Chef Nona Johnson and her wife, Briana Murray, make up the powerful duo behind Sizzling Peach, a Norcross catering company, and The Local Peach, a newly opened grocery market and eatery in downtown Norcross. Cooking for friends and celebrities in LA, winning season 8 of Hell’s Kitchen and opening a storefront that allows her to share her passion for people and food with the world are just a few stops Chef Nona has made along the way.
Photo courtesy: The city of Norcross
Winning Hell’s Kitchen drove Nona to elevate her standards and expectations to that of Chef Ramsay’s, who she grew to admire. “If he wouldn’t accept something that I typically would, I’d find out why specifically and adjust.” She sought to source the highest quality ingredients and began cooking with the intention to make others feel loved by simply tasting her food.
It may have been this intentionality that attracted the talents and production crews of several Netflix shows and films in Gwinnett to seek out Sizzling Peach for their catering needs on set. However, the life of catering to tv shows and movies is anything but relaxing. Between constantly changing schedules, getting every detail just right and making contingency plans in the event that everything gets turned upside down, Sizzling Peach had their work cut out for them.
Thanks to the shows’ production assistants and Chef Nona’s previous experience serving celebrities, she knew what to expect. While the production crews that worked with Sizzling Peach were experts at keeping the names of their shows and talents top secret, Nona did hint that “one of the shows was a major Netflix production that just recently aired its series finale.” *hint hint*
The Local Peach, Sizzling Peach’s brick-and-mortar counterpart, has now been open since February 22, 2022. They welcome anyone and everyone to stop by for a taste . . . just as long as you leave any negative energy outside. Not to mention, they actively support diversity and inclusion by offering a large selection of products from BIPOC and woman-owned businesses.
“I want people to know they always have a place to grab some amazing food, stock their fridge and freezer, support local artisans, engage with the community, and get a hug when you need one,” explains Nona. It truly is love at first bite!