the executive chef at Community Matters Cafe has brought together years of experience that started out at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts and led him to Charlotte, where he’s been nominated for the James Beard Award’s Best Chef: Southeast distinction.
“To have the people that I watched and looked up to — to be named in the same awards as them, or just being mentioned with them in any capacity; being able to look down the list of all these people I’m following on Instagram, looking up to as a kid, and being in there with them is pretty cool,” Johnson told CharlotteFive.
Where it all began
Johnson, who was home schooled just outside New Orleans, wanted to join his siblings at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts at age 12 to study music as a saxophone player. That proved to be a tall task in a city known for jazz, with a long roster of skillful players he’d be pitted against in auditions.
However, a fresh look at a way to get into the school in proved pivotal in shaping his life: Acceptance into the culinary program was relatively easy. The move set Johnson on a path that would shape his life.
“Long story short, I just really fell in love with it. Fell in love with the competitive nature around cooking, but also the team-working camaraderie that was built on the arts side of it,” Johnson said. There were “so many great mentors while I was there, and [it] just put me in a position to succeed and do well.”
The school’s groundbreaking culinary program was funded by the OG of celebrity chefs, Emeril Lagasse, who also spent time with the students and arranged volunteer opportunities. There, Johnson was also surrounded by the influences of a who’s-who list of top chefs including Mark Forgione, Wolfgang Puck and Patrick O’Connell. Tyler Florence taught him to quenelle. Frank Brigtsen — himself a James Beard Awards Best Chef: Southeast winner — was a personal mentor.
The experience also gave him a leg up on the curriculum at Johnson & Wales in Charlotte, where he started out with a scholarship in 2015 and finished up in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree. After working for a while at Mediterranean restaurant Shaya in New Orleans and The Asbury in Charlotte, Johnson brought his experience in the cuisines of New Orleans, the Middle East and Northern Africa to Community Matters Cafe when it opened in April 2019.
Community Matters Cafe
Community Matters Cafe, a life skills program for students graduating from substance abuse recovery programs at Charlotte Rescue Mission, opened in 2019 in a revitalized textile factory adjacent to the shelter. It sits within a stone’s throw of Bank of America Stadium, with multiple signs warning “no tailgating” and “no alcohol” on the premises.
The dining room carries an industrial feel, with brick walls and pendant lighting teaming up with enormous windows to illuminate modern wood tables and booths. Flat screen TVs hang from the walls, as does a variety of artwork created by Rescue Mission program graduates.
The cafe opens at 7 a.m., and by 8:15, a long line for coffee nearly reaches the doors. But at 9:30, the cafe’s expansive dining room is buzzing instead. Almost everyone is sipping some kind of latte — a testament to the cafe’s espresso drink flavors and the beverage menu, stacked with house-made syrups and sauces. Two middle-aged gentlemen eating breakfast together are the lone diners holding standard coffee mugs.
Johnson regularly darts out of the kitchen to the front of the house, energetically swinging his arms and walking with purpose. His joyful presence bolsters the mood at the cafe, where everyone on staff is contributing to the mission.
Last summer, the cafe even caught national attention in the Washington Post.
“I’m really happy having a job that’s more than pushing plates to make a profit ... and to be able to work with purpose and a goal,” he said.
Students and staff work alongside each other in T-shirts saying “to restore hope” on the front and “recovering is a community effort” or “attitude of gratitude” on the back. The program uses the structures and stressors of a restaurant to practice and implement the life skills needed for many to transition back into the community.
On the cafe’s menu, Johnson’s New Orleans roots shine through, along with his commitment to seasonal ingredients grown in the Carolinas. He touts his love of produce available, noting the “legitimate four seasons in produce that can be grown here,” along with the closeness to the coast and mountains for game and seafood.
“I believe in using food to tell a story. When I moved up here from New Orleans, that’s when I recognized how culturally significant New Orleans is as a food city. … Very few food dishes come from a cultural perspective that don’t have a story behind them,” he said.
Telling the story
The cafe’s Cajun Sausage Skillet brings a kick of backheat, with Andouille sausage and a blend of blackened onion, bell pepper and celery — the holy trinity of Cajun and Creole cooking — served over home fries with scrambled eggs and a savory remoulade drizzle. And the New Orleans Chicken Sandwich layers flavor into a seasoned buttermilk fried chicken breast that’s accented with Cajun hot sauce, slaw and pickles on a brioche bun.
One of Johnson’s favorite dishes on Community Matters Cafe’s seasonal lineup right now also showcases his love for Middle Eastern and Northern African cuisine. The Papas Bravas, with Carolina-grown Covington sweet potatoes, are spiced up by lutenitsa (a red pepper chutney) and schug (a fiery green sauce made with cilantro, parsley, jalapeños and garlic). Another favorite: the Citrus & Beets, a delicate dish of local citrus, beets, fennel, coriander and labneh (a thick and creamy yogurt cheese), accented with mint — not your everyday cafe fare.
At home, though, Johnson keeps things simple. As he’s studying for his master’s degree and working to prepare for an upcoming gig as an adjunct professor at Johnson & Wales, teaching breakfast and lunch coursework, you’ll find him munching on basics. His go-to snacks are hummus — both homemade and store-bought — and a lot of fruit, along with plenty of bagged salads.
“I’m a boring eater. I try to be as healthy as I can,” he said.
Looking ahead
Coming up on Feb. 22 for Johnson is Community Matters’ annual family-style History & Homage dinner series, which he created with his best friend, chef Brandon Staton. The cafe partners with Black chefs to explore Black culinary culture and community through a seven-course meal paired with mocktails. This year’s theme — A Whole Harvest Dining Experience — will involve meals that use an entire plant, as the ancestors of today’s Black chefs did.
But Johnson said his main focus is still being a student and making sure that the work at Community Matters remains top notch amid all the attention his James Beard nod has garnered.
“We’re mission first. We’re in the business of restoring hope and helping people who have struggled most of their life to have a chance, and the restaurant mission is secondary. It’s a really powerful thing to be able to come in to work and do what you love,” he said.
“It pays respects to my leadership and the food that we do, but even more the overall issue in America with those who are dealing with recovery and sobriety, and help put them in a position where they’re not outcast — knowing that they do matter. Now it’s going to be on a bigger scale and a bigger stage — not just here, but everywhere.”
Community Matters Cafe
Location: 821 W 1st St, Charlotte, NC 28202
Cuisine: American
Instagram: @communitymatterscafe
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This story was originally published January 30, 2025 at 5:15 AM.
