When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Kiara Jones suddenly had a lot of free time on her hands. Bored and often hungry because she was pregnant at the time, she began testing recipes and refining her cooking skills. Once Jones’ family and friends got a taste, they immediately knew there was something special going on.
“I had a lot of people around me just encouraging me to start selling plates because they told me that’s how good my food was, so I started to pursue that,” Jones recalled.
Using social media to build a presence, she shared homemade dishes to TikTok and Instagram. Over time, Jones amassed a large following, and even went viral after creating a Philly cheesesteak sandwich “her way.” Today, the 24-year-old Chicago native has more than 700,000 followers across her accounts.
“Chicago Bears players started to see my work and they reached out to me wanting to try my food. And from there, that’s when I started my private chef services. I go to people’s homes and I cook intimate dinners for their family, friends and things like that,” Jones said.
In 2021, Jones launched Unique Eats Catering, which offers a variety of services including private dinners, event catering and weekly meal prep. Comfort fare is her specialty, or as she explains it, “I cook a lot of food that if you eat it, you’ll just want to go to sleep afterwards.”
Earlier this year, Jones took the next step in her career by completing a 12-week program for young adults at Impact Culinary Training. She plans to continue running her business, but is striving for bigger and better things in the future.
“My dream is to be a travel chef and cook for athletes and celebrities, and just see the world while doing what I love.”
Before Kiara finished the program, she would start her days at Impact Culinary Training on the West Side. The no-cost program prepares young adults ages 16-24 for an entry-level job in the restaurant industry with eight weeks of classroom courses, followed by a four-week paid internship. “They give you the whole nine yards,” Kiara said.
Despite having completed her training, Kiara is still involved with Impact Culinary Training as a teacher’s assistant. She works alongside the instructor who taught her and hopes to run Unique Eats soon out of The Hatchery—a food and beverage incubator for entrepreneurs and also the home of Impact Culinary Training.
On her days off, Kiara loves to spend time with her daughter. “I like to take her downtown and let her see the city. One of her favorites is going to Millennium Park; I showed her what Cloud Gate is and things like that,” she said.
While they’re downtown, Kiara and her daughter will often refuel with bites from local iconic spots, such as Portillo’s. “I love going there for an Italian beef, and I always give my daughter a hot dog,” she said. The two also enjoy snacking on cheese and caramel-flavored popcorn from Garrett Popcorn.
If Kiara has a day to herself, she likes to go walk along the lakefront and hang out with friends or check out the Garfield Park Conservatory for its “beautiful scenery and cool vibes.” Reading is one of her favorite pastimes as well.
Kiara credits New Moms for helping her get to where she is today. The non-profit organization puts new mothers on the path to success by providing food, housing, job training and more—resources that she’s grateful for.
As a chef, Kiara is always shopping for groceries. She estimates that she’s probably at Pete’s Fresh Market five times a week picking things up for both her business and home meals. “In my opinion, they have the finest products and the freshest produce.”
For those nights when Kiara doesn’t feel like cooking, she’ll order from Bro-N-Laws Bar-B-Que in Humboldt Park. Like a true Chicagoan, her go-to are the rib tips—smoky, meaty and finger-lickin’ good.
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