We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Simeon Hall Jr. a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Simeon thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

The most meaningful project I have worked on is Season 2 of The Caribbean Cookout Show of which I was the Casting and Talent Director. It is a Miami-based project that highlights the diversity and similarities of the rich food culture of The Caribbean.

I was a featured chef in season 1 but in Season 2 I was tasked with finding and preparing the chefs that appeared. That in itself was a huge task but the reward of being nominated for an Emmy certainly made it worth it. I have always been a polymath in my approach to food culture and hospitality but with this recognition, we continue to build up accolades in and out of the kitchen.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

To supplement this you can check out my bio at www.simeonhalljr.com

However, simply put I am the grandson of two black female chefs. One was a restaurateur and the other a prominent chef at a famous local hotel. So I have always been around food. Somewhere between my first omelet, rather burnt eggs, at 4 and today, I was always a disruptive thinker who challenged the rules. For example why at culinary school there were dozens of French-focused courses and not one Bahamian-centric class. Or why did we learn to cook salmon before we did grouper?

The fact is I was learning terms like braised which my Bahamian grandmother called steamed, and poached which she called boiled and when I tried to use those terms in writing menus and speaking in class they were frowned upon. So today I bring the facts of my life to my food. I work to have cultural equilibrium where Bahamian cooking techniques and recipes are on par with French, Italian, African, and Jamaican.

And so working as Chairman of the Agritourism Council, sitting on the council for the redevelopment of the local hospitality college, my private chef work, and participating in local and international events like South Beach Wine and Food affords me the opportunity to showcase Bahamian ingredients and food culture to all those willing to pull up a chair and taste!

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Our first brick-and-mortar restaurant closed after just 6 months. However, taking just a week off for some much-needed rest I was back working on a different project that begins in 2025.

The thing was we closed simply because it was the smart thing to do and to protect the brand that will be back at a different location when we are ready! So I learned to be less emotional and more business-minded so after the initial “sting” I got right back to doing what I love.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

In The Bahamas 1 follow or 1 like is about 100 in a normal market. Bahamians are notorious for not committing to a subscription. However, if you have a solid social media presence you can take your business to the next level over time. My good friend and then, wardrobe stylist, Kedar Klarke once told me, “Chef you have to be consistent. Post something every day.” And he is so right. Social media is a commitment. Followers need to “eat” daily. And so I make it a practice to create content every single day. That being said here are 3 rules I live by:

1. Posting times are crucial- You get your best audiences at 6-8 am before work, 12-1 pm lunch break, and 5-7 pm getting off work and dinner time. ( Now so many of us are glued to our phones all day but these key times still prove to get the best audiences).
2. Show your face. In the early stages of online media, so many people only created product content. However, I find that people want to relate to the “owner” of the brand you are selling. Don’t hide!
3. Support other brands. Unless you are a mega brand with millions of followers people look to see who you support as well. Not only online but in person. This is something I’ve always done!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.simeonhalljr.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simeonhalljr/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simeonhalljr/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simeon-brendford-hall-jr-a0a15648/
• Twitter: https://x.com/simeonhalljr

Image Credits
Photos- 1, 3, 4,5- Scharad Lightborne Photography Photo 2- Kyle Duncombe Photo 6- Kristen Loken Photo 7,8 -olacollective photography