From Service to Soul: The Heart of Chef Derrick Green’s Journey

On September 27th, 2025, the Starling Hotel in Atlanta was filled with warmth, laughter, and purpose as Full Bloom Global Media founder Camille Marine hosted an intimate live interview and tasting experience with Chef Derrick Green, the mind and heart behind Waffles and What Not. The event, produced by The Shon Murdock Group, wasn’t just a culinary showcase — it was a celebration of healing, community, and transformation.

For those who know Chef Green, his story runs much deeper than the delicious plates he serves. It’s a story of courage, service, and the power of love to rebuild a life.

A Veteran’s Resilience

Before the world came to know him as a chef, Derrick Green wore a different uniform. As a proud U.S. veteran, he served his country with honor and carried the weight of sacrifice that so many know too well. But even after his time in service, his mission didn’t end — it simply changed forms.

When life knocked him down and challenges came, Derrick found therapy in the kitchen. Cooking became his peace — a way to create beauty and purpose out of pain. It wasn’t just about feeding others; it was about rediscovering himself.

Cooking Through Love and Healing

When his wife faced her battle with cancer, Chef Green turned that same love into nourishment. Every recipe he created became a prayer, every meal a message of hope. He poured his heart into developing dishes that supported her healing journey — food that strengthened the body, comforted the soul, and reminded her that love was still being served daily.

It was in those quiet, sacred moments that Waffles and What Not was born — not just as a restaurant, but as a movement built on faith, family, and flavor.

Waffles and What Not: More Than a Meal

What began as a dream in Anchorage, Alaska, has now grown into a culinary experience that’s touching lives across the nation. Waffles and What Not is where innovation meets heart — each plate filled with soul, culture, and a story.

Now expanding into Atlanta, Chef Green is bringing that same energy, authenticity, and creativity to a new community ready to be inspired and fed in every sense of the word.

A Mission Beyond the Kitchen

Chef Green’s work doesn’t stop when the stove turns off. His outreach programs and community initiatives continue to pour into others — especially veterans and young chefs searching for direction after hardship. Through mentorship, food education, and empowerment workshops, he’s showing others that their scars can become their strength.

He believes that food is more than sustenance — it’s connection, healing, and hope. And that message continues to ripple through every person he mentors, every meal he serves, and every dream he helps bring to life.

A Legacy in Motion

During the Media Tasting at the Starling Hotel, guests enjoyed an array of waffle-inspired creations paired with Exclusive Vodka flavors — each bite and sip telling a story of artistry and love. The evening also celebrated Chef Green’s feature in Food and Beverage Magazine, honoring his influence and dedication to changing how people experience food.

Camille Marine summed it up beautifully:

“Chef Derrick Green’s story isn’t just about food — it’s about faith, purpose, and resilience. He’s reminding the world that service doesn’t stop when the uniform comes off. It simply transforms.”

As he continues to expand Waffles and What Not and develop new enterprises that blend culinary creativity with community healing, Chef Green stands as a living testament that it’s never too late to start over — to turn pain into purpose, and purpose into a legacy.

Chef Derrick Green’s story is for every veteran, every dreamer, and every person searching for meaning beyond the battle.

It’s a reminder that no matter where you’ve been, your next chapter can still be beautiful — and it might just start in the kitchen.

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