Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Anthony Alexander. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Anthony thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
It’s always an honor to give back, I’m speaking on a topic that’s deeply personal to me—mentorship, community building, hospitality and giving back in ways that truly matter.
You see, my journey started with challenges many can’t imagine. At just 10 years old, though working hard and going to school things were a little difficult for my mother with 2 children and unfortunately we found ourselves homeless in Brooklyn for two years. Yet, even in those difficult times, I was fortunate enough to be a part of a mentoring program that didn’t just take me out of my circumstances temporarily—it planted seeds of hope. I found I had a passion for art and creating sensational Hot Plate meals for my sister and I while my determined mother was making a way for us to gain permanent residence. A community program gave me exposure to art lessons, mentorship, and opportunities I could have only dreamed of during that time. I attended art lessons at Pratt Institute and my family went camping with other families. These experiences showed me the power of a supportive community.
Fast forward, we overcame homelessness, and later in life, through the major encouragement of my sister Tia, my wife Robyne holding it down at home my mother Terri’s culinary skills and recipe knowledge, beautiful Aunt Rose and her love of family gatherings including a plethora of delightful flavors and my grandmother Louise, a chef for 26 years and my namesake Angela Deanne’s financial backing helped me pursue a culinary passion in the arts, and graduated with high honors from Le Cordon Bleu of Atlanta. My time in the U.S. Air Force, which included surviving a near-death experience, only deepened my resolve to give back. This life experience sharpened my conflict resolution and leadership skills, and most importantly, it made me realize the significance of preventative programs for youth, family need and structure —especially for young Black children.
Im retired now but behind the scenes I run ‘How’boutThat! Chef,’ and through that lens, I’ve expanded into owning a transportation service, a real estate partnership as an event home plus Airbnb. But beyond these ventures, my heart remains focused on mentorship. I’m here to create a path for the next generation—one that includes career planning, financial literacy, relationship building, leadership development, and, crucially – emotional intelligence.
It’s not just about telling young children what not to do; it’s about showing them who they can become. I envision building community centers across the country—safe spaces where we can instill these values, teach conflict resolution, and prepare them for the world of business, leadership, and entrepreneurship. These centers will be hubs for growth, offering everything from culinary skills to networking opportunities.
My mission is to establish preventative programs in schools, especially targeting at-risk youth. These programs will focus on career development, financial literacy, leadership, and emotional intelligence—skills I believe saved my life and helped me thrive. I want young men and women to understand that their past doesn’t define them; it shapes them, but it’s their vision and the community around them that ultimately crafts their future.
I firmly believe that together, we can give this young generation the tools to break the cycles of violence, poverty, and neglect. My background—being homeless, overcoming trauma, and the blessing given to have been able to have been the founder and run multiple businesses—proves that it’s possible. But I can’t do this alone. I’m here because I want to build this mission with people who believe in it just as much as I do. Let’s give these young ones the opportunity to dream, to build, and to lead and put forth an EXPERIENCE for thier futures”
In this response, I’ve woven in my story to not only highlight my experiences but also to paint a clear picture of my mission and why it’s critical. By focusing on mentorship, leadership, and preventative programs, I aim to make a compelling case to potential clients, mentees, associates and more about the impact of supporting this cause.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Chef Tony Alexander I was born June 11th 1974 at St. Luke’s Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio to Terri Elaine Alexander. I was raised in Flushing Queens, NY for the first 12 years of my life and I have a journey to tell you, inspiring moments, good, bad and ugly and in between all of that a great ass book filled with amazing freaking recipes inspired by the most important moments and people in my life. Hold on to ya hats, get some tissue and your pots, pans and stoves ready because I’m sure there’s gonna some tears and Hella “Cheffing” going on! So get ya self together and get ready for some stories that eventually created yours truly…How’boutThat! Chef.
My passion has always been preparing food for others enjoyment. Growing up I watched my mother Terri Elaine Alexander purchase food, separate and store food, season and prepare food and it always came out delicious. My grandmother Louise Washington was a chef and watching her sit in a chair in front of the refrigerator gathering food or picking fresh vegetables from her garden and turn those items into a gourmet spread was amazing. Now Romalia “Aunt Rose” Jenkins was the family gatherer and every holiday, birthday and special event was mainly at her home or you saw her at the helm of delicious and loving preparation of enthralling down home cuisine. So Growing up I had that foundation plus my Uncle Sonny’s BBQ, Uncle Joe’s Louisiana dishes…it was just a plethora of food is love, love is food all around me. I had many gatherings at my home or parks and I always heard “You need to open a restaurant!” From my creations i.e. Stuffed Chicken Wings, Blueberry BBQ Sauce, Lamb Chops w/Pomegranate Molasses and to my sought after CÎROC Amaretto Vodka Sauce it was kismet to offer those dishes to the public and with assistance from my Aunt and namesake Angela Deanne Harris, motivation from my sister Tia Alexander-Henson and backup by my wife Robyne Denise Alexander to attend Le Cordon Bleu of Atlanta finishing Alpha Kappa Honor Student wouldn’t have been possible. Thinking of all those people in my life and the love and support from them made it only inevitable that I start a Personal and Private catering company to serve people during momentous and unforgettable occasions and have my food made from love be a backdrop of their moments with me How’boutThat! Chef.
I believe I mentioned a plethora of individuals that our the foundation of my Culinary journey but individuals who have been amazing catapults in this unfinished story are my children who motivates me to keep a focus – Tony Jr., Dionte, Jayla, Ada’Ya and Ja’Niah without them who is it really for. Now Hanz Fequier the individual who purchased my first LLC. gave me the business acumen to get marketing under my belt, promoting as a tool to advance and stay relevant. Dr. Renaldo “Tony” Polk one of my first major clients and the source of 85% of my current clients spanning back 14 years ago, business partner and friend I owe him gratitude and some dollars but mostly he’s got my ever dying friendship. Supporting companies have been Blue Flame, CÎROC, Pronghorn, Lobos1707 and the blazing supporter behind all of them is one Dia Simms. She is a motivation and an inspiration to me in a way that’s unexplainable. The constant willingness to back me in events, special occasions and more is mind-blowing and I send thanks and blessings to this incredible Icon of a woman. TST Studios a Comcast Network run by an amazing group of people Boukahn, Dornell, Anthony Pines and Robert May have been pivotal in enhancing my brand with photo shoots, logo creation, interviews by Bonita Jalane and Shay McCray who are kicking ass in the entertainment industry and still great clients and friends. Gymnetics and Ector Studios have a special place in my steps into an industry full of awe and desire…Ellen Ector, Robert Ector, Lana Ector and Leah Taylor helped me develop menu creation and development including vegetarian and vegan recipes for stars of Atlanta Housewives plus more and their foothold in the entertainment, fitness and health world is beyond reproach. Today Karma Sewell-Carpenter of Karma’s Dance Factory keeps me focused and grounded on the task at hand and growth in every aspect of my life thank you Cuzzo. First ever paying customer to get the furnace lit was Arby cousin to my best friend and brother Carlos Wallace. Without Carlos having my back and being the biggest proponent in gassing me up about my food, everything except Pork, and bringing any and everybody to try my dishes especially my cheesy wings I don’t think I would be where I am confident wise today…thank you Hoommeebbwwooyyy! Now the most High and Savior to my soul I thank Him in all endeavors and goals set and reached Lord thank you for blessing me in this fulfilling journey good and bad I need it to appreciate the simplest things like a metal fork…I pray Amen – How’boutThat!
The delicate manner in which I prepare any culinary arts dish is done in a way where flavors develop from the natural aura of the dish itself. I can use as little as 3 ingredients to make a protein dance in your mouth. I use aromatics to bring nature’s flavor to a starch and any vegetables deep sweetness can be pulled out by my tender care of oil and freshly ground spices of my own creation. No one I know, have seen or come across can compare. The proudest and most exciting moments as a chef came during my 3 year tenure at the Masters Tournament in Augusta, GA where I had the please to prepare culinary delights for and meet & see Tiger Woods, Condoleezza Rice, Jerry Rice, Kris Carter, Bo Jackson, Vijay Singh and Phil Mickelson. Those were amazing experiences I’ll never forget. Reaching current goals have been about setting them and I learned that early on in life from men who were about their business and family plus exuded responsibility and success. My Uncle Reverend Dr. Douglas Banks helped me to understand bond and be a man of your word. My cousins Tori L. Martin and Milton Jenkins provided me with the visual of work ethic, be on your grind and those tools grew inside of me through rough and tough experiences. There was an opportunity for me in the military and I took and aced the ASVAB entry test and entered the United States Air Force becoming and Element Leader in our Honor Flight and obtaining the highest GPA among all students in my MOS while stationed at Lowry AFB in Aurora, CO. During my enlistment I was brutally stabbed in the back 3 times while trying to prevent an altercation between one of my team members and a member of the Air National Guard over a girl. Nonetheless 8 days later after exploratory surgery and 3 stints of flatlining on the surgery table I was released to my base from Fitsimmons Army Hospital with a bottle of saline solution and gauze to clean and dress my wounds on my back. This taught me resilience and determination and dependence on others is not a quality I desired to ever have. There are more challenges I had to overcome but you’ll have read that in my upcoming Chefography Cookbook in the works (SHOUTOUT!!) Let’s just say that challenge gave me the appreciation of a metal fork. I’ve been blessed to survive unlike, dangerous complicated situations and the biggest lessons most of the time come from drastic occurrences and through those I learned humility, appreciation, determination, responsibility and NO ONE can stop me from doing anything I desire except myself or God when it’s my time! Since being in the background I’ve focused on healing mentally, physically and spiritually. You have to love and care for you before you can do that for anyone else. My brand in the Culinary Arts and life now is about passion, Creative genius and autonomy meaning ANYTHING is possible (Kevin Garnett) but you have to believe that wholeheartedly. I’m a creative and my work is top tier comparable to no one and you can literally ask around if anyone has ever tasted food like mine – that’s not possible!! Ha! I grew up being a statistic and unfortunately obliged that moniker but with love, support and guidance I’m still here mentoring and living and loving the life I’ve been blessed with also there is so much more to come from How’boutThat! Chef.
The BRAND of How’boutThat! Chef is about class, upscale experiences that are catered to be a full fledged unrepeatable event that can never be duplicated by ANYONE except HBT! Chef! I create custom sauces, glazes, flavor enhancers, spices, extracts, tinctures and more. Chefwear is in the works as well as shoe wear.
In the Atlanta area I like to give a few suggestions when wanting an outside experience and that includes going to Atlanta Breakfast Club on Auburn Ave then hit the Aquarium downtown. You Gotta hit Magic City on Forsyth St for those wings and an amazing display of core strength. By now you should have reached out to @bonitasings to find out which venue she’s headlining on Thursday so you can get front row tickets. Afterwards at an Airbnb you could have booked me and as you return there will be a meal I’ll have prepared including Deep fried Cajun Lobster Tails on display with Tomahawk Ribeye grilled to perfection drizzled w/White Truffle Glaze and Rosemary Garlic Smashed Potatoes to enjoy the evening topped off with Red Repasado by Lobos1707 Tequila coming from the show that Bonita laid out with her new release “So High” off the Kept Kissing Frogs project. If not done for the evening or the next day reach out to @atlhookahking to hit 1942 Social then All In Sports Lounge on Mt. Zion Pkwy getting grown with some Maduro’s off the www.redroomcigars.com sight from the owner of RedRoom Cigar Lounge Courtney. I believe that’s a week to have in the A and the remembrance of an unforgettable experience that was topped of by How’boutThat! Chef.
Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.
Let me take you on a journey, one that started with the humblest of beginnings and turned into a culinary adventure I could have never imagined.
Back in the day, I worked jobs like anyone else—Progressive Insurance, American Greetings, Charter One Bank, even fast-food spots like Taco Bell, Bob Evans, and Denny’s. But no matter where I was, one thing was consistent: I always brought my lunch from home. Not because I couldn’t afford to eat out, but because I knew my food would always be better! My coworkers didn’t know that yet, though. Every break, the smell of whatever I’d cooked the night before would fill the room. People couldn’t help but ask, “Who made that for you?”
The look on their faces when I said, “Me,” was priceless—they never believed me at first. So, I started hosting little tasting parties, giving them a sample of what I could do. And you know what? It didn’t take long for word to spread. Suddenly, I was the guy at work people came to not just for claims, customer service, or tech support—but for a plate of home-cooked goodness.
People started saying, “You should open a restaurant!” I shrugged it off at first, taking it as a nice compliment. But then, more requests came. Someone would ask, “Can you make me lunch tomorrow?” before I knew it, I was waking up at 4 a.m. to prepare meals before my day job. And here’s the kicker—I started bringing home more money from my food deliveries than from my paycheck!
That’s when it hit me: maybe this cooking thing could be more than just a side hustle.
My wife, Robyne, my sister Tia, and my mom Terri—they were all in my corner, encouraging me to take the leap. My aunt Angela Deanne even helped financially. With their support, I took a huge step and enrolled in Le Cordon Bleu, a school I had only dreamed of. I graduated at the top of my class with honors—Alpha Beta Kappa—and from there, things took off.
I began working in fine-dining restaurants, luxury resorts like the Tides Inn, and even got a chance to prepare meals at The Masters in Augusta, Georgia, for three years. I was cooking for legends like Tiger Woods, Bo Jackson, Condoleezza Rice, and more! That experience gave me a taste of what I could achieve, and I wasn’t about to stop.
Catering and event planning for upscale clients like former NFL player Wayne Gandy and WNBA star Angel McCoughtry followed, but I had my sights set on something bigger. I wanted my own food business—and that’s how “Chase the HBT! Trailer” was born. Driving that food trailer was one of the most exhilarating experiences of my career.
But why stop there? The vision is even bigger now: mobile bars, vegan vending machines, ice box stations, event homes, and one day—my very own spices and sauces on grocery store shelves.
My journey started as a simple side hustle, but it’s grown into a passion-driven career, combining everything I’ve learned along the way. It’s not just about food; it’s about bringing people together, creating experiences, and giving back to the community that believed in me.
The road’s been long, but the experience has only just begun.”
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
In 2006, my life took a sharp, unexpected turn—one that forever altered the course of my journey. I was working at American Greetings as a Tech Support Technician, just another regular morning on my way to work. But that day, something happened that forced me to confront a side of myself I hadn’t remembered was there.
While driving on the highway, I was cut off by another car. My first instinct was to flash my high beams—a reaction born out of frustration. But what came next wasn’t something I could have anticipated. The driver flipped me off and flashed a pistol, an unspoken but very clear threat. At that moment, I was at a crossroads, a fork in the road. I had a choice—to let it go and move on, or to engage. Unfortunately, I made the wrong choice.
I let my emotions take over and pursued that driver. No one was hurt, except for a car door, but my lack of focus and my failure to understand the weight of my actions landed me in prison. I was charged with attempted felonious assault, and the sentence was one year. Though I was released after seven months for being a model inmate, those months changed me in ways I can’t even fully describe.
Prison, for many, is a place of punishment, but for me, it became a place of transformation. I took every course available, even those I didn’t need. I dove deep into my spiritual understanding and began to appreciate the smallest things in life—even a simple metal fork, something I had taken for granted.
It was in that confined space, away from the world, that I honed my culinary skills. With limited resources, I found creativity in making meals and saw food in a new light. But the most important lesson I learned was that proving a point wasn’t worth risking my freedom. Freedom became precious in a way it hadn’t been before.
2006 became my year of refocusing. I didn’t just change my habits; I changed my mind, my heart, and my soul. I had to sit down, think, and truly learn to love and respect myself. If that experience hadn’t forced me to stop, I could have ended up in far worse situations—deceased, or imprisoned for life. I realized that I had a second chance, and I wasn’t going to waste it.
When I got out, I found support in a local community center program that helped me rebuild. They taught me job skills, interview techniques, and—most importantly—they connected me to the VA. I learned about the benefits available to me as an honorably discharged Air Force Veteran, benefits I had overlooked during the chaotic years before my incarceration.
That community center experience is why I’m so passionate today about creating preventative programs for young Black men. I know firsthand what it’s like to make a bad decision in a moment of anger or frustration. But what if there were more programs that helped young men before they ever found themselves in that situation? Programs that focused on career development, emotional intelligence, and conflict resolution—lessons I wish I had learned earlier.
After prison, my culinary journey truly began to flourish. I returned to my passion for cooking, encouraged by my family—my wife Robyne, sister Tia, my mother Terri, and financially supported by my aunt Angela Deanne. With their backing, I enrolled in Le Cordon Bleu, where I graduated with high honors. From there, doors began to open. I worked at fine-dining establishments and resorts like Tides Inn and Marriott Bonvoy, and even had the incredible opportunity to prepare meals for legends at The Masters in Augusta, GA.
Eventually, I launched “Chase the HBT! Trailer,” my food concession business that brought together everything I had learned along the way. And that was just the beginning. I expanded into mobile bars, vegan vending machines, and now have plans for spices and sauces to hit store shelves. But none of it would have been possible without that pivotal moment in 2006—the year I was forced to stop and reflect on who I was and who I wanted to become.
Now, my mission is to prevent others from having to learn the hard way. I want to create community programs that reach people before the system does—programs that help young men make better choices and understand the value of their freedom. I’m here to show that you can turn your life around, no matter how far off track you’ve gone. I’m living proof.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://cheftonyalexander.wixsite.com/howboutthatchef
- Instagram: @howboutthatchef_atl
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-alexander-0914a385
- Youtube: @chefalexander334
- Other: [email protected]
Image Credits
Anthony Alexander
Karma Sewell-Carpenter
Robert May III