In this episode, Michael speaks with chef Sam Jett about building restaurants that serve communities, people, and the planet.
Sam shares how he shifted from a planned healthcare path into cooking, credits McDonald’s for teaching standards and systems, and recounts formative time in Copenhagen kitchens including Relæ and Noma.
After years as Sean Brock’s right-hand leader across multiple brands, Sam took over Audrey and refocused it on Appalachian heritage: removing luxury imported ingredients, tightening sourcing “guardrails,” and adopting a zero-waste mindset.
He describes a network of about 26 regional farms/producers supplying roughly 95% of the menu and a CSA-style budgeting approach where farmers send what they choose, including imperfect crops that the team transforms using the restaurant’s lab.
Sam explains making the economics work through circular “mini-ecosystems” and multiple revenue streams, and emphasizes relationships and trust as the core leadership principle.
Connect with Sam:
https://www.instagram.com/samuel.jett/?hl=en
https://www.audreynashville.com/
