Ford Fry

Rocket Farms Restaurants- Atlanta

Ford Fry is Chef and CEO of Rocket Farm Restaurants and its prolific portfolio of restaurants in Atlanta, Charlotte, Nashville, Houston, and Cary, NC.  Ford’s culinary inspirations span several decades and much of the country: from eating out with his family as a child in Texas, to studying at the New England Culinary Institute in Vermont, to spending time as a fine dining chef in Florida, Colorado and California—and eventually landing in Atlanta. Ford’s love for Atlanta grew quickly, and it became the home and springboard for his restaurant empire – which all began in 2007 with the opening of the beloved JCT. Kitchen & Bar in ATL’s West Midtown neighborhood. 

Today, Ford’s collective of restaurants includes 23 (and counting) restaurants in Atlanta (Beetlecat, Little Rey, Marcel, no. 246, St. Cecilia, The Optimist, and Superica locations in Buckhead, Avalon, The Battery, Krog Street Market, Dunwoody and West Midtown); Charlotte (Superica); his hometown of Houston (La Lucha, State of Grace, Superica); Nashville (Le Loup, The Optimist + Star Rover Sound, Superica); and Cary, NC (Superica) – doubling down on Superica Tex Mex, whose empire is poised to grow even more and beyond. In late 2023, Ford opened an anticipated new concept, Little Sparrow, in the former JCT. Kitchen space in Atlanta, which closed simply to make room for something new. Along with his roles at his restaurants, Ford is also the founder of one of Atlanta’s most popular food events, the Attack of the Killer Tomato Festival.