Chris Scott

Chris Scott is as much of a storyteller as he is a chef. He celebrates African American history through his personal story and in his culinary work. After years of fine dining, including more than a decade in Philadelphia's food scene, Chef Chris started exploring his own roots and culture through food, and success started boiling over.

He opened a soul food restaurant called Butterfunk Kitchen and a Southern counter called Sumner’s Luncheonette in 2016 and 2018 respectively in Brooklyn, both of which closed at the end of 2018. Chef Chris competed on “Top Chef” season 15, finishing in the final four that same year.

In 2019, he was the opening executive chef of Birdman Juke Joint in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The chicken shack concept aimed to be authentic, fight stigma and champion Southern agriculture and regionality. In addition to telling the story of Southern food through heritage, farmers and family recipes, Chef Chris is working on a cookbook and has starred in recent Tostitos and NBC Sports commercials.

That same year, Chef Chris started working with ICE, eager to inspire students to explore their own unique roots and showcase their personal stories through food. He also shares his passion for using food for good through humanitarian efforts, such as promoting community gardening. He serves on the Culinary Board of the Food Bank of NYC.