Chris Williams, a 2022 James Beard Award finalist and a 2023 semifinalist for Outstanding Restaurateur, trained in French, Mediterranean, West Indian, and East African cuisine, found his calling through a rich family history of culinary pioneers. Educated at Le Cordon Bleu in Austin, Texas, Williams traveled globally, honing his craft before opening Lucille’s in August 2012. Named after his great-grandmother Lucille B. Smith, a Texan culinary trailblazer, and the state’s first African American businesswoman, the restaurant merges Southern cooking with international techniques. Williams’ legacy-driven approach has earned national acclaim and led to the expansion of Lucille’s Hospitality Group, including Lucille’s, The Rado Market, Late August, Lucille’s 1913, as well as Emile’s Black Point Bistro stationed in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Williams’ non-profit, Lucille’s 1913, functions as a conscious community collective that is building a vertically integrated ecosystem to combat food insecurity and waste and empowering communities to discover a self-sustainable livelihood through cultural and culinary arts. It has provided more than 1,000,000 meals to Houstonians in need. Williams is celebrated for his innovative impact on the culinary and broader community, receiving numerous accolades and serving as a culinary cultural ambassador for the U.S. in several countries.