Over four years, I traveled the country to shine a spotlight on the heart and hustle behind local restaurants — sourcing, producing and directing over 60 documentary-style profiles of chefs and small business owners who pour everything into their craft.
These weren’t just food stories — they were stories of resilience, identity, and community.
From family-run soul food kitchens in Chicago to iconic dim sum breakfasts in San Francisco’s Chinatown, each video celebrated not only what these restaurateurs serve, but why they serve — capturing their deep roots, personal histories, and cultural legacies. We aligned many stories with cultural heritage months like Black History Month, Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and Hispanic Heritage Month, helping Grubhub authentically celebrate the communities it serves.
Almost always, we’d create B2C-focused cuts and B2B-focused cuts, so Grubhub could promote to both consumers and merchants.
It was an honor to help bring these stories to life — and to share the flavors (every shoot ended with a feast!), values, and voices that make local restaurants so essential to American culture.
