Kenneth Richardson is a native of Chattanooga but has a lot of family in Louisiana, so when it came time for college, he enrolled in Delgado Community College in New Orleans. After a couple of years there, he transferred to Louisiana State University, where he received an associate’s degree in nutrition and food science. Following graduation, he settled in Metairie, Louisiana.
With that background in Cajun country, plus a love of cooking instilled in him through his family – he credits his grandmother and his cousin, “Mrs. Dee,” for teaching him the basics of Cajun cooking – he opened Succotash, a restaurant along Highway 41 in Guild, Tennessee, in Marion County, in June 2020.
Q: When did you first realize a love of cooking?
A: I was 8 years old and made succotash. It was the first dish I ever made by myself. My grandmother and cousin taught me the correct way to make it. It’s one of those moments I’ll always treasure about my early culinary experience.
Q: What was your first restaurant job?