Charly Pierre

HOMETOWN: Cambridge, MA
CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: New Orleans, LA
OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Headchef and owner, Fritai

Two-time James Beard nominee Charly Pierre has aspired to be a chef as far back as he can remember. Born and raised in Cambridge in a Haitian household with a father as a professional chef, Charly began working in the restaurant industry at 15. While attending culinary school at Southern New Hampshire University, he worked his way through fine-dining restaurants in hopes of saving enough money to pursue his dream of opening his own restaurant. In 2015, he moved to New Orleans where he and his business partner, Eva Churches, opened their Haitian-inspired restaurant Fritai in 2016, securing various best restaurant accolades, including Zagat’s 30 Under 30 and Eater NOLA’s 2022 Restaurant of the Year. Passionate about his community and the welfare and treatment of his employees, he values training and providing his employees with endless opportunities. When he isn’t busy in the kitchen, you can find Charly in the garage working on his latest car project.