Cooking runs in Bryant “Baul” Williams’s blood.
Having grown up in a large family, his mom, dad, grandmother and great-grandmother had to cook in large portions to feed their robust household. It was then he started to notice the power of food, and how communal eating can be. It brought people together. Not long after, Williams set out to learn everything he could about cooking, and began building the foundation for a culinary career.
As a young man, he started bussing tables at a local eatery, then worked his way to becoming a line cook. After doing an exceptional job one night, one of the servers informed him that a patron wanted to pay him a compliment.
“It was Meagan Good,” Williams tells ESSENCE, stating that the beloved actress raved about the meal he’d prepared. What was meant to be a jovial time for him quickly took a turn.
“It was just a short, brief conversation, but it led to me getting terminated because the company, the headship, told me I shouldn’t have left my position in the kitchen unattended, so they fired me.”
However, it was a blessing in disguise he says.
“That was the beginning of my private chef career,” he explains. Because of his stellar reputation, Justin Bieber’s personal chef became a mentor to Williams showed him the ropes of being private catering.
“He showed me that you can go inside people homes, prepare meals for them and get paid top dollar.”
Williams was able to learn more about the practice, and opened his own private catering practice where he quickly became known around his Atlanta hometown for his high-quality food that fed large crowds. Soon after, he caught the attention of celebrities like lauded rapper Kendrick Lamar, Lil Baby, and chart-topping group Migos among many others. After working in the space for eight years, Williams decided it was finally time to open his own restaurant, and that’s when the challenges truly began.
“What I thought was going to be one of the best times of my life turned into the hardest,” he admits.
It all started in 2018 while Williams was acting as the Migos private chef while they were on an international tour. In Paris, he met some some investors who expressed interest in offering him capital to start his own restaurant because they’d heard about his service.
“They came to Atlanta and I didn’t know they had a hidden evil motive, but they did,” he tells ESSENCE. “I couldn’t see it at first because they had smiles on their faces. They made everything sound good. We had contracts put in place, certain ownership percentages and everything made sense on paper.”
They were able to open the location after a short time, but he learned that of the investors forged a private relationship with the realtor who helped find the restaurant’s space. And they formed a sweetheart deal behind his back that ultimately wound in the ultimate betrayal.
“They tried to take my ownership portion away from me,” he says, explaining that they’d essentially planned a hostile takeover. After taking some time to cope with the realization, he decided to walk away. What he didn’t realize is that the patronage left with him.
“My absence was definitely felt,” he says. His signature culinary skills and familial style of customer service helped make the restaurant what it was, so without him, it suffered.
“God knew what he was doing.”
Just a few years later, he took the hard lessons he learned, and worked alongside his wife, Daniella “Ivy” Emillien, open up his newest restaurant, Binky’s.
In less than three years, it has raked in multi-millions and has been ranked as one of the best Black-owned eateries in Atlanta.
Williams said he owes it all to his unwavering faith.
“It may sound crazy, but I’m thankful that happened to me,” he shares. “I wouldn’t be as self-assured as I am. I know everything about my restaurant. It helped me build myself as a better businessman when I’m negotiating deals, and with my spirit of discernment when I meet new people. I’m thankful for it all.”