(ARCHIVE) Atlanta Chef Darius Cooks Williams Is Building A Food Empire One Click At A Time
DISCLAIMER: The Reckoning is aware of the recent conversations surrounding Darius Cooks, which we take seriously. In light of new information that surfaced after the original article was published on May 25, 2021, we are providing this disclaimer for our readers. The Reckoning is a platform designed to uplift and celebrate members of Atlanta’s Black LGBTQ+ Community. It is in that spirit that we are committed to transparency in our work and the public figures we elevate. The original article included a link to a detailed report regarding the closure of Cooks’ Atlanta restaurants, which can be read here, as well as inside the original article. We thank you for visiting The Reckoning.
Pandemonium happens when popular gay chef and lifestyle content creator Darius Cooks Williams, 39, steps outside of his Atlanta home. With a combined social media following of 3 million+ plus across Facebook, Tik Tok, and YouTube, the anonymity that the average person enjoys is now a distant memory for the culinary guru and former “Soul Crab” and “Greens and Gravy” restaurateur. If Black women are present, the odds of Williams going unrecognized decreases significantly, even while doing something as mundane as receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, as he did during his interview with The Reckoning. Once recognized, Williams’ appointment quickly becomes an unscheduled fan meet-and-greet reminiscent of a Black family reunion with cousins he’s never met.
The usual friendly and professional greetings by the staff at the drive-thru vaccination site immediately transforms into deafening screams that would rival the sighting of any gay man’s favorite musical diva.
“Darius! Can I take a picture with you? I be on your [Facebook] lives,” screamed one Black woman of several that were now gathering around his newly purchased Land Rover. “You be cutting up!”
It makes sense that Black women are a huge part of Williams’ core fan base, after all, it was his grandmother’s influence that first sparked his curiosity at nine years old while watching her cook fried chicken—inspiring a young Williams to cook his own batch solo, and setting him on the path towards becoming a household culinary name.
“I’d fried the chicken, and I remember when my grandmother came home, I told her, hey, I fried some chicken. And she's like, ‘boy, fried chicken? We don’t even have any chicken. What are you talking about, you fried chicken?’ It was a turkey wing,” Williams recalls through laughter.
”I thought it was chicken. I didn’t know the difference at nine years old. So here I am frying turkey like it was chicken. It was delicious,” he says.
It wouldn’t be the last time the Chicago native would experiment in the kitchen, with the result surpassing any dream that he or his grandmother may have envisioned for the once sought-after spoken word artist with no real intention of becoming known for his food.
“I put tickets on sale, and tickets sold out in seven minutes. I made $2,500 in seven minutes. I said, okay, this is something.”
“I think 2012 was probably the shift for me. I had to make a decision. I’d come to a crossroads in my life,” says Williams.
“I used to do spoken word and open mic nights. I was really good. I would be featured, people would fly me out to perform. But I also had this little thing on the back of my neck to cook, “says Williams. “And the reality was, I had never really seen a rich poet. I’d never seen anybody that was doing poetry that I knew that was a multimillionaire. So I was like, well, the proof is kind of in the pudding. I probably shouldn't go that route. And so in 2012, I literally made the decision to focus on cooking.”
Dining with Darius
With his shift from spoken word to cooking, Williams also traded the brutal winter weather of Chicago for the milder, but snow-filled winters of New York City. It was in 2015 that he quit his day job, moved to Atlanta, and began focusing on cooking full time. But it was in his New York City apartment that the idea for “Dining with Darius—“ a 30-person, seven-course, culinary experience that has become Williams’ signature event was born—becoming an instant hit.
“This had never been done before. And I was only going to do it in New York,” says Williams. “I put tickets on sale, and tickets sold out in seven minutes. I made $2,500 in seven minutes. I said, okay, this is something.”
Because of popular demand, Williams says he was forced to add additional dates in the early days of hosting the experience in his apartment. Now in 2022, he’s scheduled to embark on a North American national tour that sold out within minutes of tickets becoming available for purchase.
“The event is not until January 2022 and we did $1.2 million in sales in four hours,” says Williams in a tone that epitomizes Black boy joy and confidence in his brand.
A lot has changed since those early days in his New York City Apartment, including the ticket prices—a move that has provoked criticism online from some fans. Remaining unbothered, Williams asserts his self-worth and the value of the products he offers.
“This experience is for people who find value in the experience, and I've been doing it for six years, so clearly somebody finds value in it,” he says.
“The price used to be $125 when I first started, and over the years we just progressed and now we’re at $215. My white counterparts do similar experiences—four, five, $600—and the food isn’t as tasty and you don't get as much. My prices should be increased,” Williams says. “If you can afford it, then great. If not, this probably isn't the event for you. Buy a cookbook. I have a lower price option if you want to support, but this is for premium,” he adds.
The evening itself is shrouded in mystery, which is another element of its appeal.
“Nobody knows where it's going to be and they don't know what's on the menu. Nine times out of 10, I don't know what’s going to be on the menu, says Williams. “You just don't know what's going to be available because different regions of the country have different types of food. So they don't know what I'm cooking. All they know is that it’s seven courses—great food, great music, and great vibes.”
And because it’s nearly impossible to consume a seven-course meal, Williams says guests are encouraged to “bring Tupperware and then you can take food back home”—another way he ensures his supporters leave the experience having received their money’s worth and their bellies full.
Authentic Chef, Authentic Food
Another key ingredient of Williams’ runaway success and growing media empire is his ability to connect with an audience without sacrificing his authenticity. With an alcoholic beverage in one hand and a cooking utensil in the other during his weekly Facebook Live show, he has mastered the art of being a chef who entertains and is accessible to fans. But with popularity also comes responsibility, and Williams says he often feels the weight of it all.
“I can't be reckless. I try to stay above brow,” he says. “I definitely feel the responsibility and not just that, but you’ve got people who are looking at me as an example, people who are watching what I'm doing. So, all that is super important.”
With six employees, a cake business, keto and vegan cookbooks, a new cookware line, a new warehouse, and a forthcoming app, it’s hard to believe that Williams would have time for anything non-cooking-related. But that hasn’t stopped fans from inquiring about his love life, especially after a picture of him on vacation with an unknown and attractive Black man (who turned out to be a married friend) was posted on his Facebook page.
“I can’t be reckless. I try to stay above brow. I definitely feel the responsibility and not just that, but you’ve got people who are looking at me as an example, people who are watching what I’m doing. ”
"I am 100% single,” says Williams. “I am not dating. I'm not opposed to it. But it's also not at the top of my list either.”
Williams tells The Reckoning that dating as a public figure often comes with a unique set of challenges.
“Darius Williams and Darius Cooks are similar, but they’re also two uniquely different individuals,” he says. “And what ends up happening is that a lot of people end up wanting Darius Cooks, without understanding that there is a dichotomy that exists between those two individuals. Not that one is different from the other a whole lot, but in my normal life, I'm not swigging cocktails and cooking live every day and the life of the party. But when the camera is on you also can't be boring and lethargic. So, you gotta give it something.”
Summer is quickly approaching. Chef Darius Cooks Williams recommends that your food choices compliment the season. Throw it on the grill and keep it light.
Check out his delicious recipe for Citrus Fish Tacos.
