Chef Jeff was raised in Takoma Park, MD, and attended Blair High School. He began cooking at the age of 8 and by 17 he worked at McDonald’s with his mother and her siblings where they operated eight Washington, DC area locations. He also worked at his family’s Caribbean restaurant where he received an introduction to becoming a restaurateur. These early hospitality experiences with family contributed to his love for cooking, people, and hard work.

After high school, Chef Jeff earned his Associate's Degree in Business Management. While in college, he wrote his first business plan for a Caribbean and Southern cuisine restaurant—a plan that won first place in a competition and a $10,000 grant to help further his dream.

His next stop was Crescent City and after a two-year stay in New Orleans, LA with his great grandfather, where Chef Jeff became well-versed in the heritage, culture, and style of Louisiana’s Creole and Cajun cuisine.

He committed to launching a restaurant in Washington, DC to honor his family’s roots.​ In 2012, that dream became a reality when he opened Po Boy Jim. He furthered this vision in 2020 by launching Creole on 14th and then again in 2021 by launching Suga & Spice.

Most recently, Chef Jeff was appointed to the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington Board of Directors, and his restaurants are now popular DC staples.