Eternal Optimist: Chef Ford Fry’s expertise extends beyond food to branding savvy that launched an empire.
Story by Cara Clark, Photos by Morgan Duke and Andrew Thomas Lee
Chef Ford Fry has a knack — and not the obvious one. His ability to craft flavorful dishes that linger in the mind, creating the yearning to experience them once again is the primary ingredient in a recipe for restaurant success. But composing an exemplary culinary experience and building brands through Rocket Farm Restaurants means adding a pinch of heart, a dash of inspiration, and a soupçon of the incorporeal.
Ford has a sixth sense of what works — the intangible “it” factor that makes all the difference in a successful establishment. He can go all-in, studying and honing his craft from the front of house to the pass to the checkbook. And less is more — in a thoughtfully crafted recipe and in life’s journey.
